Partner Article

Mid-sized businesses struggling to implement hybrid working effectively

New research from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker* finds that, prior to the implementation of ‘Plan B’ and the return of work from home guidance, a hybrid working approach was being adopted across the mid-market, but some businesses were still facing challenges with its implementation.

The survey of 601 mid-sized businesses found that a hybrid working approach, where their people split time between working remotely and in an office, was the most common working practice in the mid-market in early December with 88% of businesses working this way.

Of the 531 businesses adopting hybrid working, the majority (64%) believed that it was working well for their business. However, a significant portion of the market were still adapting, with one in five (19%) not yet finding it effective.

The research finds that the main working style challenges for the next year, cited by those respondents who were adopting a hybrid working approach, are:

• Managing the work of more junior staff (39%) • Mental wellbeing (37%) • The provision of training remotely (37%) • Having efficient technology to enable hybrid working (37%)

John O’Mahony, a tax partner who heads up Grant Thornton’s Gatwick office, said: “Many South East businesses have seen a significant shift in their working patterns since the pandemic started, with remote and hybrid working becoming the de facto norm. There have been a lot of benefits that have come with this change for both companies and their employees, such as saving costs on reduced office space and achieving a better work-life balance.

“However, this transition has not been easy and there have been a number of challenges to overcome – challenges that many are still looking for the answer to. Making hybrid working effective takes time and commitment and right now every business is on the same learning curve, trying to find out how to make their people continue to feel connected and supported, wherever they are working.

“As we start the New Year, businesses need to stay agile and open to evolving in order to ensure that hybrid working operates as effectively as possible for them. This could take the form of investing in new technology or finding new ways to train, organise and co-ordinate teams. With government guidance continuing to change and uncertainty from the Omicron variant on top of inflationary pressures, rising energy costs and supply chain confusion, businesses that effectively embed agile working practises into their day-to-day operations are going to be much better able to react to whatever the next twist or turn in the road happens to be.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harriet Logan .