The Future is Hybrid

“So, how are you finding going into the office again?”

The question on everyone’s lips, amongst employees and business leaders alike. The answer, on the other hand, is harder to agree on.

Pre-pandemic, wellbeing was something that could easily be pushed to the bottom of the agenda.

Now, as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses are realising that the health and wellbeing of their workforce is vital. It is, perhaps, one of the positive outcomes of the pandemic, as leaders recognise the need to discuss and tackle any wellbeing related issues.

Decluttering our homes and making them joyful havens for us to relax in is something which has become important over the last year as we spend more time in them.

By Siobhan Byrnes 

Over the course of the ongoing pandemic, I can’t help but cringe every time I read an article that debates the health of workplace culture. Working closely with businesses of all sizes and across all sectors as they navigate workplace change, my team and I have seen that employee-driven culture is very much alive and is, in fact, becoming increasingly valued and prioritised.

The pandemic prompted a re-evaluation by everyone. Where culture was perhaps taken for granted, it quickly became apparent how critical it is to steadying a ship in a time of upheaval. Culture remains the beating heart of any organisation and it survived, thanks to efforts by leadership and employees alike, despite us all working remotely for over a year. We recently surveyed nearly 1,200 employees (both at junior and senior levels), and 45% ranked ‘team, people and culture’ as most the important aspect when choosing a job, followed by flexible working (39%), with competitive salaries and bonus slipping down the priority list.

In the UK, 2021 can be categorised by the two seismic events that have dominated headlines and had an unprecedented and material impact on the way we live and work: the official departure from the EU under Brexit, and the reopening of society after 18 months of Covid-19 restrictions.

Both events are having an enormous impact on the way business leaders consider the future of their workforce and the role the workplace plays.