Making hybrid work functioning in Bangladesh

As leaders in Bangladesh puzzle over how to make hybrid work work, big questions loom: What is the role of the office? How do teams build social capital in a digital-first world? The challenge ahead for every organization is to meet employees' great new expectations head-on while balancing business outcomes in an unpredictable economy.

To help leaders navigate the uncertainty, the 2022 Work Trend Index outlines findings from a study of 31,000 people in 31 countries, along with an analysis of trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and labor trends on LinkedIn.

While we're all learning as we go, the findings reveal an urgent opportunity-and responsibility-for leaders to approach the transition with intention and a growth mindset, or risk being left behind.

* Employees have a new "worth it" equation: Fifty-three percent of employees say they're more likely to prioritize their health and well-being over work than they were before the pandemic. And the Great Reshuffle isn't over: Fifty-two percent of Generation Z and millennials are likely to consider changing employers in the year ahead, up 3% year over year.

* Managers feel wedged between leadership and employee: Fifty percent of leaders say their companies are planning a return to full-time in-person work in the year ahead. Fifty-four percent of managers say leadership at their companies is out of touch with employee expectations, and 74% of managers say they don't have the influence or resources to drive change for their teams.

* Leaders need to make the office worth the commute.
Thirty-eight percent of hybrid employees say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office, yet only 28% of leaders have created team agreements to define these new norms.

* Flexible work doesn't have to mean "always on."
After two years, weekly meeting time for the average Teams user is up 252%, and chats sent per person each week is up 32% - and still climbing. While workday span has increased by 46 minutes, after-hours and weekend work are up 28% and 14%, respectively.

* Rebuilding social capital looks different in a hybrid world.
With 51% of hybrid workers considering a shift to full remote work in the year ahead, companies cannot rely solely on the office to recoup the social capital we've lost over the past two years. Forty-three percent of leaders say relationship-building is the greatest challenge of having employees work in a hybrid or remote environment.

The past two years have made a lasting imprint on work-the impact of which will be felt long into the future. The new "worth it" equation is not a zero-sum game. Employees value flexibility and wellbeing, and these great expectations create an opportunity for every organization to reimagine work-life integration as a win-win.

Actionable Steps to Get Started Today: Embracing hybrid work will enable your organization to meet new employee and customer expectations, attract and retain talent, and gain competitive advantage. Our portfolio of integrated customer solutions is built for the era of hybrid work - enabling organizations of all sizes in every industry to emerge from the crisis stronger and poised for growth.

Giving people agency to do their best work is not only in their best interest-it's good for business. To make hybrid work work, leaders need to empower managers to be the culture keepers, rethink the role of the office, rebuild social capital for a digital-first workforce, and create new practices for sustainable flexible work.

Technology plays a key role, but this moment calls for a new mindset. As the world continues to evolve, organizations that take a culture-first, learn-it-all approach will come out ahead.

Learn more about how Microsoft is innovating to help organizations make hybrid work work.
The writer is managing
director, Microsoft Bangladesh