KPIs are not enough to measure employee performance, and effective well-being programs go beyond superficial initiatives.
The modern workplace is experiencing a significant shift towards remote and hybrid work arrangements. As companies adjust to this evolving work environment, they look for more efficient ways to ensure optimal job satisfaction and productivity while trying to tap into employees’ well-being.
FlexOS CEO Daan van Rossum and Alexis Pham, Chief People Officer at Home Credit, shared their insights on hybrid work and its implications during a seminar organized by CEEC and its vice-chairman Vlad Savin.
Below are the key takeaways from their discussion.
Hybrid work is a working model that seamlessly blends office-based work with remote work. It allows us to enjoy the best of both worlds—some days in the office and others from the comfort of our homes.
Academic research from professor Nick Bloom at Stanford and the University of Leeds proves that hybrid and remote working models improve everything we care about as employers: recruitment, engagement, and retention.
Daan highlighted that Hybrid Work and Remote Work are terms that mean a lot of things to a lot of people. In reality, hybrid work is a spectrum and it takes on various forms, with different approaches tailored to suit the needs of organizations and individuals. The key hybrid models are:
Certain companies embrace complete freedom of choice, allowing employees to select their preferred working style.
For example, Hubspot, an early adopter of hybrid work, offers its employees full choice. Twice a year, each individual can choose their preferred profile, be it fully remote, hybrid, or predominantly office-based.
The implementation of hybrid work has become widespread in countries like Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore. A recent Telstra study shows that 85% of companies in the Asia-Pacific region actively promote and embrace a hybrid work model.
FlexOS research shows that Singaporean employees are particularly keen on this arrangement, with one in two claiming they would consider quitting if they could no longer work hybrid.
Google is a great example. It was recognized as the most desirable employer in Singapore just last month, with employee freedom being a significant factor.
But not every market in APAC is mostly hybrid, as research from Monks Hill Ventures and Glints showed, with especially Vietnam and to a degree Indonesia, trailing behind.
Another key topic of the event's discussion was about well-being. Alexis and Daan agreed that to create a thriving work environment, well-being programs should extend beyond superficial initiatives.
Alexis shared her approach to managing employee energy for better well-being, including several holistic wellness components implemented at Home Credit.
These components include:
Gallup also has a comprehensive well-being model comprising five pillars: physical health, social health, financial health, community, and career.
All five pillars need to be activated to achieve effective well-being initiatives. Such initiatives require sustained and strategic efforts focusing on long-term behavior change rather than one-off activities.
In her Future Work Podcast interview, Alyssa Stark, Head of Well-being at Singtel, also emphasized the importance of a total well-being strategy involving small behaviors. Real change comes from small, incremental actions over time rather than relying on grand gestures.
The final topic was employee performance. The speakers agreed that when measuring employee performance, traditional metrics aren't always enough. There are 6 bits of advice extracted from the discussion to impact team members' effectiveness.
Achieving work-life balance implies a sense of opposition between work and personal life. However, it is essential to recognize that work is now a part of life.
Thanks to flexible work arrangements, people can integrate their work and personal life better. This means individuals can work from 9 am to 2 pm and then again later in the evening. This approach, called Microproductivity by Jaime Teevan, Chief Scientist at Microsoft, involves finding several timeslots in the day to blend work with personal activities.
Microproductivity acknowledges that work is no longer confined to a traditional 9-to-5 schedule and allows individuals to optimize their productivity based on their unique circumstances.
Tracy Brower, the author of The Secret to Happiness at Work, researched what makes people happy at work and what drives performance. In her Future Work interview, Tracy agrees that work and personal life are becoming more intertwined, and people should feel free to find meaning in their work while not feeling guilty about attending to personal matters during work hours.
During the seminar, Alexis concluded that "it takes time for the market to mature." Shifting towards hybrid and remote work models requires a change in mindset.
The best hybrid companies are fully remote companies because they basically had to redesign from the ground up fully. The structure required for hybrid settings is different, and alternative practices for performance, productivity, well-being, and development must be put in place when people meet up in person less frequently.
Daan emphasized the importance of listening to employees. By understanding the needs and concerns of every member, companies can conduct appropriate solutions to improve the overall work experience. If your latest survey is over six months old, it may no longer accurately reflect their current status.
Alexis also emphasized the importance of creating an inclusive and employee-centric environment at work. This entails considering the different stages of life and generational differences while harnessing the collective potential of the workforce to cultivate a culture of innovation and positivity. The combination of human-touch initiatives, including work practices and well-being programs, is crucial for supporting employees and helping them perform at their best.
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