Organizational psychologist Kilian Wawoe recently heard a story from a 21-year-old intern that made him quite sad. On her first day, she found a laptop and a bunch of flowers on her desk, and no one else.

Ironically, she came to research the employee experience within the organization. 'Yes, tsja. And then companies find it strange that young people walk away,' he says in The Work Professor. 'The older colleagues sit in their buying houses wonderfully guarding their work-life balance. And she sat there alone.'

Work, according to the researcher, who is affiliated with VU University Amsterdam, is about three things: growth, connection and autonomy. In the latter, he says, we have gone overboard. 'The current model of hybrid work often focuses too much on individual efficiency,' he explains. 'At the expense of collective growth and connectedness.'

Individual versus collective

The autonomy of some - the freedom to work from home whenever they want - clashes with the growth and development of others, as the intern example shows. 'The personal contact and the opportunity to learn from each other.'

Wawoe is not against hybrid working, quite the contrary. But companies must look for the right balance in doing so. 'The question organizations need to ask: Fine that employees like working from home, but is it also good for the team?'

He advocates structured moments of interaction, such as joint office days and regular feedback sessions. 'Make agreements. About when you see each other and what you want to achieve together at those times. Which meetings and meetings can take place digitally and which face to face. And to what extent you can schedule private appointments on home working days, such as a quick visit to the dentist or hairdresser. I'm not in favor of that, by the way.'

Four years ago, during the first corona wave, Wawoe also spoke with The Work Professor about working from home. Back then a relatively new phenomenon, now fully established. 'A trend I hadn't anticipated? That younger people want to come to the office less and less, but meanwhile loneliness is also increasing. We want to be efficient, but people are herd animals. We also need the chit-chat at the coffee machine.'

Three takeaways from the podcast

- Hybrid work is more than efficiency - Hybrid work also brings disadvantages, such as loneliness among young people and a reduced sense of belonging. Human interaction and physical presence are crucial to building meaningful relationships and fostering both personal and professional growth.

- Balance between autonomy and team responsibility - The pandemic has led to a focus on autonomy and efficiency, but this should not be at the expense of the collective needs of the team. Work structures should provide moments of growth and connection.

- Structured interaction and communication - Wawoe advocates clear agreements within teams on how and when to communicate and collaborate. For example, the Swedish concept of fika (a scheduled coffee break) can help create informal but important interactions. In addition, companies should make agreements about working from home, including rules for private activities and communication channels such as e-mail and Slack.

‍

Links

Listen to the previous podcast episode "Say Hugo, did you really think that healthcare bonus was a good idea?" here. 

More about Kilian Wawoe

‍

More about the Working Professor

Do you have questions or input? If so, please contact Wendy van Ierschot at wendy@viepeople.com.

Curious about the next guest on the Work Professor or want to be the first to hear the teaser of the next episode? Follow the Work Professor at https://www.linkedin.com/company/viepeople/ or at https://www.viepeople.com/inspiratie?inspiration-type=Podcast.