Those who pathologically hate the idea of people working from home (WFH), may take this as another sign that the WFH experiment is over and that people will now return to the office (RTO) in their droves. But of course it’s nothing of the sort. It’s a sign that organisations are starting to work out what’s right for them.
Our own 2025 research proved this point. 71% of contact centre professionals responding to our online survey stated that three-quarters or more of their advisers worked full or part time from home. By the end of 2027, that figure was predicted to drop to 65%. It’s an adjustment, not a re-think.
So what should organisations – and indeed social media keyboard warriors – be focusing on now that the 100% RTO debate is effectively over? The answer is ‘how to optimise’. Here are 7 suggested action items:
- Challenge everything. Think about everything you know about how to run a successful organisation. Virtually all of those things are slightly different in a WFH/hybrid world – from who and how you recruit, to the best way to train, manage, communicate, schedule and technology-enable those people. Examine…. and challenge.
- Speak to other organisations. Don’t expect your HR team to know how to do the things mentioned above. Chances are it’s all new to them too. So join forums and groups that give your business and HR managers the chance to talk to others and learn what best practice might look like for your organisation.
- Get an independent hybrid working health check. Maybe easier said than done (i.e. there’s a lot of hybrid working consultants out there but which ones really have the expertise and experience to genuinely add value?) but an independent health check from a consultant with extensive experience of running hybrid operations across multiple organisations and multiple scenarios can be worth its weight in gold.
- Re-examine your real estate. With a percentage of your people WFH, do you need as much office space? Could your existing space be better used? If your recruitment is now spread over a wider area, could your people benefit from satellite offices or even shared business centres? Ask all these questions and more.
- Look at your tech. One of the most common mistakes. Because your tech is cloud-based doesn’t mean it is ideal for supporting hybrid working teams. Do you need specialist solutions, like a hot desking or flexible work scheduling solution for example? Would a Bring Your Own Device or Bring Your Own Broadband model work? Etc.
- Conduct feasibility studies on new work models and processes. Too many to mention but…. performance management, work-monitoring (but NOT spying!), flexible work, output measurement, hot desking, communications, remote training and compliance solutions to name but a few.
- Write 1 and 5 year hybrid working plans. The icing on the cake. Create short and long term plans that give Board members the confidence that you’re on top of the challenges of hybrid work – and your employees the confidence that you are planning for the future with their interests at heart.