How to Cultivate Resilience in a New Era of Hybrid Work

By Amber Matthews, Director, Workspace Futures APAC & EMEA Research, Steelcase

As one of the most diverse regions in the world, Asia represents a mosaic of cultures and perspectives, businesses and opportunities. Naturally, when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, every company entered the situation with different strengths and vulnerabilities.

In some places, an almost immediate shift to remote work sent companies scrambling to digitise their work environments and develop new processes. Other companies continued to work in the office amid rising concerns about physical distancing, indoor air quality and general cleanliness. More still grappled with technology glitches and feelings of isolation, Zoom fatigue and dips in productivity.

Over the past 2.5 years, companies have had time to figure out how to adapt to the pandemic situation, with some faring better than others. But the pandemic is unlikely to be the last societal upheaval most of us experience during our careers, so how can companies cultivate resilience in the face of turbulent circumstances in the future – be that political unrest, natural disasters or mass migration?

While there is no blueprint for navigating such challenges, our Steelcase research, and meaningful conversations with our partners in Asia- Pacific can shed light on how to create a more robust, adaptable work environment in times of stability and uncertainty. It comes down to people and the power of place – if you invest in these key areas, you can help employees reach their potential and cultivate a better workplace where trust, productivity, innovation and culture thrive.

Navigating multiple work patterns

For many companies in Hong Kong and across Asia, fully remote work was a necessary move during the pandemic, but it did not answer the needs of employers or employees. It did, however, open Pandora's box – employees grew accustomed to working at home and expect a hybrid work model going forward. As a result, business leaders find themselves at a crossroads.

"Eighty per cent of the change management has already been done, which was allowing work-from-home. It was [a] big [step] for people to accept this, and ask managers to accept that their team will be working from home. Now we are trying to see what really fits our company moving forward,” said a Workplace Experience Manager from the pharmaceutical industry.

Many companies face the same challenge. According to Steelcase’s “Changing Expectations and the Future of Work”, released in 2021, 83% of leaders in China and 85% in India expect to offer a hybrid model of work post-pandemic to respond to employees’ needs and preferences. In China, for example, 52% of employees would like to perform focus work at the office, while 48% would like to focus on rejuvenation at home. In India, 55% of employees want to perform focus work at home, while 50% prefer to conduct meetings and collaborative work at the office.

Yet, a hybrid model is not as simple as offering a few days of remote work per week. According to “The New Era of Hybrid Work” global report, in which Steelcase spoke with 5,000 professionals in 11 countries in September of 2021, employees are looking for offices that are worth the commute – spaces that create a sense of ​belonging and control, while boosting productivity, growth and creativity.

"We do not want to change anybody's persona to force them to work in a way that is uncomfortable. You want to find the balance that works for that individual that will benefit their mental health, productivity, and connection to the organisation,” shares the Global “Future of Work” Programme Director at a company in the financial services industry.

Supporting Employees’ Experiences

The Great Resignation – also known as the Great Renegotiation, Great Reshuffle or Great Reevaluation – has seen millions of workers leave their jobs since the start of the pandemic around the world, including APAC. The shifting sands have caused companies to appraise work culture and, perhaps for the first time, ask their employees to weigh in with their insights and experiences.

While some companies have responded to the situation by increasing salaries, expanding benefits and negotiating work-from-home days, our research finds that transactional strategies won’t suffice. Employees long to feel connected to the organisation – a sense of purpose and an opportunity to innovate and create things together.

The good news is that every organisation can answer this call. And, as it turns out, the office might be the most important tool you can leverage. According to our findings, the office plays a crucial role in how people connect with their organisation.

In China, when people like working from their office, they are 26% more engaged, 18% more productive and 51% more connected to culture and 24% less likely to leave. Meanwhile, in India, they were 31% more engaged, 11% more productive, 26% more connected to culture and 19% less likely to leave.

On the flip side, Steelcase data shows that people who prefer to work remotely for more than two days a week are significantly more likely to leave the company within the next six months. This tells us that office culture is essential to creating a place where your team can work better and find that sense of belonging, connection, creativity and shared purpose they’re looking for.

​"Every one of our staff has created their own workplace at home now. We've got to have a compelling offer so that they want to come into the office, because we don't want to wait for the culture to erode,” said a corporate real estate leader from an energy company we work with.

Leveraging The Power of Place

How you use office space can significantly impact all of the above. From contributing to a vibrant culture to supporting teamwork, streamlining processes and accommodating performanceboosting tools, an office has the power to create a better overall work experience.

In terms of how to use that space, one thing is clear: employees are looking for culture, connection, comfort and control. And while openplan offices may seem to answer these needs, they can fall short. Our New Hybrid Era survey revealed that employees are craving more dedicated workspaces: In China, 39% of people surveyed have a dedicated workspace at home, but a shared or temporary set up at the office, while 67% expressed the desire to have privacy at the office.

When asked if they would trade remote days for assigned space, over half of respondents globally said, “Yes”, which signals that employees need a place to call their own that offers comfort and control in the office. Dedicated or reservable desks are just one piece of the puzzle. In addition, the vast majority of employees in China want a mix of hybrid collaboration spaces and workspaces with full or partial closure for privacy for taking video meetings or calls.

Many progressive companies are responding to employee preferences with a flexible approach to space. "The direction for us is to make the space more purposeful, built for flexibility and to align the expectation of flexibility from the user, no matter if the users are expecting to have more collaborative space or more focus,” shared one corporate real estate leader from a technology services company.

Another approach would be to treat the office like a neighbourhood with a mix of assigned spaces, collaboration areas, private rooms for focus work or rejuvenation, and areas to gather and socialise. Such a work environment would instil resilience in many ways. For starters, creating spaces that foster connection and culture helps employees shift between different types of work. In addition, flexible and multi-modal spaces can adapt to changing levels of office occupancy in the face of turbulent situations while boosting innovation, engagement and productivity.

Asia is such a diverse region – companies, industries, teams, and individuals need different things at different times. Naturally, there is no onesize-fits-all approach to cultivating resilience or future-proofing, and work styles will continue to evolve. When it comes to fostering resilience, our Steelcase research insights underscore the importance of developing an interconnected strategy in which space supports a vibrant business culture, effective processes, technology and the needs of your team.

About Steelcase

Leading organisations around the world trust Steelcase to help them create workplaces that help people feel safe and are productive, inspiring, and adaptable with our architecture, furniture, and technology solutions – accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industryleading, and publicly traded company with fiscal year 2021 revenue of $2.6 billion. (www.steelcase.asia)