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HYBRID WORKFORCE:
MAKING SENSE OF THE NEW REALITY
The pandemic has changed dramatically how government employees work. Working from home — long a forbidden freedom — is now standard procedure for many offices. It takes care to establish a successful hybrid workforce, though, and it means managing the needs and expectations of an array of employees, their supervisors and other professionals. The following approaches can help agencies in 2022 as they transition from COVID-induced telework to a more permanent hybrid workforce.
B E P R OA C T IV E
A N D IN T E N T IO N A L “From an organizational standpoint, we can’t rely on serendipity anymore, we can’t rely on 8 to 5…on work that gets done at the watercooler. So, it’s critical that there’s time [when] people have an opportunity to talk about their lives and share.”
–Dan Pomeroy, GSA
For all the benefits that a hybrid workforce can bring, one item might suffer: interpersonal connections. There are no impromptu conversations in the hallway or wandering out to lunch, and although some employees may be onsite, a rather empty office can seem less welcoming. It’s absolutely true that inclusiveness and accessibility are key to building a successful hybrid workplace. Employees must have technology that allows them to do their jobs effectively and that accommodates any disability or other challenge they might have. But according to Dan Pomeroy, Deputy Associate Administrator in the General Services Administration’s Office of Information Integrity and Access, Office of Government-Wide Policy, being proactive and intentional goes beyond that. It goes to the heart of what office “culture” means. Pomeroy said that virtual open-door policies can help and that time employees typically spend searching for conference rooms could be used differently. “That time needs to be set aside for the social buffers we’ve all gotten used to,” he said. “We have to use every minute that we can to build an effective and positive culture.”
Innovations that Mattered in 2021
