In Pictures: Hybrid working is history? Microsoft does not think so

For all who thought hybrid working options will be gone as soon as COVID-19 subsides, Microsoft has one short answer – No way! “Hybrid work is no Plan B - it is the future,” says Mohammed Arif, Business Group Director – Modern Workplace & Security at Microsoft UAE.

The US tech giant focusses on three reasons why hybrid work – essentially flexibility on how an employee delivers work and from where – will be around for a lot longer. One, because it’s a concept that has delivered handsome results last year and in this one. Plus, more employees now seem to accept this as standard operating practice. And third, employers have the assurance ensure they are well-prepared for any future crises.

How well will the Microsoft findings resonate with organisations in the UAE and the Gulf? More entities have called back their staff to return to the offices, in strength, but with the rider that they do have options if they prefer to remain working remotely.

According to Arif, “While some organizations might want to revert to old norms, our latest Work Trend Index (WTI) shows they are in the minority. First is the one about employees wanting to work form anywhere while simultaneously craving more in-person connections. This is what our CEO Satya Nadella calls the ‘Hybrid Paradox’. The second trend is what LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky called the ‘Great Reshuffle’, which is this emerging requirement for us to not only reassess the way we work but why we work.”

Based on feedback from UAE based HR consultants, change around hybrid work cultures will take time to take root. If in 2020, it was an absolute need, remote working has become less so this year. Sure, multinationals are still allowing their staff the flexibility to choose where they work from, local enterprises do prefer their staff to clock in the hours – at the office.

What businesses have done instead is rework their office layouts, brought in stricter health-and-safety protocols, and offered some flexibility on the working hours.

Microsoft's Arif says companies cannot let their guards down - in spotting mood shifts and productivity changes. "Hybrid work really proved itself on the productivity side over these past 18 months, with productivity levels staying roughly the same. However, the satisfaction employees expressed about connections between themselves and their colleagues dropped from 86% last year to 79%. Employees’ satisfaction about work-life balance has improved. Employers must take these nuances into account when designing their post-Covid workplaces."

That's the whole crux - the ripples from the COVID-19 phase will be around far longer. And employers and their workforces must factor this into all their calculations. If higher productivity comes at the cost of higher stress levels and a talent drain, it will leave organisations vulnerable.

“The reality is, hybrid work opens up a larger talent pool,” said Arif. “Some 39% of employers across industries are now struggling to find qualified talent. July 2021 marked the ninth consecutive month that the percentage of LinkedIn members changing jobs was higher than pre-pandemic months.”

So, what will it be for UAE and Gulf businesses in 2022? Equal degree of hybrid work? And improvements on the work-life balance?