Recently, Alain Dehaze, CEO of Adecco Group, was interviewed by Forbes Magazine to share his views on workplace trends from a global perspective, and proposed that corporate managers must stand at the forefront of this rapidly changing era and put the ideas and needs of employees first; whether it is managers or employees, only by fully understanding the changes in the workplace and taking effective actions can they succeed in an environment full of uncertainty; companies have begun to critically re-examine how to establish and maintain a leading position.
Alain Dehaze, CEO of Adecco Group (Photographer: Alden/Bloomberg © 2019 BLOOMBERG FINANCE LP)
A recent Adecco Survey of 14,800 Office Workers in 25 Countries and Territories found that 73% of respondents believe that companies should measure performance based on work results rather than length of time, 74% said companies need to pay more attention to the mental health of their employees, and 46% of managers believe that managing their workforces is not an easy task in the past 12 months.
As the world's leading HR consulting and solutions provider, Adecco Group acted quickly at the beginning of the outbreak to enable remote work for around 30,000 employees worldwide and to serve 400,000 professionals every day while ensuring the well-being and safety of employees.
In the past two years of practice, the productivity of colleagues around the world has confirmed the feasibility of remote work to Alain Dehaze, and has made him fully aware that traditional models have changed and more inclusive and flexible ways of working have become possible. He presents the challenge now facing HR professionals and managers on how to structure the right architecture and provide it with the resources and policies to ensure that this new way of working creates an inspiring and sustainable workplace environment. To help you achieve this mission, Alain Dehaze shared his thoughts on the future characteristics of the workplace in an interview.
1. Comprehensive "revisit"
Alain Dehaze believes that people are currently in the stage of re-examining their work and life, many people lament that life is precious and fleeting, hoping to find a sense of purpose and more meaningful work while getting proper compensation, and we see millions of employees choosing to quit in search of better opportunities.
In the face of such changes, future leaders will need to reinvent themselves, improve their emotional intelligence and soft skills such as interpersonal communication, serve employees and help them deal with mental health, burnout, isolation and anxiety. The future is flexible, the nine-to-five workday system is outdated, and leaders need to take effective steps to help employees adapt to mixed and remote work styles, and should consider how to implement shorter work weeks, more flexible work schedules, performance measurement methods based on work output, and improving employee skills.
2. Hybrid working mode is a common practice
The trend towards mixed work patterns is already taking shape, but not for everyone, such as truck drivers, mechanics or automotive line workers, cannot work from home, and further technological developments will be needed to allow these groups to work remotely in the future.
Alain Dehaze said: "We recommend finding a balance between face-to-face work and telecommuting, and advocate for working on premises at least two days a week and at least 50% of the work hours a year. Of course, there will still be some positions that require more or less time in the office, and such a framework will provide flexibility for both employees and teams. ”
Alain Dehaze adds: "Hybrid work patterns will impact corporate workspaces to foster collaboration among employees. Before the pandemic, 70% of our office area was allocated to individual workspaces, but now we are re-planning and re-adjusting 50% of our space to maximize comfort and effective collaboration. ”
3. Measure performance based on work results, not duration
As more flexible hybrid work models become the norm in the workplace, nearly 70 percent of employees believe performance should be measured based on work outcomes rather than length of time. To clarify the importance of productivity and to help evaluate the performance of teams and individuals, Adecco Group has prepared tools such as the "KPI" scorecard and specific operational guidelines for leaders.
4. Intelligent thinking and intelligent planning
How we prioritize our work hours is extremely important to everyone, and "smart planning" means using technology and data to help us decide how to plan our work better. This means that employees will have more flexibility in terms of working hours and schedules, while respecting the needs and expectations of the company, colleagues and customers. When teamwork is required, you can choose to work in the office, or work from home if you need more phone communication or medical treatment and family responsibilities.
5. Employee mental health and well-being
According to the survey, 28 percent of employees believe their mental health has deteriorated in the past year, and only 10 percent believe managers can help them cope with the problem. The well-being of their employees is paramount, and leaders need to put emotional intelligence first and provide support for employees with good mental health.
6. Skills upgrading and training
Companies must establish the goal of providing managers and employees with ongoing training and career development opportunities to help them adapt to new approaches to virtual leadership management and new ways of delivering work outcomes.
7. The office will continue to exist, but it will not be the same as in the past
Alain Dehaze believes that physical offices will continue to play an important role, as face-to-face contact is essential for some areas. For him, the office is also about corporate culture, collaboration and coaching. He believes that the office helps promote and nurture a corporate culture, just as family members can't feel a hug or enjoy a holiday meal through Zoom video conferencing. Admittedly, in the case of telecommuting, businesses can promote their culture to their employees, but only when they are in the office can they see, feel and become part of the corporate culture.
About us
® FESCO Adecco is a Sino-foreign joint venture human resources service enterprise established in Shanghai in 2010 by FESCO Group, the first enterprise with pioneering significance in the Chinese resource service industry, and The Adecco Group, the world's leading human resources consulting and solution provider, to provide enterprises and individuals with human resources solutions such as business outsourcing, personnel services, headhunting and employee welfare. At present, FESCO Adecco has set up branches in Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Suzhou, serving more than 2 million people and serving more than 20,000 customers nationwide. Focusing on talent and technology, FESCO Adecco is committed to being a trusted and respected HR solution provider.