Are Hybrid Work Models Here to Stay?

“It’s the start of a journey and a real culture shift.”

In this recent panel discussion, our speakers discussed hybrid work models and what this means for leadership, community building, equity, onboarding, loyalty and so much more. Hybrid Work is just at the beginning and the clear consensus was, it’s here to stay, but it will be an evolution.

Thank you to Florian Mezger (ZEISS Group), Jung Paik (McKinsey & Company), Sabine Remdisch (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg) and Susan Whitlock (Siemens Infrastructure) as well as Petra Chequer for moderating this insightful panel discussion.

The discussion among these experts was rich on practical advice such as on how to “be there when you are not there”, the use of personal channels (on pets or food for example) to create a sense of community, the importance of shifting focus on outcomes rather than time spent, and how to show digital empathy. Most importantly – one size does not fit all. For employees who cannot work from home, employers could consider offering other flexibilities and it was pointed out that some personality types need more interactions than others.

This event was the fourth in our series organized jointly by GABA and our partner organization GABC – German American Business Council of Boston and supported by the German Consulate Boston and the German Consulate General San Francisco.

By Emily Westhoven, GABC Boston