Before March 2020, it seemed impossible to separate work and office: one could hardly understand one without the other. Suddenly, the pandemic turned everything upside down and made us learn two things: the first, that you can also work from home and that the results can be just as good (or better); the second (and more important), that a company is the sum of its employees, regardless of where they develop their work from. However, the improvement in the health situation raised a key question. And now, what model do we follow? How should you return to the workplace?
The study What workers want, Developed by Manpower Group in 2021, it reflects that flexibility is among the top three priorities, globally, for all workers, regardless of age, gender or location. And in the case of the population aged 25 to 44, it is the second most important factor in accepting a job.
Based on that keyword, flexibility, Heineken Spain has shaped its return-to-office plan, based on the smart working. To deal with Covid-19, Heineken Spain had already reinforced its commitment to health with control, prevention and support measures: from taking temperatures and doing PCR and antigen tests, to offering psychological support 24 hours a day. But in addition to these initiatives, the pandemic made this brewery start a process of self-knowledge in search of formulas to increase the well-being of its workers and promote work-life balance, taking into account the diversity of its team.
Create the work model of the future together
But if something was clear at Heineken is that this new form of business organization, with an eye to the future, could not be done without listening to each of the people who are part of the company, becoming aware of their different realities to promote productivity, but also motivation and fostering corporate culture.
To arrive at the final model, Heineken decided to include 77 of its employees to investigate what the best formula might be. For four weeks, they tried different remote and face-to-face work options, some more flexible than others, to try to find the one that best fit the needs of the different people who are part of the company.
What the brewery ultimately learned is that the best model for their team is hybrid and (yes, the magic word comes again) flexible. Thus, its employees have 16 hours a week to telework. They can design themselves when they prefer to work remotely or when they go to the office. This allows us to combine the best of two worlds, since at home we concentrate more and perform tasks better, while going to the workplace is essential for coordination tasks, teamwork and socializing with colleagues.
Once defined, this smart working It will be available to company workers throughout Spain, as long as their work modality and the evolution of the pandemic allow it. 70% of Heineken’s total workforce, some 1,000 people, already enjoy a flexible work model as a result of the collective creation of the company’s workers. But this model will not be immovable and unique, but rather the company will seek to improve it from the evaluation of the project results, defining alternative formulas for factory employees, for whom teleworking is not an option. And always with flexibility as a flag, essential to gradually build the company of the future.
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