In the past year, the boundaries between home and work life have significantly blurred as workspaces expand outside the physical office. While the shift to remote work initially came as a shock for many organisations, those that have effectively laid the foundations for a digital workplace were able to successfully transition into the new way of working.
As remote and hybrid work models become more commonplace, organisations and individuals alike are realising its benefits including increased productivity and flexibility. However, this new era of work is not without its downsides.
The growing convergence between professional and personal lives has given rise to the ‘always-on’ culture, which means that employees are almost never off the clock. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed that the average workday span increased by 48.5 minutes across North America, Europe and the Middle East. Similarly, a survey conducted by staffing firm Robert Half also showed that nearly 70% of professionals say that they now work even on weekends.
But this increase in overtime can lead to overworked and burnt-out employees. The emphasis on mental health and well-being has never been greater, and if not addressed can mental health issues for staff, which can affect the business in the long run.
So, how can organisations enable a successful hybrid culture without disrupting employees’ work-life balance?
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Managing employee experience
Employee experience is a holistic term that includes everything from team interactions to the technology tools in use, external communication, team collaborations and so on. It impacts everything in the business—productivity, retention and even the workplace culture.
Positive work culture and policies play key roles in fostering worker loyalty and engagement. Today, business leaders across all industries have directed their focus on employee experience to empower the workforce.
There are multiple ways employers can promote life balance in the office without compromising productivity or efficiency. Whether it is in terms of flexible working hours, remote work options or simply team-building exercises such as company outings and engagement opportunities, such efforts go a long way in boosting employee morale.
Encouraging employees to be self-aware, assess personal and work goals, and allowing them to control their daily schedules can impact job satisfaction and performance.
Leveraging the power of technology
Today, it is crucial for business leaders to enable strong lines of communication and collaboration across the organisation. To achieve this, leveraging technology, data and insights focused on supporting the employee experience are key.
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It is ideal that they implement a platform that will provide them with a window into their staff’s work patterns and how they affect employee well-being and productivity. By using an integrated, insights-driven employee experience platform such as Microsoft Viva, organisations can get a clear view into their employees’ workflows with the help of anonymised, privacy-protected data.
Viva Insights can provide recommendations to organisations on the tools and apps their teams use, meeting duration, platforms that are used outside of work hours and so on. This can be particularly helpful for striking that work-life balance for remote workforces as it enables organisations to take advantage of factual and tangible data to help employees to better cope with the ‘always-on’ era.
Work smarter, not harder
Remote and hybrid work models are not going away anytime soon. There’s a high likelihood that even in a post-pandemic world, such working frameworks will continue to proliferate in future workplaces.
Therefore, it is vital for both business leaders and employees to find smarter ways that will prevent work-from-home fatigue and restore work-life balance.
For employees, working longer hours doesn’t necessarily mean better output. It’s better to prioritise workloads and set times for tasks. It is important to become more self-aware, limiting any distractions and focusing on properly accomplishing core tasks. Moreover, depending on how one uses them, apps, tools and technologies can help employees develop better work habits. Platforms such as Microsoft Viva offers features that will allow you to take ‘breathing breaks’, reflect and meditate, and finally, disengage at the end of the workday.
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On the other side of the coin, business leaders need to be mindful of their organisation’s work culture. They need to encourage a structure that encourages employees to be productive without pressuring them to work unnecessarily long hours. In addition, they should ensure that they invest in the right tools that will allow their employees to effectively and efficiently fulfil their roles.
The new culture
As organisations realise the advantages of remote working such as reduced operational costs and business continuity, it is crucial that they understand that this shouldn’t come at the cost of employees’ well-being. By taking proactive steps to influence work-life balance, business leaders are more likely to have engaged, loyal, productive and high-performing employees with healthy personal and professional lives.
With technology embedded deep inside our everyday lives, it is only reasonable to leverage it to make positive changes to enhance health and well-being within the workplace. Ultimately, it lies with industry leaders to cultivate working cultures that allow both employees and the business to thrive in the new world of work.
