wll.news editorial office Anyone who simply wants to roll back working from home and remote working will quickly encounter resistance. What is needed are viable hybrid models that reconcile performance, collaboration and the realities of everyday life, as our guest author, Professor Dr Georg Kraus, explains.
“No, I want to continue working from home.” Managers are currently hearing this phrase more often when they call for greater presence in the office. Many companies would like to see their staff back in the office more often – particularly in those where work has been predominantly remote since the pandemic began. However, such initiatives often trigger open or covert resistance.
The companies’ reasons are usually understandable. Many have found that remote collaboration can also have drawbacks: informal exchanges decline, coordination takes longer, new staff are harder to integrate, and projects are more challenging to manage. A sense of identification with the company can also suffer. Added to this are tensions between staff who are required to be present and those who can work remotely on a flexible basis. Consequently, many companies once again consider greater on-site presence – particularly in white-collar roles – to be necessary.
For staff, however, returning to the office means yet another change. Many see it as a cultural ‘step backwards’. They have come to appreciate the benefits of remote working: less commuting time, greater autonomy, and a better balance between work, family and personal commitments. Those who find it easier to organise care responsibilities, childcare or visits to government offices during the day do not see remote working as a privilege, but as a practical part of everyday life. If compulsory attendance is now imposed, many see it as a sign of mistrust: ‘They don’t trust me anymore. They want to control me again.’ Even if this is not the intention, such an impression strains the relationship between the company and its staff. Employees who chose their employer precisely because of flexible working models, or who have moved house in the belief that remote working would be possible, react particularly sensitively.
Managers lack the necessary skills
And not every problem is a consequence of working from home. Often, processes have not been adequately adapted to hybrid working. Similarly, managers sometimes lack the necessary skills to lead teams effectively from a distance. Before introducing new rules on working on-site, an honest analysis is therefore required: where are quality standards slipping? Where are there shortcomings in communication, innovation or team cohesion? And where does the problem lie more in unclear processes, poor leadership or unsuitable tools? A transparent explanation is equally important. General references to ‘operational necessities’ are rarely convincing. Specific examples from project work, onboarding, customer service or knowledge sharing make the rationale easier to understand. The clearer the benefits are, the more likely acceptance is to follow.
One-size-fits-all solutions are of little help
One-size-fits-all solutions are usually of little help in this context. Not every task requires the same level of physical presence. Teamwork, creative processes, conflict resolution and induction often benefit from face-to-face contact. Concentrated individual work, on the other hand, is often more effective when done from home. A differentiated hybrid model therefore makes sense: fixed team days for discussion, coordination and collaboration, as well as flexible days working from home for focused work. The approach to implementing the new arrangements is also crucial. Announcing changes top-down risks provoking resistance. Surveys, workshops or pilot phases, on the other hand, increase participation and improve the quality of the solution. Employees are more likely to accept changes if they understand why they are necessary and if they feel that their perspective is being taken seriously. A willingness to compromise is not a sign of weakness. Tailored solutions for parents, commuters, carers or in-demand specialists can signal appreciation and reduce the risk of staff turnover.
Tangible added value for days in the office
Above all, however, days in the office must offer tangible added value. When employees travel to the office only to sit there alone at their laptops, just as they would at home, and make video calls, it leads to frustration. Being in the office is only worthwhile if it is deliberately structured to facilitate interaction, learning, creativity, team spirit and the swift resolution of issues. Companies that ignore these aspects risk a decline in staff loyalty, a sense of disengagement and a growing willingness to leave. High-performing specialists, in particular, are sensitive to any perceived loss of autonomy and trust. The debate about working from home and being in the office is therefore more than just an organisational issue. It touches on the very nature of modern work.
Companies have good reasons to want more in-office presence. Employees have good reasons to defend flexibility. Anyone who turns this into a power struggle loses trust. Anyone who frames it as a joint negotiation process can achieve both: better collaboration and more satisfied employees. The focus should be less on looking back at the world of work before 2020 and more on looking ahead. Which tasks will be automated through digitalisation and AI? Which skills will become more important in the future? And where does value creation arise from face-to-face interaction? The future of work usually lies not in an ‘either/or’ scenario, but in cleverly designed hybrid models that combine business requirements with the realities of employees’ lives.
Professor Dr Georg Kraus is the founder of Kraus & Partner, a management consultancy based in Bruchsal that specialises in change and transformation. He holds a professorship at Clausthal University of Technology and is a lecturer at the University of Karlsruhe and the IAE in Aix-en-Provence. Further information: www.kraus-und-partner.de
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