Finance Monthly - January 2022

21 Finance Monthly. Bus i ne s s & Economy ambitions at a very critical time. When employees work from home part- or full-time rather than commute, they help, in a small but meaningful way, reduce Deloitte’s carbon footprint. A successful approach to flexible working requires support from leaders. The sudden shift to working fully remote during the pandemic was an equaliser – everyone was online and leaders needed to learn how to engage and lead through this medium. Hybrid introduces a new layer of complexity – some will be “in the room” and some won’t. For hybrid working to work, leaders need to adapt their leadership style to accommodate the different needs of their teams. Encouraging this flexibility and agility has been a focus for us. We also know that part of this is about making in-person connections more meaningful. These in-person “moments” that matter need to build and enhance connectivity to our colleagues and Deloitte. Would you say a hybrid work model allows your employees to have a better work-life balance? Yes, as long as leaders lead in an inclusive and boundary-enabling way; we need to remember that being located at home for the majority of one’s working week can result in a blurring of boundaries. For example, in Deloitte’s recent Women @ Work survey, many of the respondents reported a blurring of boundaries during the pandemic, feeling overwhelmed and judged on the hours spent online rather than work output. “Lack of work-life balance” was the top reason women gave for considering leaving their employer, and they cited “providing flexible working options that do not hinder my career progression” as one of the top three most important ways that organisations can support the retention of women. Thus, to make flexible working succeed, organisations must make sure they’re fostering a workplace culture that recognises and rewards productivity and performance over presenteeism; one that enables clear boundaries and balance between work and life without fear of adverse career impact. This will come down to policies but it will also come down to how leaders include and manage everyone, regardless of location. What tools/technologies have aided Deloitte’s shift toward a hybrid work model the most? People need the right technologies to help them work together, even when they’re physically together. Deloitte uses a variety of tools that contribute to our culture of collaboration, including cloud- based tools and platforms, teleconferencing capabilities, and cybersecurity controls, which have become all the more important in a flexible environment. Our 2020 Resilience Report found that organisations that had invested in technologies and systems that support remote working prior to 2020 were also more likely to successfully pivot and adapt in response to disruptive events—a strong indicator of the relationship between technology, collaboration and resilience. Going forward, tools and technologies that enable seamless collaboration and communication will be increasingly important. Early adopters of new technology will not only have the digital first infrastructure in place to continue to support flexible working, but they will also have a digital first workplace culture and capabilities. “When employees work from home part- or full-time rather than commute, they help, in a small but meaningful way, reduce Deloitte’s carbon footprint.”