navigating-the-hybrid-paradox Navigating the hybrid paradox

Many employers are currently grappling with the daunting decision as to whether and how to implement hybrid working. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted to many employers that hybrid working models can be considered and may have many benefits if implemented correctly. A huge shift to this model has taken place worldwide, and South African companies are now competing with international companies in this regard.

Simeka Health spoke to Ester Kruger, Change Programme Manager: Sanlam Group Office who has been engaged to manage the shift to hybrid working within Sanlam, and asked her to share some of the thoughts around hybrid work practices.

Hybrid working implies splitting work time across a variety of physical spaces to optimise productivity. These workspaces may include the company office, your home and other locations such as public spaces or shared office spaces. It is about employees working in ways that optimise their required work outcomes, enabled through technology and fit-for-purpose workspace design. Essentially, it is a flexible approach to where and when work is done – but with intentionality, enhanced performance, and individual well-being as the main drivers. Hybrid working shifts the focus from time management to energy management. The focus is on delivery and outcomes – not input observed through physical presence and time at the office.

It is still the “wild west” out there as the world, including Sanlam, is exploring new opportunities in hybrid work. We want to optimise the potential return on investment in terms of attracting and retaining talent, facilitating wellness and performance, collaboration and innovation as well as cost optimisation opportunities, but the “how” means we need to work through complexities and paradoxes, as the graphic below illustrates.

Sanlam created a hybrid working framework to guide the various aspects that come into play as the business embarks on this journey. It is not just about allowing employees to work from home – it is about approaching work flexibly and practically, empowering our employees, managers and teams to optimise how and where work gets done, for the benefit of the business and its clients. As the study from Gartner on Fortune 100 companies in the United States of America below suggests, different industries are taking a variety of approaches. Given the diverse nature of roles, teams and work, it is clear that a “one-size-fits-all” approach will not optimise our intended outcomes.

Source: Gartner

Hybrid work should be a win-win for the employer, its employees and teams who strive to deliver exceptional value to their clients. Within Sanlam, our decision-making process to find optimal hybrid working solutions is guided by our values of care, collaboration, integrity and innovation.

• Collaboration: People who work together are better. Hybrid working is not about working alone. Instead, it encourages us all to be exceptionally mindful about collaborating with each other, remaining accessible to others and being intentional and deliberate in how we partner with colleagues.
• Innovation: We want people to find new ways to maximise their impact and add value to our business. Hybrid working must enable smarter working and greater levels of performance. It requires both management and employees to be bold, creative and innovative in their thinking about how work can best be done.
• Integrity: Hybrid working relies on a premise of trust. Within Sanlam, we believe that our people are absolutely resolute in their commitment to doing a good job and allowing flexible work will support that trust. We believe our people are trustworthy, reliable and will do what they say they are going to do.
• Care: We want our people to have more control over their work and the demands of their personal lives. It matters to us that people are able to invest time in the things that matter. Hybrid working helps create a better balance and more time for the aspects of life that make our people whole human beings. Hybrid working also requires our people to exercise self-care, by making sure that they are working in a way that also accounts for their human wellness needs.

Within Sanlam, line managers play a key role to make sure that hybrid practices align with the aforementioned values. Managers have to consider and balance multiple needs and requirements when it comes to leading individuals and teams in a hybrid working world. This requires authentic and constructive engagement between managers and their respective teams. The Sanlam Human Capital team support effort has been focused on the necessary training, workshops and enabling tools to assist managers on this journey. Given the size, scope and complexity of our organisation, we expect our implementation of hybrid working to come with some hard lessons, and some course corrections along the way.

These aspects are key considerations for this journey:

• Intended performance outcomes for individuals and teams (what they are doing and how best to do it)
• Client expectations and needs
• Practical optimisation of where it makes the most sense to perform work
• Individual realities, preferences and specific role variations
• The need for the team to function as a team, and to operate well as a group
• Organisational parameters and policies which influence how hybrid working is supported

We believe the introduction of hybrid working is a unique opportunity to achieve higher employee retention and – if implemented correctly – effective client engagement on a scale not previously experienced.

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