The Shape of Work
The Shape of Work
#153: Sumit Lakhani on the pros and cons of Hybrid work, workforce of the future, and strategies to reduce employee turnover
In a post-pandemic world, the rules of HR are changing. On this episode of The Shape of Work podcast, we have Sumit Lakhani, Chief Marketing Officer at Awfis Space Solutions Private Limited.
With over 15+ years of experience & having worked with giants like Yes Bank, Tesco, and Tech Mahindra it is no surprise this episode covers a lot of ground.
Sumit shares insight on some of the biggest questions right now in both hiring and the future of work.
Episode Highlights:
- Pros and cons of the hybrid workplace model
- The workforce of the future
- Effective strategies to reduce employee turnover
- All about the pulse of the organization, feedback, and 1v1 with the team.
Advantages and drawbacks of the hybrid workplace model:
The hybrid workplace model gives a choice to the employees to choose to work remotely or at the office. It also depends on the work requirements and productivity of the employees. After the pandemic, most people have found remote work to be more comfortable, forcing workplaces to introduce hybrid work models.
Hybrid workplaces increase the productivity of the employees and save expenses and time on the commute. A survey found that most of the employees spend 1-1.5 hours on commuting which makes an additional 44 days of working. On the other hand, remote working seems not very efficient for freshers. They cannot experience the same exposure and work environment working remotely.
The changes in work nature for Gen Z:
The future workforce, which is Gen Z, will create significant impacts on workplaces. A few years back, things were changing as for the preferences of the millennials, but Gen Z is taking over that. They are directly participating in the gig economy. Their approach towards work-life balance is very different from other generations, which will change the way workplaces function and open the doors to work on preferred time slots.
They seem not to be very interested in the 9-6 work model, which can rise to the 24x7 opening of physical offices. Now organisations should be more focused on the safety, well-being, and flexibility of the employees to increase their productivity.
Practical strategies to enhance employees productivity:
In almost every sector, employees spend half of their day. So, their productivity is directly related to their well-being. The workplace environment should force them to come to their work every morning happy and recharged. This is only possible if organisations promote a learning culture, socialising, and collaborations. Every employee should enjoy their work rather than taking a toll on their mental health.
Organisation's approach to improving employee engagement policies:
Any workplace negativity affects the productivity of their employees. They will feel hesitant to discuss important issues with the core team and eventually leave the organisation. This negativity comes from poor management, lack of communication, unexpected changes in staffing, and inexperience management.
To tackle this and improve employee engagement policies, organisations need to focus on feedback from the staff and bridge communication gaps.
BONUS: Willing to figure out ways to save your employee turnover cost? Read our latest blog post.
Follow Sumit on LinkedIn