Personal well-being and redesigned workplaces: key factors for effective and sustainable blended office models

16.02.2023

Changes resulting from the pandemic have altered company relationships with their employees, who now demand a blended model based on flexibility, emotional well-being and work-life balance

Tuesday, February 16, 2023. Combining in-office and distance working to reap advantages that help optimize results; redesigning workplaces to bolster creativity and keep teams in touch; situating people at the core of the company as an appropriate response to their needs and expectations: all these are essential for the effective, sustainable implementation of the blended work model. These are some of the main findings of the study ‘Blended workplaces: team management and leadership’ conducted by the Esade Institute of Social Innovation in conjunction with ISS: an analysis of today’s blended work landscape and trends based on studying more than 50 reports, surveying employees and interviewing company managers.

“The blended work model combines in-office hours with distance working and is extremely likely to take root in companies because it has advantages for employers and provides the flexibility that workers demand,” explained Carlos Cortés, academic collaborator at the Esade Social Innovation Institute and author of this study. Cortés emphasized the importance of this model for recruiting and retaining talent due to employees’ great expectations regarding the implementation of this model. He also championed the pivoting of leadership towards a new landscape based on trust, responsibility and values. Finally, Cortés linked the success of this model “to its alignment with corporate culture, talent management strategy and leadership model”, whilst not overlooking risks such as its impact on team bonding, loss of culture and proximity bias.

Flexibility, life-work balance and emotional well-being

The report features the findings of a survey about the blended work model and workplace design, and highlights employees’ preference for the blended model – a very uncommon arrangement in pre-pandemic times. This shift has bolstered greater demands for flexibility, work-life balance and emotional well-being. According to the survey, employees’ main demands are: clearly defined targets, self-management at work, and transparent communication. Tailoring each space to a task is another factor often emphasized. “Workers would rather distance work on tasks requiring concentration and work in-office on tasks involving interaction or to heighten corporate culture and their sense of belonging”, said Cortés.

Good practices for pivoting towards the blended model

The changes happening to work models due to the pandemic have encouraged companies to implement blended work strategies. According to the report, “it’s essential for strategy to state specifically how and why employees must now distribute their space and time differently,” hence it must analyze the context and, if necessary, the goals and interests of staff. In this respect, the report recommends certain good practices regarding responsible people management, e.g. policies on flexibility and work-life balance; the recruitment and development of vulnerable persons; the development of skills that contribute to the general good; preventative and remedial policies regarding emotional and physical well-being; policies to foster diversity; training in personal and career skills; and responsible disconnection.

Future trends

Digitalization and changes in how people interact have led to new trends in employment. The author of the report explained that this is mainly the result of new ways of working, such as project-based work and the increase in flexibility or fluid work requiring life-long training, and the redesign of physical workplaces to make them more inclusive and versatile, in keeping with today’s needs, combined with co-working spaces conducive to teamwork. Other noteworthy trends include the impact of innovative, metaverse-based technology; the importance of responsible leadership; the ability to strike a balance between being result-oriented and caring about the welfare and development of persons; and having a value-based purpose.