At Microsoft, we’ve embraced flexibility as a principle to give our more than 160,000 employees around the world greater choice in when, where, and how they work. Our flexible work policy gives employees the option to work from home up to 50 percent of the time (or more with manager approval), as well as flexibility in their work schedule and work location. It’s a big shift – and we’re leaning into our growth mindset culture and taking a ‘learn it all’ approach as we adapt to the new reality.
The pandemic has reinforced what we already know: work is about so much more than just getting things done. Empowering people to thrive in a more flexible work world requires rethinking the entire employee experience – from safety, to how you create culture, to attracting and retaining talent.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/returning-to-the-office-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-recovery/sheds light on how employees are adapting to hybrid work in markets where employees have already returned to the workplace. It’s in early days, but our internal research suggests that the benefits of flexible work policies are real, with three days of work from home per week being optimal.
Hybrid work is inevitable. Create the culture to enable it.
You need a plan and policies that put you on the path to extreme flexibility and help you build digital empathy into every aspect of your culture – from global guidelines to team-level meeting norm that help everyone feel included and engaged. Here’s how:
https://clouddamcdnprodep.azureedge.net/gdc/gdcSwn4Qe/original
This article originally appeared in https://workplaceinsights.microsoft.com/culture/embracing-the-opportunity-microsofts-approach-to-hybrid-work-a-guide-for-business-leaders-part-2/
