New Skills for the Hybrid Workplace

New Skills for the Hybrid Workplace

Statistics confirm 9 in 10 employees seek some level of flexibility in their work schedule (2022, Gallup), while 74% of US companies are implementing a permanent hybrid work model (2022, Zippia). As organization’s move toward permanent hybrid models, they’re discovering new and different skills are necessary to function and manage.

A 2021 Gartner Employee Skills Survey identifies Adaptability, Communication, Planning, Patience and Problem Solving are among the top skills employees require for hybrid work. A virtual environment demands these “soft skills” be developed in new and sustainable ways. But, how?

In-person and on-the-job training of soft skills is inefficient, time-consuming and not possible in a virtual setting. Direct coaching is effective but, the realities of reaching a broad and widely dispersed group can be unattainable. The most successful organizations utilize a number of approaches and embrace radical flexibility in training and development.

In a telling 2022 report, Gartner’s New Talent Landscape and Career Pathing Survey reported that 65% of employees say their organization does not actively address burnout; while 40% say their organization’s culture does not allow them to balance personal and professional priorities...notable in that hybrid employees are frequently working in home office spaces that blur the lines between personal and professional lives.

Successful organizations:

Ensure L&D offerings are accessible, delivered in multiple formats and across many channels. They teach managers to appreciate diverse unique circumstances and be open to diverse experiences in order to introduce and support soft skills development. They extend learning experiences both inside and outside of the workplace.

Make time for Managers and Employees to focus on training. Making time to think about learning ensures sustainability. The Harvard Business Review shared that Employees who spent 15 minutes at the end of each day reflecting on lessons learned performed 23% better after 10 days than those who did not reflect. Often times, employees don’t even realize they’ve learned new skills until they’ve been challenged to think about the experience.

Encourage Employees and Managers to explore and accept different perspectives. Instead of considering, “what did I learn today?”, ask “What could I have done and who could I have met with to better prepare myself of today’s experience?”  To reinforce the value of these skills, employees and leaders should contemplate “What soft skills do I wish I had demonstrated more effectively in completing my day? How can I gain these skills?”

Productive and innovative hybrid teams develop and align around a culture of learning where new experiences and skills are deliberate and celebrated! As Simon Sinek said, “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.”