Work from office: Companies need to come up with a sustainable solution, says Nimisha Pathak of Alvarez & Marsal

Hybrid work offers value proposition to employees, but as India Inc. moves to business as usual, a sustainable solution will have to be developed for business continuity, to experience diversity and foster mentorship at workspace.

Nimisha Pathak, director HR at consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal said, going forward companies must assess different workspace and working models, and come up with a viable sustainable solution. There are firms that have immensely benefitted from moving the business virtually, in terms of cost optimization, quick turnaround time etc. Employees too have gained from this whether it was work-life balance, productivity, saving on travel cost etc.

“Though there are positives of a virtual world, one cannot undermine the relevance and importance of the learning and mentoring that one experiences working from an office. Office environments are built around employees similar to the way schools are built around children,” said Pathak.

“A lot of experiences like recognition, diversity and inclusion are not experienced fully and effectively through remote working. A live bustling office environment also energizes people with a positive atmosphere, fresh perspectives, and learnings,” she added.

The world of work has changed dramatically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic world over. In the last two years, the pandemic has impacted not only health and healthcare around the world but also disrupted how people live, study and work, as well as slowed down economies.

Since the start of the pandemic, employees have witnessed several working models adopted by the companies to ensure safety and business continuity. Whether it is hybrid, work-from-home or remote working, all of them offered flexibility and convenience for the employees. With a drastic dip in Covid-19 cases and subsequent lifting of restrictions, organizations are currently welcoming the employees back to work.

However, there is a section of companies who are relooking at the working model, not just from the productivity point of view, but also from the lens of talent management. Flexibility is now seen as a new entrant in employee value proposition across all sectors, even the ones who never believed in working from home. Many firms today are projecting flexible working models as one of the key drivers in attracting and retaining talent. While some firms have included these models permanently in their HR strategy, some are sitting on the fence and monitoring how things would unfold, Pathak said.

She said the current work environment offers an exciting time for human resource professionals, who are constantly challenged to push boundaries and come up with innovative ways of employee strategy and retention.