Increasing employee satisfaction with hybrid work

Hybriden Arbeitsmodellen gehört die Zukunft. Doch wie können Unternehmen Homeoffice und Büroarbeit richtig verknüpfen?

Das hybride Arbeitsmodell ist heutzutage gar nicht mehr wegzudenken: Bessere Work-Life-Balance für Mitarbeiter:innen und die Senkung der Bürokosten auf Unternehmensseite sind nur einer der vielen Gründe, warum die neue Form des Arbeitens so beliebt ist. Die Risiken der hybriden Arbeit sind zwar weniger offensichtlich, dennoch existieren sie. Einer der größten Schattenseiten ist das verschwundene Zugehörigkeitsgefühl durch das Wegbleiben der menschlichen Interaktion, welches sich negativ auf Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit auswirken kann.

Yoffix hat eine Lösung entwickelt, die es Unternehmen ermöglicht, remote und Büroarbeit zu verbinden, um damit die Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit und Produktivität der Beschäftigten zu steigern. Im Interview mit Shir Nissanpur, CMO and Co Founder von yoffix, erhalten Sie neue Einsichten zum Thema hybrides Arbeiten und wie auch Ihr Unternehmen den Wandel der neuen Arbeitsweise meistern kann.

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The hybrid work model has become indispensable: a better work-life balance for employees and lower office costs for companies are just two of the many reasons why this new form of working is so popular. The risks of hybrid work are less obvious, but they do exist. One of the biggest downsides is the disappearing feeling of belonging due to the absence of human interaction, which can harm well-being and health.

Yoffix has developed a solution that allows companies to combine remote and onsite work to increase employee satisfaction and productivity. In this interview with Shir Nissanpur, CMO and Co Founder of yoffix, you will get new insights on hybrid work and how your company can master the change of the new way of working.

Are companies really offering hybrid work now?

Shir Nissanpur: "The majority of companies (that can) are actually working from home now, due to the ongoing pandemic and governmental restrictions (at least in Germany). Some did resume office work, but without a proper hybrid work model. Both seem to be bad scenarios for the employees. Imagine coming into an empty office and sitting alone the whole day - how discouraging… Some of us actually miss the social side of work. Wanting to return to a safe work environment that includes meeting others isn’t hard to comprehend at this point."

"On the flip side, those who have chosen to embark on a hybrid work model and offer a proper flexible working routine actually show higher satisfaction levels, reduced workload on HR and Office Management and even lower resignation rates."

Do you find it easy or hard for companies to create a hybrid work environment?

Shir Nissanpur: "Change is never easy. The hard part, as we found out, is that companies hesitate to take a long standing decision on the topic. Some because of the sheer amount of decision makers and people influenced which makes it a pan-company decision, but some companies also linger because of insecurity on how they want to work post Covid-19."

“These decisions do concern all employees from top to bottom and they also require shifts in company culture. One of our goals at yoffix, is to inform companies and give the proper knowledge base so that they are aware of the options and how to initiate the process. We truly believe that a company that decides sooner rather than later is doing a great service to their workforce- giving employees stability and a proper long term outlook on how flexible they will be in the future. Having a flexible working environment has become commonly requested by workers world-wide. Actually 67% of employees demand at least 2-2.5 days of flexible work a week."

"Returning to the question above, it should not be difficult to create a hybrid work environment once the decision is made. But in order to avoid trial and error and sending confusing messages to employees we recommend choosing a partner to help with this. Our clients are thanking us for making a difficult process easy and clear."

Do you think hybrid work is a global or local issue?

Shir Nissanpur: "We see different trends in different countries, even in different fields of work. I’d like to say it’s only a matter of regulations / restrictions but in reality it’s also a matter of trust. In some places the level of trust in this new way of working is just lower. Looking to the future, companies who don’t evolve now will just have to evolve later on as this flexible work model will become the common one. We are talking about a change we’ll see in the near future and those companies who failed to implement it early on or properly will lose on talent. Employees deserve transparency. We most definitely see it as a global discussion, but when we talk about “hybrid” we also understand that each company might do it a bit differently, and that’s okay! So, global or local - yoffix is happy to offer help on how to promote a successful work environment in any organization, of any size."

How do you guys tackle the uncertainties that come with working during a pandemic?

Shir Nissanpur: "It’s hard. Not being able to reach people easily, no proper office attendance, every question one might have is answered in delay either over slack or requires a meeting. This is our reality and it’s also everyone else's. This is exactly why we understand companies who want to create a hybrid work environment. We share the same goal: Putting employees' satisfaction and success as priority. Having these uncertainties is a great way to share common experiences and really dig into possible solutions. We think it’s an opportunity to really help companies be happier and more productive, and lastly, something that is rarely brought up, but equally important - discussing possible ways to reduce burnout."

Can remote/hybrid work be an employee benefit? Have employees grown to expect hybrid options from their employers?

Shir Nissanpur: "Hybrid work has definitely become a priority for employees. Having tasted this new reality and enjoying flexibility in creating their own schedule is something that would be hard to take away. It's definitely a benefit to have more flexibility and freedom over your own schedule and reduced commute time. I think it turns the workplace into a social destination and can open a door to more benefits."

"We also mention to companies who work with us the paramount need to include employee benefits to encourage, motivate and alleviate stress during this period of time and combine it with hybrid work for best results."

How do you keep employees who are working remotely engaged in their teams?

Shir Nissanpur: "Engagement = interaction. As a hybrid work solution we believe in adding to the virtual level face to face interaction. We offer team bookings and safe ways to bring people together at the office. But, yes, we also have "virtual connect" features to make sure employees interact when they are out of the office. We are actually working on so many new features in this direction for 2022 but I just can't share much details at this stage. I can only say that yoffix will definitely change the way people interact when they're remote, and that it's worth staying in tune for."

What are the new work trends for 2022?

Shir Nissanpur: "Great question. I’d like to believe that wellbeing and employee benefits will be the crowning jewels of 2022 work trends. It’s time to bring to light how important it is to maintain a healthy and happy workforce. Having the pandemic, literally in every single person's home, made us more human, more aware - and it’s time to apply this empathy and understanding into our work day and work culture. Forgetting about old habits, getting over distrust and offering a safe and healthy work environment that treats the office as a social destination for connectivity and collaboration - and people as worth investing in."

Are you planning on expanding your feature selection this year?

Shir Nissanpur: "As mentioned above, I can’t at this stage discuss all the new features we are working on quite yet. But most definitely will yoffix become a much more well rounded solution when we introduce our employee side to the platform. What I can share is that we really want to bring in more partners who share our passion for putting employees first. Circula is one of these great partners, because of their deep understanding of employee benefits. Other partnerships which we will announce via our LinkedIn company profile will be part of our 360-holistic hybrid work ecosystem. Looking forward to offering employees and companies a very smooth - integrated user experience that solves all their hybrid needs."

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