UNSPLASH

Since hybrid work is here to stay, leaders must be flexible when it comes to employees’ schedules and locations, according to Sprout Solutions, a Filipino Software as a Service (SaaS) company that provides human resources (HR) technology to medium and large enterprises.

“Hybrid allows better work-life integration. Regardless of whatever people are doing, we let them do their work and let them do their work well,” said Lester N. Ople, Sprout Solutions head of business development, at a roundtable discussion on Feb. 17.

Aside from using people management software, there’s a need to change mindset, Mr. Ople added. This requires not just work-life balance, but work-life integration.

“If the workplace has seamless tech tools to manage performance, it goes a long way in shifting the paradigm from a ‘clock in at 8, log out at 5’ mindset to letting people integrate work and life more seamlessly,” he said.

A recent study by Sprout Solutions found that the Philippines in 2021 experienced a 176% increase in the average voluntary attrition across all industries — a local reflection of the global phenomenon called “The Great Resignation.”

The industries with the biggest rise in attrition rate were the professional, scientific, and technical services industry (274%); the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry (207%); and the water supply, waste management, and remediation industry (185%).

Kislay Chandra, Sprout Solutions chief product officer, said engagement is vital in addressing employees’ needs. He shared that the study found abrupt changes in work setup and uncertainty over the pandemic as reasons behind voluntary attrition.

“If you are in an organization where you don’t feel engaged, more often than not you will leave … We need to focus on our employees,” he said.

Sprout Solutions has HR platforms that help with the transition to a more people-centric hybrid workplace. These include mental health app Sprout Wellness and real-time employee engagement and feedback tool called Sprout Pulse.

In January, a survey conducted by Sprout Solutions titled “Going Hybrid: The Future of Work” discovered that 91% of over 8,000 Filipino employees want a hybrid or remote workplace, though only 43% feel engaged in this setup.

To transition to the best hybrid workplace possible, there should be solid, sustainable support, said Arlene De Castro, Sprout Solutions chief people and customer officer.

“[Hybrid] is built on flexibility and support and of course it also has to be sustainable. It empowers employees by giving freedom of when and where to work,” she shared.

A mental health app, for example, is timelessly relevant with or without a pandemic or remote setup, since stress and burnout will always be there. An engagement and feedback tool, on the other hand, keeps leaders aware of all workplace concerns.

Ms. De Castro said: “If you can measure employees’ performance on a daily, weekly, even quarterly basis, and your productivity is higher, then you know it’s a success.” — Brontë H. Lacsamana