Being intentional about “work modes” to maximize productivity

In our report, Bridging the Communication Gap, we learned that employees tend to prefer in-person meetings as a way of getting information from their company or from their manager. We learned in that same research that 74% of employees say having flexible work options is important for their work/life balance, and 1 in 5 want to be trusted to get their work done remotely to build their connection to the company.

This balance means that companies may feel conflicted on how to best support their employees. They want us to communicate in-person, but they also want to be left alone? How can you balance these employee needs to ensure a powerful culture, but also that productivity stays high?

At Reward Gateway | Edenred, we have defined a series of “work modes” that helps us talk about these different ways of working and to be clear in our expectations. Our Work Modes were developed with our employees, who discussed the activities that go into their role, why each activity is important and what environment best supports it. They recognize the unique nature of each of our employees and allow them to embrace their working styles.

Home Work Modes

Our recommendations for "Home" Work Modes (retreat, plugged-in or one-to-one) mean you can be highly effective in tasks that require you to work in this way without having to be in the office. Our employees are still welcome to use the office space to work in this way, and we have areas designed to enable these Work Modes in the office, but many employees feel they are most effective when performing these tasks outside of the office.

Proactive calendar management means employees can design their week so that tasks that need this kind of Work Mode can all be aligned to when they work away from the office.  For example, do I work in the office Monday, Wednesday and Friday? I have a report to write and focus will be key to this task, so I can plan to accomplish while I’m working from home on Tuesday.

Office Work Modes

Businesses and – based on our recent communications research – most employees understand there are some things that are better suited for in-person work. Let’s say I have a weekly team meeting meant to build relationship and collaboration. That meeting would fall into our work mode of “meeting little” and would be best suited to schedule during in-office time.

In the time surrounding those that meeting, it may not make sense to lock into report writing; I can benefit from doing tasks that would benefit from collaboration as in our “Buzzin’” work mode.

For those with a set, hybrid schedule, planning for the work that best fits your day can help increase effectiveness and decrease frustration. For those that are in-office all week, these work modes can help you define where you work during the day. Do you need to “retreat?” Where is there a conference room or quiet corner you can use to create that environment? 

For those who always work from home, being intentional about these work modes can also help. Do you have a large meeting you will joining virtually? Is there somewhere in your house you can sit where you will be more likely to lock into the meeting and really engage? Or should you turn off notifications or change your status so you are more free to really “retreat” and get important tasks done?

While balancing the shifting need of employees and the business isn’t easy, having clear language you can use to define expectations can help guide your discussions and ensure the best environment is created for all.

Learn more about how Reward Gateway | Edenred can help you make your corner of the world a better place to work by reaching out to one of our friendly employee engagement experts!