Hybrid work and “Great Resignation”: how to retain talents that we no longer see?

Monday: remote. Tuesday: office. Wednesday: off. Thursday: coworking. Friday: office. Such a schedule seemed inconceivable for workers in the tertiary sector just a few years ago. Today, hybrid work is a reality for most of them. But its sharp rise corresponds to a more worrying phenomenon for companies: the Great Resignation. Should we then correlate the drop in office traffic with the increase in departures? But above all, how to counter this phenomenon by taking into account the remoteness?

Hybrid work: the office in post-covid mode

Over the past two years, nearly 20% of workers have been working remotely globally. If today, the whole "telework" makes the majority of employers and employees cringe, the "distance" is an essential component of the hybrid work practiced by many companies.

On a daily basis, the teams are therefore fragmented. A manager may only see his team a few days a week, and a new recruit will only meet his new colleagues occasionally. A practice that necessarily impacts team spirit, the feeling of belonging, and the way of thinking about one's career.

Hybrid work and resignation: out of sight, out of mind?

At the same time, the Great Resignation is raging. This phenomenon of quits began in the United States in the summer of 2020 when millions of Americans dissatisfied with their work or their salary left their jobs. Today, the movement affects many countries, putting some businesses in a tight spot. From hotels and restaurants to marketing and finance, all professions seem to be impacted. At stake: the loss of meaning – individual and collective.

This is why companies seek to combine hybrid work and a business project. Indeed, for decades, the office has been the place where organizations express their culture. It is also an extraordinary place to socialize. However, these two facets, business project and group life, are key elements in the retention of talent.

You + me + anyone who wants to join: post-covid business

From now on, organizations must actively enable their employees to build relationships with them AND with all stakeholders. On the one hand, this work will consolidate their relationship with the company. On the other hand, a research conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic indicates that social connections also have a significant positive impact on productivity.

To restore meaning, companies are also increasingly giving employees a voice. Whether choosing remote days or new workplaces, or even designing the future organization: you have to associate talents to get them on board - over time. It is also a way of giving substance to the company's culture.

Make the office an unparalleled (professional) living space

In addition, most organizations still have a key asset to retain their employees: their workspaces! Yes, the office is not dead. But he has to reinvent himself. Studies then show that it is not so much the "fun bonuses" (juice bar, table football, etc.) that make its value but the serendipity and expected productivity of the place.

For example, employees regret impromptu exchanges, chance encounters, improvised brainstorming and everyday tools that allow them to stay focused on their work. Such experiences are difficult to reproduce online.

To sum up, the Great Resignation is a strong signal of a quest for meaning AND a connection with the company and with its peers. A link once built and lived on a daily basis, in the office. Today, one of the challenges for companies is therefore to revive office life. To make you want to go back after months of isolation and disintegration of common sense. A virtuous circle which, to operate at full speed, must be supported.

To achieve this, companies can invest in management tools, such as Witco. The Witco application gives employees control over the management of their flex office and to centralize all the tools available on site. It's the perfect way to make collaboration and productivity rhyme again.