A February 2023 WFH U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA) found that in the prior week of the survey, 19.97% of people aged 20-64 and earning more than $10,000 worked entirely remotely, and 27.7% worked hybrid schedules. The hybrid workforce has become the norm. When the pandemic started, business leaders had to rapidly adapt to employees working from home and had little time to think about important challenges like preserving the organizational culture, maintaining employee engagement, and meeting employee needs. The focus was on utilizing technology to maintain employee productivity and retain customers. Now, it is clear that the hybrid workforce is a permanent work model, and managers must become more intentional in learning new leadership skills for empowering and engaging employees, so the organization continues to succeed.
Can Managers Meet Five Challenges Presented by the Hybrid Workforce?
Now that the pandemic has ended, organizational leaders realize they must adapt their leadership styles and skills to meet the needs of employees and achieve organizational goals. Martine Haas, Lauder Chair Professor of Management at the Wharton School and Director of the Lauder Institute for Management & International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, says managers struggling to lead a hybrid team or remote workforce should assess where they stand in relation to the 5Cs or challenges.
The first C is communication. Do remote workers have effective communication tools, and do their managers recognize there are communication barriers to overcome, such as employees uncomfortable with speaking up during virtual meetings, and language differences that add complexity to communication?
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