Hybrid working: From ‘the new normal’ to ‘business as usual’

Four years on from the initial pandemic lockdowns, working from home, in the form of hybrid working, is embedded. It is no longer ‘the new normal’, but is ‘business as usual’ and there is no going back. The research team has been examining working from home in the Australian public service (APS) since 2020, and in this report, we focus on the experiences of APS managers and supervisors.
It is becoming increasingly clear that while the location of work has changed to incorporate hybrid working, ways of working and managing have only changed in a limited way. We are aware that the APS is focused on identifying lessons arising from working through the pandemic and is actively examining the future of work. While these considerations are occurring, managers and supervisors may be more focused on current work rather than future possibilities, leading them to undertake business as usual. Further consideration could be given to whether agencies are maximising the opportunities associated with new ways of working, to benefit individuals, teams, and agencies. The new world of work provides opportunities to experiment with how work is done in various locations, and the best ways to undertake work for enhanced performance.
One of the few changes we have identified is that workplaces could almost be relabelled as ‘worksocials’. Organisations and managers have realised the need to maintain connections and employee engagement and do this through increasing social opportunities. This is a major benefit for organisations, teams and individuals arising from hybrid working being ‘business as usual’. Another main positive we have identified is that managers are adopting an outcomes focus, where location of work is irrelevant, as long as the work is satisfactorily completed. The focus has moved from hours spent working, or being visible, to achieving outcomes, with managers being conscious of proximity bias (where being proximate to managers results in increased opportunities).
Another benefit of hybrid working that we have identified is that many managers are becoming more intentional in their management style. Even while working in high pressure jobs, we heard many examples of managers very consciously thinking about how to be better managers, how to ensure team wellbeing and cohesion, while meeting agency key performance indicators.
However, our research has also revealed issues on purposefully crafting work according to location and employing intentional management. In our discussions, some managers demonstrated a lack of trust in their team and used software to gauge attendance. Further, career development opportunities were not offered to staff due to proximity bias.
Managers also highlighted that they needed a range of technology enhanced tools and resources to more effectively perform their work. Overall, however, we find that hybrid working in the APS is effective towards meeting the needs of organisations, managers, teams and individuals. Productivity does not appear to be impacted by hybrid working, and giving employees more autonomy, with flexibility, has resulted in sustained productivity, as well as employee engagement. Nevertheless, there are some challenges which may need to be resolved, such as how to manage performance, and have difficult conversations virtually. Maximising the opportunities enabled by working in different locations, and experimenting with ways of working hybridly may be the next step forward in working for the APS, as well as for other sectors.