# Smart Working Versus Presenteeism: Enabling Productivity in a Post-Pandemic Hybrid Work Culture Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-05-14 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: The Future of Post-Pandemic Work Culture Meta Description: Discover how the pandemic has transformed office dynamics, paving the way for a new era of hybrid work cultures. Learn about the challenges and opportunities URL: https://financedigest.com/smart-working-versus-presenteeism-enabling-productivity-in-a-post-pandemic-hybrid-work-culturehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/post-pandemic-1736838341037-compressed.jpg) _By **Paul Walker,** EMEA Technical Director,_ [_iManage_](https://imanage.com/) The pandemic has created a structural change in working practices. ‘Presenteeism’ – the need to physically be present in the office – has ebbed away as organisational attitudes have evolved. Senior members and management have learnt to trust staff in a remote working environment. In many ways, they’ve done so because they had to: Last year, many enterprises were forced to mothball their offices, and some even gave up their leases. Additionally, scores of professionals escaped the big [cities in favour of suburban and country life](https://www.financedigest.com/birmingham-the-perfect-city-for-students-who-want-to-make-the-most-of-their-university-life.html "Birmingham: the perfect city for students who want to make the most of their University life"). Today, as enterprises plan their [return to the office](https://www.financedigest.com/are-we-witnessing-the-great-return-to-the-office.html "Are we witnessing the great return to the office?"), the pre-pandemic order of being present in the office 100% of the time is unlikely to return – even if Goldman Sachs has announced that it wants all of its workers back in the office now that the chaos of the past year is largely in the rearview mirror. A [recent study](https://www.cityam.com/97-per-cent-of-office-workers-prefer-to-work-from-home-post-pandemic/) of office workers points in a different direction, highlighting the fact that 88% of employees would opt for a 50-50 office/work-from-home model. This post-pandemic lean towards a hybrid [work culture](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture") requires some new approaches. Anecdotal evidence suggests that enterprises are classifying staff into ‘Home’, ‘Flex’, or ‘Office’ and revisiting their [working policies to align them with this new hybrid model](https://www.financedigest.com/how-collaboration-technologies-are-helping-organisations-to-embrace-a-hybrid-working-model.html "How collaboration technologies are helping organisations to embrace a hybrid working model"). Many are also redesigning [office spaces](https://www.financedigest.com/a-guide-to-finding-office-space-for-your-startup.html "A guide to finding office space for your startup") to cater to the needs of staff in view of changed working practices – for example, having fewer dedicated offices or cubicles and more ‘hot desks’. ![Paul Walker](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/paul-walkeremea-technical-directorimanage-450x450-1736838340675-compressed.jpg) Paul Walker However, make no mistake: There are [challenges to be addressed to make this hybrid model](https://www.financedigest.com/why-now-is-the-time-to-implement-a-time-saving-business-model-encouraging-team-members-to-discuss-their-challenges.html "Why now is the time to implement a time saving business model, encouraging team members to discuss their challenges") a success. Think about multi-office, multi-jurisdiction enterprises. How can financial services organisations – from accounting and commercial banking, to insurance and venture capital, and everything in between – meet the needs of staff with [flexible working](https://www.financedigest.com/the-flexible-working-revolution-is-here-so-why-arent-you-tracking-expenses-on-the-go.html "‘The flexible working revolution is here – so why aren’t you tracking expenses on the go?’") whilst also ensuring a business environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, agility, security, efficiency, and productivity? Rather than getting hung up on ‘presenteeism’, these enterprises need to enable ‘smart working’ to ensure all the above occurs in an environment where some people are physically present in the office and some aren’t. **Evening the** [Playing Field](https://www.financedigest.com/using-agility-to-resist-economic-instability-and-level-the-playing-field.html "Using agility to resist economic instability and level the playing field") There are a few crucial ingredients that [need to be in the mix in order for the wheels of finance to continue turning smoothly in this new world](https://www.financedigest.com/why-the-world-needs-more-women-controlling-the-money.html "Why the world needs more women controlling the money"). In terms of tech, organisations [need to look at technology that is flexible enough to support a workforce](https://www.financedigest.com/tech-awakening-needed-across-uk-workforce.html "Tech awakening needed across UK workforce") that might be at home, in the office, or alternating between the two. [Support for mobile apps for smartphones and tablets is critical because professionals who have settled far outside the city](https://www.financedigest.com/keysource-to-provide-critical-facilitiesmanagement-support-for-leeds-city-council.html "KEYSOURCE TO PROVIDE CRITICAL FACILITIESMANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR LEEDS CITY COUNCIL") center will be facing longer commutes on the days they do come into the office. During the train ride in, they can securely access spreadsheets to do a little on-the-go number crunching, or take a look at the latest draft of a commercial loan agreement to make sure everything looks right. Crucially, they need the ability to do these tasks regardless of whether there’s connectivity or not. No one would ever accuse a long train ride of having seamless connectivity from start to finish – the signal will come and go depending on tunnels, natural and manmade obstructions alongside the tracks, and other factors. The ability to continue [working uninterrupted while either online or offline ensures maximum productivity](https://www.financedigest.com/the-psychology-of-long-term-remote-working-productivity-vs-inclusivity.html "The psychology of long-term remote working: Productivity vs. Inclusivity") as ‘Flex’ or ‘Office’ workers make the longer-than-usual journey into the office. What’s worth underlining here is that these professionals are not at a disadvantage as compared to their peers and colleagues who are physically present in the office. They are able to stay productive and continue collaborating no matter where they are – all while [keeping important files and communications fully secure](https://www.financedigest.com/winning-the-security-race-how-financial-services-can-keep-pace-with-cybercriminals.html "Winning the security race: how financial services can keep pace with cybercriminals") and governed. That’s the triumph of smart working over presenteeism. Likewise, smart [working can be applied to knowledge management](https://www.financedigest.com/time-management-strategies-that-work.html "Time management strategies that work") to ensure that no one is at a disadvantage as far as their ability to tap into organisational knowledge to create better business outcomes – and that goes for whether they’re physically present in the office five days a week, three days a week, or zero days per week. AI is the key tech here, helping analyse existing knowledge assets as well as end user interactions with fundamental [business and productivity systems to identify experts](https://www.financedigest.com/6-expert-tips-to-turn-your-photography-passion-into-a-business-2.html "6 Expert Tips to Turn Your Photography Passion into a Business") and expertise. Is the new trainee at an investment bank looking to find out who the resident expert might be for [copper mining](https://www.financedigest.com/glencore-to-sell-australian-copper-mine-to-spac-for-1-1-billion.html "Glencore to sell Australian copper mine to SPAC for .1 billion") M&A’s? While normally they might just ask the person in the cubicle next to them, AI can help surface not just the best practice template that has been downloaded most often for that niche area, but also the person who has [worked on the most deals](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-us-working-on-deal-to-make-ev-minerals-eligible-for-tax-credits-eu-official.html "EU, US working on deal to make EV minerals eligible for tax credits -EU official") that fall into that category. Again, not being physically present in your cubicle doesn’t have to be a [disadvantage if you’ve embraced smart working](https://www.financedigest.com/disadvantages-key-challenges-to-overcome-when-working-from-home.html "Disadvantages – key challenges to overcome when working from home"). Similarly, in this [hybrid work](https://www.financedigest.com/how-has-hybrid-working-impacted-the-gender-gap.html "How has hybrid working impacted the gender gap?") environment where some people are present in the office for the Monday morning ‘pulse’ meeting or the detailed sales demo of the latest financial products to offer to customers, no one should feel like they’re at disadvantage from a knowledge perspective. The [ability to capture the knowledge in these meetings](https://www.financedigest.com/lack-of-collaboration-and-skills-shortage-is-limiting-organisations-ability-to-meet-ifrs-9-requirements.html "Lack of collaboration and skills shortage is limiting organisations’ ability to meet IFRS 9 requirements") – as well as the knowledge contained in new communication channels that have taken on outsize importance over the past year, like instant messaging and video conferencing – and add them to the documents and emails already being captured only serves to enrich the overall knowledge file. Knowledge gained in one meeting or over one chat message is knowledge that can be tapped by _all_ to effect better business outcomes. In this manner, the [organisation ‘makes knowledge work’](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-based-bitfount-raises-5m-seed-to-streamline-collaboration-between-organisations-working-with-sensitive-datasets.html "UK-based Bitfount raises M seed to streamline collaboration between organisations working with sensitive datasets.") for the business. **Now That’s Smart** The future has yet to be written as to whether [remote work](https://www.financedigest.com/shoring-up-cyber-defences-in-the-remote-working-era.html "Shoring up cyber defences in the remote working era") was a temporary aberration for the financial services workforce or a permanent sea change – but until that matter is settled, a hybrid work environment will be the predominant model. For this new phase, rather than reflexively reverting to presenteeism, organisations should instead focus on smart working. In doing so they can ensure a [business environment that is culturally](https://www.financedigest.com/business-is-changing-is-your-culture-changing-with-it.html "Business is changing – is your culture changing with it?") aligned, innovative, secure and productive – regardless of where their employees are physically located. **_About the author_** _As Technical Director for iManage EMEA, Paul Walker drives all the major technical initiatives [related to customer](https://www.financedigest.com/what-are-the-main-challenges-related-to-banks-processing-customer-calls.html "What are the main challenges related to banks processing customer calls? ") and partner organisations in the region. With over 20 years’ experience in the professional [services sector](https://www.financedigest.com/decline-in-german-services-sector-eases-raising-hopes-for-milder-recession-pmi.html "Decline in German services sector eases, raising hopes for milder recession -PMI"), alongside a software development background, he advises clients on areas such as document management, knowledge management, and information governance._ --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---