Microsoft recently unveiled the results of a massive new research that looked at the problems that still exist with hybrid working.

According to the slogan, “Hybrid Work Is Just Work. 20,000 participants from 11 countries were surveyed for the “Are We Doing It Wrong?” research, which analysed “trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals.”

“People are working harder than ever,” the survey says, but managers still have their doubts.

Opportunities for increased productivity?

Users are holding 153% more Microsoft Teams meetings than before the epidemic, leading to a rise of 84% in meeting cancellations and a rise of 216% in “maybe” responses to invitations to attend.

Eighty-five percent of the executives polled speculated that the dramatic increase in meetings was at least in part attributable to the fact that hybrid work arrangements made it difficult to have faith in workers’ productivity.

Because of the increase of hybrid workplaces and work-from-home (WFH) practises, businesses are searching for new methods to reach their target demographic.

Microsoft’s new Viva Pulse app is intended to promote feedback between employees and leaders with “research-backed questions” and confidentially at its core, with the goal of assisting managers assist their staff in being more productive and better able to prioritise their task.

To take up the reins again?

The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, has threatened to terminate employees who repeatedly miss work while Apple followed Google’s lead and instituted a return-to-work policy earlier this year. Even yet, many people find the idea of moving somewhere to be less than appealing. 73% of workers and 78% of corporate decision makers, according to Microsoft, need a “greater reason to go in than merely company expectations.”

The office is where you go to meet with coworkers, some of whom you may not see very often, and to work on collaborative projects as a group.

The research recommends that companies strengthen digital networks to keep employees in touch. Viva Amplify is one of the many new Viva upgrades that provides users with in-built recommendations for “elevating” their messages. Other enhancements, such as People in Viva and Viva Answers, make use of AI to foster more meaningful interactions.

Part-time jobs and working from home

The third point, “re-recruit your employees,” is a direct response to LinkedIn data showing that millennials and Generation Z workers are switching jobs 22% more frequently this year than last, with “Job-hopping, the creator economy, side hustles, and entrepreneurship” being cited as some of the main causes.

Although they are eager to advance their careers, 76% of those questioned stated they would remain with their current employers for longer if they were provided with additional educational chances. The authors of the paper advocate for a “climbing wall or playground” approach to job development rather than the traditional vertical “ladder.”