New research and tech to make hybrid work 'work'

Microsoft has released its second annual Work Trend Index report, 'Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work Work'. The report coincides with the release of new features across the company's collaboration and productivity tools and platforms including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, Surface Hub and Microsoft Viva.

After sitting on the cusp of hybrid work for more than a year, many companies are at a long-awaited inflection point: the lived experience of hybrid work.

The company says one thing from the research is clear: we are not the same people who went home to work in early 2020. The past two years have left a lasting imprint, fundamentally changing how people define the role of work in their lives. The challenge ahead for every organisation is to meet employees’ great new expectations head on while balancing business outcomes in an unpredictable economy.

To help leaders navigate the shift, the 2022 Work Trend Index outlines five urgent trends from an external study of 31,000 people in 31 countries along with an analysis of trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and labour trends on LinkedIn:

• Employees have a new 'worth it' equation. 51% of Australian employees say they're more likely to prioritise their health and wellbeing over work than they were before the pandemic. And the Great Reshuffle isn't over: 48% of Australian Generation Z and millennials are likely to consider changing employers in the year ahead, up 6% year over year.
• Managers feel wedged between leadership and employee expectations. 51% of Australian leaders say their companies are planning a return to full-time, in-person work in the year ahead. 59% of Australian managers say leadership at their companies is out of touch with employee expectations, and 71% say they don't have the influence or resources to drive change for their teams.
• Leaders need to make the office worth the commute. 36% of Australian hybrid employees say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office, yet only 26% of Australian leaders have created team agreements to define these new norms.
• Flexible work doesn’t have to mean 'always on'. After two years, weekly meeting time for the average Teams user (globally) is up 252% and chats sent per person each week is up 32% — and still climbing. While workday span has increased by 46 minutes, after-hours and weekend work are up 28% and 14%, respectively.
• Rebuilding social capital looks different in a hybrid world. With 42% of Australian hybrid workers considering a shift to full remote work in the year ahead, companies cannot rely solely on the office to recoup the social capital we've lost over the past two years. 43% of leaders say relationship-building is the greatest challenge of having employees work in a hybrid or remote environment.
   

"There's no erasing the lived experience and lasting impact of the past two years, as flexibility and wellbeing have become non-negotiables for employees," said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president, Modern Work, Microsoft.

"By embracing and adapting to these new expectations, organisations can set their people and their business up for long-term success."

Making hybrid work work for everyone will require intentional leadership around how, when and where to work — and technology has a key role to play. Today the company is introducing new product innovation designed to improve the hybrid work experience.

Microsoft says it's bridging the gap between digital and physical workspaces with new layouts and touch-enabled display solutions for Teams Rooms, among other features. For a full outline of updates, highlights and improvements, visit the new Work Trend Index report or the company's official blog site.

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