Nearly a third of employees don’t receive training in a hybrid workplace

Lane4, has announced the findings of its nationwide survey which suggests how organisations need to better support their employees as some begin to return to their on-site workplaces, while others remain remote.

The study of over 1,000 British workers, conducted by YouGov, highlights that there are gaps in the training offered, what skills employees need from their managers right now, and the skills that different generations expect their managers to display.

As the UK workforce shifts to a more hybrid way of working over the coming months with employees working at both on-site and off-site locations, there is work to be done to support employees. When asked if the training employees receive at work contributes to their professional progress in a hybrid working environment, almost half (47 percent) either didn’t receive training at all, or felt like the training they received wasn’t useful for hybrid working.

Adrian Moorhouse, Managing Director at Lane4 commented: ‘’We have been working remotely for just over a year now. Although it has created challenges for everyone to perform at their best, it has been felt most acutely by managers within organisations. Since the pandemic began, managers have had to take on a wider remit, from increased pastoral care to playing a greater role in fostering company culture. In many cases, managers have been asked to take on responsibilities that they may not have received support in developing the skills for. It’s therefore particularly worrying that so few people think the training they receive is useful for a hybrid working environment.”

As many workers across the UK have experienced fatigue caused by the pandemic, providing support to employees as the UK moves to more flexible working arrangements will be vital to ensure workforces stay productive. The research suggests that motivation, effective communication and consistent encouragement from managers are particularly vital.

Key findings

In terms of skills needed in their current working situation, the majority of respondents highlighted communication as important (65 percent). This is particularly true of younger workers; at least three out of four under 35s (78 percent) value communication as the most important skill a manager can have while working through the pandemic, while only a little over half of those aged 55 and above value the skill in their manager (51 percent). Similarly, motivating employees has been valued higher among 67 percent of those aged 18 – 35 versus 46 percent of those aged 55 and above.

The research also highlights how the younger generation potentially believe the move back to on-site workplaces will make life easier, as they viewed the skills in a hybrid workforce as of lower importance to them, whereas the older generations think there will be a slightly different set of skills required in their managers for hybrid working.

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18 – 35s generally valued all managerial skills less in a hybrid world, when compared to what they look for in their current working environment. Over 55s are seeing hybrid team management and leading through chance as the skills that are going to be more important for managers in the future.

“As the UK begins to shift from predominantly remote working to hybrid working, it’s important organisations react to this new context,” Moorhouse continued. “It’s fantastic to see offices and workplaces open up again, but we have to recognise the inherent challenges that this will bring, such as how to ensure fairness across the business with flexible working policies and how to continue to maintain an organisation’s culture. The skills highlighted in this research will be vital for managers to develop in order to overcome the challenges ahead and keep themselves and their teams happy, safe and productive.”

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