Opinion: The ultimate hybrid workspace

We’ve now seen carriers and brokerages trying to lure people back to the office for more than two years.

Eager executives have tried different tactics, including asking, incentivizing, prodding, negotiating and even mandating a return to office work.

While I’ve encountered bosses talking about how they need everyone coming in again, I’ve heard few frontline workers saying they’re eager to dress up in uncomfortable clothes, commute at inconvenient times, waste time in traffic, and spend extra money on gas and food.

Recognizing and respecting what’s important to our team, our brokerage decided to empower everyone to work wherever they want indefinitely.

We saw early in the pandemic how much our teammates valued the flexibility and the positive effects it had on their lives and families.

We also noticed growing concerns about what would happen when things started reopening. To ease these worries, we committed to offering work from home options, allowing everyone to focus on their jobs without added, unnecessary stress.

For our business, hitting our key numbers and delivering value to clients are the two main goals. If we’re achieving them and continuing to grow, where people sit and what they wear does not matter.

We’re finding success with this model, and our teammates appreciate having the choice. Although some people still prefer to be in the office every day, most do not. As a result, we’re building a strategy to downsize our headquarters. With remote work, we can operate with a smaller physical location.

Related: How leaders should reframe the return-to-office conversation

Remote work is also providing other, unanticipated benefits. Before the pandemic, most of our teammates lived relatively close to the office and hiring was usually limited to local candidates. It was somewhat like dating in a small town where your prospects were primarily people nearby.

With remote work, hiring is more like online dating. You can match with top talent from across Canada – or anywhere in the world – who share your values and bring new skills and capabilities to your brokerage.

Of course, remote work isn’t going to be right for all organizations. If your business employs a lot of people who are new to the industry, in-person mentoring is often easier.

Culture is a challenge too. Building a strong culture was easy when everyone was in the same space. Like many other companies, we’re still learning how to do this effectively in a virtual setting.

There will always be hurdles in your business, regardless of where your team works. For us, focusing on our team’s happiness and offering flexibility has removed more obstacles than it’s created.

If your company is pushing for a return to the office, it’s important to ask ‘Why?’ And be honest when answering.

Related: How employers are incentivizing the return to the office

Some organizations may be trying to reduce their headcounts, knowing people will resign if forced back. However, there’s a serious risk of losing your best teammates if the strategy is too heavy-handed.

Top people have more options than ever to work with the best employers. Our industry will only benefit if we all strive to be those companies.

Adam Mitchell is CEO of Mitch Insurance, a Whitby, Ont.-based insurance brokerage.

This article is excerpted from one appearing in the August-September 2024 print edition of Canadian Underwriter. Feature image courtesy of iStock.com/Drazen Zigic