The office now plays a fundamentally different role. It is no longer true that great work can only be produced in an office setting, much less a cubicle. 77% of people report that the pandemic has increased their productivity. Nearly one-third of employees have improved their productivity. The disadvantage of remote work is that it has reduced employee networks and increased silos within firms. According to ADP research, remote employees converse with co-workers less frequently than on-site employees (60% vs. 77% respectively). All of this harms collaboration and innovation.

To assist firms in reshaping the way collaboration and innovation occur, HR will need to be much more proactive and involved in 2022. Employees might work on various projects within the company or even across the organisation with the aid of HR.

HR can Exercise Power by Leading with Collaboration and Culture

The HR department may have a bigger impact by promoting collaboration both inside the department and across the entire company. These “collaboration by design” initiatives aim to deal with employee networks that have deteriorated over the past two years or more. According to recent evidence, organisational culture has wilted as a result of a lack of interpersonal engagement, despite the COVID-19 pandemic seeing work productivity remain the same or grow.

HR departments can bridge the gap between the methods used to complete work on various projects and create new, deeper relationships with employees by actively fostering cooperation, co-creation, and innovation. By creating efficient physical and digital workspaces, HR departments can establish the conditions necessary to support both individual and group employees. This concept is known as “collaboration by design.” They can promote talent rotation, cross-functional teams, and the use of digital media. This approach allows HR teams to create groups that can consistently provide value and innovation regardless of where they work (at home or in the office).

The HR Responsibilities in Organisational Transformation

There is more than enough evidence that employees can collaborate and work productively in hybrid work environments, but leaders must intentionally create such an environment, whether it is Remote or Onsite. Moreover, when workers are not physically close to one another, their meetings are more planned than unscheduled and frequently carried out involve online. Employees do not have the chance for stand-up meetings that might take place at an office. It can be difficult to have even a casual conversation with a co-worker. A study by Gartner demonstrates that knowledge worker teams that purposefully collaborate are three times more likely to produce higher creativity and innovation than teams that do not intentionally collaborate.

Rethink Collaborations as Time Spent Together

In truth, individuals in hybrid work settings have more alternatives for when, where, and how to collaborate, but firms and their leaders must purposefully create those chances. Most businesses simply consider the location of teams (whether they are local or distributed) when discussing hybrid work. However, according to Gartner’s research, businesses also need to consider how much time is spent on collaboration (whether teams are working together or apart).

If enterprises are to prosper in the hybrid environment, they must equally invest in the following four work modes:

• Working together, together: when teams are co-located, contributing to meetings in a shared space. This mode of work is classified as Synchronous work in hybrid.
• Working together, apart: when teams are distributed, but participating in virtual meetings. This mode of work is also classified as Synchronous work in hybrid.
• Working alone, together: when teams are in shared spaces, but not working at the same time. This mode of work is classified as Asynchronous work in hybrid.
• Working alone, apart: when teams are distributed, and individuals are conducting deep focus work. This mode of work is also classified as Asynchronous in hybrid.

Hybrid teams that collaborate intentionally have a stronger awareness of how, where, and when to use each of the hybrid collaboration modes.

Provide Equitable Access to Employees for all Hybrid modes

Many employees depend on different working spaces when in hybrid mode, including their homes, the office, and third spaces, such as a library, coffee shop or co-working space. It is possible that some employees do not have access to efficient workspaces, which limits their possibilities. Some people could function better working from home. The workforce will gain from hybrid work’s more inclusive possibilities overall.

To mitigate the problems created by the limitations, giving employees equitable access to all work modes is important. This will necessitate a more deliberate redesign of collaboration around the four work modes. For instance, HR and business executives could collaborate to improve the customised workspaces of workers who will continue to work remotely at least occasionally. Employers can provide financial assistance for subscriptions to co-working spaces for employees who enjoy working with others but find it difficult to go to the workplace. 

Balance out Synchronous and Asynchronous Work

Synchronous works, such as meetings and presentations, are the most significant means of stimulating creativity by the majority of HR leaders. For this reason, during the epidemic, some firms have made significant investments in enhancing their virtual meeting capabilities. To achieve collaborative innovation, asynchronous work modes are equally as crucial as synchronous ones. Employees have relied on video conferences to communicate in the largely remote work environment, which frequently leads to back-to-back meetings, and weariness, and puts employees at risk for burnout.

Three crucial actions are involved to reset this:

• Encourage teams to limit synchronous meetings only when necessary.
• Managers be clear about the advantages of deliberate collaboration in ways that take into account both business and personal requirements.
• Let employees plan their workweek around the times that suit them most, without compromising on productivity.

Conclusion

According to most researchers, collaboration is significantly influenced by the social climate within an organisation. Employees must feel free to share expertise and novel concepts without fear of rejection, mockery, or demotion. Organisational trust is the cornerstone of cooperation, yet it may appear unassuming. The foundation of the “glue of the global workplace” trust is established over time and via interactions between employees. For this reason, organisations like Cisco and Air Products (AP) use a variety of ongoing, cross-functional groups to encourage interaction among staff members. Employees create and manage AP‘s communities of interest and practice, which are essential to the organisation’s best practice transfer process.

Workplace dynamics are significantly altering because of technology, giving employees more chances to collaborate and contribute. However, technology will not be enough to spur business collaboration. The basis for productive collaboration must be set by organisations through management and HR policies. The fundamentals-inspiring staff members to collaborate and share ideas, fostering an inclusive workplace culture, and offering chances for staff members to develop mutual trust and confidence-form the basis of this system. While ensuring that collaborative practices continue to add value and creativity to the firm, HR may assist in creating an organisation that offers the convenience of working from home. We anticipate seeing a lot more of this HR trend in the coming years.