Working from home and working from home have been on the rise for a while and have been given a boost by the corona crisis. However, many companies do not dare to work in the home office more than one or two days a week. At Microsoft Austria it is three days – and the scientific support for ten years shows that productivity has increased. However, constant monitoring is also necessary. The process was never completed.
In 2012, almost two-thirds of employees at Microsoft in Austria still thought it was important to sit at the same desk every day if possible. In 2022, this will only matter for a good third, said the scientific advisor of the IMC FH Krems, Michael Bartz, at a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday. “Efficiency has increased.” The change in attitude to “office-to-office” has helped to increase efficiency.
The number of mobile working hours at Microsoft Austria more than doubled from 11.2 hours per week in 2012 to 25.2 hours per week in the previous year. Communication preferences have shifted from asynchronous email communication to synchronous chat communication. The office should increasingly stand for “quality time”. No-gos are e-mails or phone calls from the boss outside of working hours. The same rules should apply to everyone, whether employee or manager.
“Environment based on trust”
From Microsoft’s point of view, the opportunities of hybrid working should be exploited. Risk should be minimized by investing in change support. “It is our responsibility to create an environment and a culture based on trust,” said HR Manager Ingrid Heschl of Microsoft Austria, considering the implications for executives. “Building on this, hybrid work where everyone feels comfortable can work just fine.”
According to Heschl, two points are essential: managers and employees must have mutually clear expectations and the managers must have a supportive attitude towards the team. Bartz: “A new work transformation requires a change process and investments designed to last at least three to five years. This is the only way to achieve sustainable results.” The process must be monitored continuously.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
