Rebuilding ourselves for the hybrid era

the next steps

We’re all human.

And in order to successfully rebuild ourselves and our organizations for the hybrid era, we need to make sure that work first and foremost fulfills our fundamental human needs: to have control over our own lives, to feel that we belong somewhere, and to create genuine human connection with those around us.

Belonging, motivation, productivity, trust, work-life balance, and mental well-being: these are all positively impacted by increasing employees’ ability to control where and when they do their work. Moving forward, leaders must find ways to maximize employee autonomy while addressing the social, health, and technological barriers to successfully navigating a hybrid working model based on increased employee freedom.Our workspaces are more than just productivity maximizers; we choose to work where we work because we feel we belong in those places. It’s important that the workspaces of the future – whether the office, the home, or anywhere else – be designed and equipped to include a wide range of work styles, and account for growing generational differences in work location preferences.Finally, technology will be the defining factor in allowing employees to maintain and build relationships with their colleagues and business partners. Regardless of where any given employee works, the future of work will be virtual, and all employees need tools that are purpose-built for professional virtual environments.Hybrid work holds major opportunities to improve our work and our lives. But in order to capture these opportunities and be successful in the future of work, leaders must find ways to incorporate these key findings into the fabric of their organizations and the lives of their employees.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and India by Denny Marketing on behalf of Jabra and Barco from December 28, 2021 – February 6, 2022 among 2,800 knowledge workers.

This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. The survey includes respondents from the following generations: Gen Z (ages 18-25), Millennials (26-41), Gen X (42-57), and Baby Boomers (58-65).