“Leaders must look for ways to foster the social capital, cross-team collaboration, and spontaneous idea-sharing that’s been driving workplace innovation for decades. People who interacted with their coworkers more closely than before not only experienced stronger work relationships, but also reported higher productivity and better overall wellbeing. 41 percent of the global workforce is likely to consider leaving their current employer within the next year.”¹

Wait a minute, 41 percent of the workforce considering leaving?

Here are the questions to be asked:

• What does this mean for your business?
• Can you buck this trend?
• What can you do today?

What does this mean to your business?

So, first off, let’s imagine that you have lost 41% of your current workforce in this coming year. Even if you could find new talent, you would have to train them, rebuild your culture, work in new ways to keep the newcomers on board or you will forever be in this cycle.  Not a great place to be.

BUT! Think of what your company can be if you prevent this 41% churn. You will have a more connected workforce. All working towards the larger purpose you have set for your company. A tight group helping each other to achieve. Happy to roll up their sleeves and pitch in that little extra where needed. Happy to come to work. Attract even more innovative employees to your company because it is known as the happy place to work. A new powerhouse in your industry!

Can you buck this trend?

Yes, you can buck this trend of 41% churn if you start today. The answer is already listed in the first statement. You need to focus on: social capital, cross-team collaboration, and spontaneous idea-sharing. This will drive innovation.

You may need some help with the heavy lifting and Pat Doyle is here to help. We have helped many companies just like yours.

Let’s put this in context with the hybrid work environment businesses have experienced lately. Employees working remotely. Virtual meetings and events. Adoption of digital document management. Distancing and barriers when in the same physical environment. New protocols and procedures. New technology and new technology challenges. You have lived this, so you know the impacts directly. These are the things which drive up the 41% number.

You must focus changes on the connections your employees can make and the purpose they serve within your business. The purpose needs to be embedded within your corporate culture.

What can you do today?

One approach is to focus on your hybrid work environment efforts with curiosity, empathy, and openness to the experience.

“Research in organizational psychology suggests that [these] traits will help you navigate this new era”²

Curiosity

In hybrid environments employees will need to become more curious. “Research found that curiosity predisposes people towards behaving in entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial ways.”³ Your leadership can assist and help foster more curiosity:

• Provide opportunities to learn through online courses for self learning
• Encourage outreach and help foster external connections to outside professional organizations
• Create opportunities for experimentation and creativity
• Listen to employees for curiosity signals and encourage further exploration
• Ask and challenge your workforce with provocative questions about current processes
• As a leader, be more curious yourself and lead your workforce along with you

Empathy

Employees are cut off from regular expected contact with other employees, contacts, and customers. They don’t receive the normal signals to measure how well they are doing, struggles other people are having, or outside situations which may be impacting work. Leaders becoming more empathetic to employees and helping employees become more empathetic, will assist in the hybrid work environment.

• You will have to provide more feedback on how the employee is doing
• Encourage employees to see different points of view through examples
• Assess your employees’ position and work from their point of view
• Have more open discussions about issues/situations which are being questioned
• Use events and experiences to create connections between employees
• Drive awareness of the need for more empathy and offer training opportunities

Openness to the experience

As things with workforces have changed and will continue to change, it is important to be open to this experience and help your employees to except these new experiences. “Openness comprises a constellation of habits and behaviors that are more important today than ever.”²

• Highlight the benefits of diverse opinions and beliefs
• Provide opportunities to question the status quo
• Inspire your employees in your leadership through transformation
• Bring different people together to create an openness to new connections
• Create opportunities to take employees out of their comfort zones
• Challenge core assumptions of employees and foster this approach from them

Conclusion

We continue to be in changing times. New technology and approaches will be needed to assist your business and your employees. Continue to adapt and spend more time focusing on your employees and your company will raise to new levels and become complete powerhouses in your industry. All while being happy and working with a happy workforce, what could be better!

Please share this article and be on the lookout for our next article where we will continue to discuss ways to create happiness in your business and for the customers of your business, for positive results.

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Sources

1: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work

2: https://hbr.org/2021/08/3-traits-you-need-to-thrive-in-a-hybrid-work-environment

3: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118970812.ch11