In a recent article, I identified some of the systemic changes and trends that have changed and are changing the workplace across the world. You can read, “No One in the Office, Crowds in The Parks” here. In this article I will share what companies are doing to respond and shift to a new world order.

Offer Flexible Work Arrangements

“Flexibility is the key to future of hybrid work.” Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

Flexible work options are not new. As much as 15 years ago, some companies offered “work share” arrangements, self-funded sabbaticals, 4-day-10-hour work weeks, unpaid leaves of absence, and the ability to purchase additional vacation days from one’s health spending accounts. These were progressive offerings, although the uptake was relatively small. In most companies, executives and managers had the authority to approve or deny requests, and many did not approve them. A common refrain from employees was that while such options were available, acting on them was a “career limiting move.”

The balance of power has shifted. In a competitive labour market, offering hybrid work will become the norm. In part, the many months of forced remote work has demonstrated to reluctant leaders that prior productivity levels can be met or exceeded, employees can be trusted, and creativity need not suffer.

Microsoft renounced their plans for an early October return to work, postponing the return indefinitely. As with most companies, they expect staffers to return to the office, at least part-time. An increasing number of workers are stating that they would like a return to the office, but not on a full-time basis. Microsoft’s LinkedIn site will enable job seekers to filter out roles in traditional offices or to search for work options that offer a mix of remote and in-office work. LinkedIn has coined the phrase “the great reshuffle,” and remote postings increased to 16 percent of total postings by Labour Day.

Most of my clients have accepted hybrid work options as a requirement to attract and retain skilled professionals. Some have mandated a full-time return to the office. It will be interesting to assess the consequences, if any, of this requirement, in the months and years ahead.

Partnerships and Apprenticeships

I had the privilege of chairing an advisory committee for a university for several years. I have also worked with several Canadian post-secondary institutions. Due in part to long-held processes for developing and approving curricula, education has been fairly criticized for not keeping up with the needs of the business world, be that for skilled trades, to respond to changes in industries such as oil and gas, etc.

Some of my European and Canadian clients are establishing partnerships with universities. In one case, a global firm will fund employees’ engineering designations if they work for the organization while completing their degree on a part-time basis. The required work hours will be adjusted to support completion of coursework, studies, etc.

The University of Calgary has indicated an interest in offering engineering students more study in the areas of geothermal, hydrogen, wind, and solar energy. There will be many opportunities for students with this knowledge. If U of C is smart, they will quickly collaborate with interested companies to provide co-op work experience for their students. Kettering University has been doing this successfully for many years.

Promote Your Employee Referral Program

Many companies have employee referral programs; they provide a cash incentive to employees who refer successful candidates. Typically, the referring employee receives payment once the new employee has successfully completed their probation period. Some organizations discontinued these programs as there was little uptake. In many cases, organizations long ago stopped promoting the program, and employees forgot it existed. It is time to re-establish and promote these programs. Your best employees know great potential employees who share their work ethic, commitment, education, and work experience.

Measure Outcomes, Not Time, Visibility, Or Activities

I have promoted this for decades. Hold people accountable for their results, not their activities. One can be very “busy” and work lots of hours, but there may be little or no correlation with the quality or volume of their output. As a leader, if you feel the need to track the number of hours people are “signed on” remotely, or ask people to report on their activities and account for their hours, you are using the wrong yardstick. People do not need to be tied to a screen for 8 hours per day to produce high quality work. Nor should you be recognizing and rewarding people for working the requisite number of hours. Set goals aligned to outcomes. Measure outcomes. Trust your employees – or don’t be surprised when they leave for another organization.

Promote Sooner

With the large swath of baby boomers, there was an abundance of qualified and keen people to develop and groom. Organizations including IBM, TD Bank, Apple, and at one time Xerox and GE, placed importance on identifying and promoting talent. Some of these companies continue to do so. Young people and middle management are seeking career progression and an identifiable, progressive career path, prioritizing this over compensation. This has been reported for the past decade. With the lack of talent and a mobile workforce, some of my most successful clients are promoting people early, taking a chance on those with potential. This includes not only promotions, but also lateral moves, placing people into new departments in which they have no prior experience, from Marketing to leading an IT team, as an example. If your organization does not typically make these types of moves, you will be pleasantly surprised with the creative ideas and stronger collaboration that results from such progression.

There are countless examples of leading companies taking steps to address the talent gap and respond to the new working world.

© 2021 Lorraine A. Moore. All rights reserved. Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.

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