Abstract
Hybrid work is probably one of the most debated workforce models in the last few years and many companies are formally committing to it. This paper tries to get to the bottom of these two key questions. Based on qualitative research into Indian companies where leaders are making different types of interventions to try to make hybrid work a success, and the resultant employee experience, workforce retention and the operational and equity consequences that have been surfaced, our common thread of learning is that hybrid work models are only as good as the people practices, which include people policies, performance management and culture, that organisations put in place to support them.
Unless there is a conscious attempt at structuring hybrid models in India, current “work from home” hybrid models have the potential to cause unprecedented management challenges and career risks for the employee because of work management issues and unfair visibility of work. Thus, we conclude with the need for contextual sustainable hybrid model for India and the possibility of gaining the benefits from flexible work arrangements.
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