Bendelta launches workspace analytics tool for the hybrid working era
Australian management consultancy Bendelta has launched a new workspace analytics tool that enables organisations to optimise the productivity and collaboration of hybrid teams.
The global Covid-19 crisis has profoundly changed the way people work and live, with hybrid working one of the largest trends emerging from the pandemic. Several researches from across the globe have shown that hybrid working is here to stay: a recent US and UK based studies for example found that more than 80% of employees are now only working in the office for part of the week.
In Australia, the picture is not much different, with the ‘2022 Workplace Trends’ study by Bendelta (which canvassed the views of 1,000 Australian employees) finding that 81% of employees are happy to continue working remotely – over two thirds of this group is not eager to work three of more days in the office each week.
“It’s clear that the way we work has changed forever,” said Jessica Hall, Head of worksona and psychologist at Bendelta. “Over the past two years, we’ve experienced unprecedented access to remote or hybrid working, and this has resulted in a fundamentally different workforce to what we once knew.”
For organisations and leaders however, the major (and rapid) shift to hybrid working is posing all sorts of challenges. For one, employees may lack engagement due to less in person connection, as well as lack coaching and mentoring support (in particular less experienced colleagues). Others struggle with longer hours (60% of employees say they work more), digital surveillance or feel that they may not be given equal opportunities to those working in the office.
Meanwhile, with hybrid working comes also the rise of flexible working, and for employers and employees this means that different agreements need to be made on for instance working hours or outputs.
“The preferences and experiences of employees are more diverse than ever before, and this presents huge opportunities for leaders and teams to embrace this new reality and develop workplace solutions that are personalised, responsive and impactful,” said Hall.
The worksona tool
This is where Bendelta’s new worksona tool comes in. Formally launched today, the worksona tool investigates dimensions of work to gain deep insight in “employee behaviours, experiences and preferences,” explained Anthony Mitchell, Chief Potential Officer of Bendelta. Using this information, employers can craft tailor-made strategies for individuals, while rolling-up all information to make more informed decisions firmwide.
“Using a 20-minute online assessment tool, worksona investigates three dimensions of work, the human, physical and digital experience – allowing us to generate unique insights about people and organisations.”
“The tool’s output gives employees a clear voice about how they work best, and it empowers leaders to make informed decisions about how to unleash their organisation’s full potential through ways of working, employee value propositions, organisational culture and workspace infrastructure.”
“Based on science-backed models, worksona is a gamechanger for organisations looking to embrace the new reality of hybrid working,” added Mitchell.
Five personas
Central to the worksona tool are five unique personas that according to Bendelta represent “a new generation of employees” in today’s hybrid-working world. These personas are:
Connectors
People who like working in the office, in-person relationships and the energy they get from working in an office environment. They find virtual meetings tiring, and feel disconnected from their team if they work remotely for long periods of time.
Nesters
People who like working from home and feel they’re more productive when working remotely. They don’t enjoy the energy of the office and don’t believe that it contributes to work-life balance.
Nomads
People who like working remotely in spaces other than their home, and don’t find remote working a hindrance to accessing and sharing information or collaborating with colleagues. They don’t crave in-person connections with colleagues, and would prefer more flexibility to choose how and where they work.
Adapters
People who tend to work in the office, enjoy the connections they can build with colleagues in an office environment, and prefer the technology that’s available in the office versus other workspaces. Importantly, however, Adapters feel that their manager or team expects them to work from the office, and believe they don’t have the flexibility to choose where they work.
Stoics
Employees tend to choose to work from home, yet feel they are no more productive or comfortable working remotely as anywhere else. They do not enjoy the office energy or developing in-person relationships with colleagues, but they also feel disconnected from colleagues when working remotely.
“By understanding the persona composition of their organisation, leaders can identify what matters to their employees, anticipate the impact of future ways of working on their organisation, and create a compelling workspace strategy,” Hall concluded.
