Tech major, IBM, anticipates its US workforce following a hybrid model of work post pandemic. It expects about 80 per cent of its staff to enjoy the flexibility to spend at least three days per week in office. In those three days, the employees will spend a significant part of the eight to 10 hours in office, if not all. However, parents in the workforce will be allowed to work from home until schools resume.
This came to light when Arvind Krishna, CEO, IBM, was speaking at a Bloomberg Future of Work seminar. With about 10 to 20 per cent of IBM employees working remotely, there is some worry about how culture within the organisation will be built. Those in people management roles will find it difficult to grow with limited ways to take on more responsibilities or build a culture within teams.
While 10 per cent of IBM’s US employees have already started working from office, this is a lower percentage than in Australia and China. However, in Western Europe, its offices have not opened for staff yet.
The company has over three lakh employees working from offices spread across 175 countries. With the hybrid approach set to take over, some of the Company’s 70 million square feet office space will be closed. It will retain more than half of the space it currently has and remodel the same to suit collaborative working, because clearly, any solitary work that needs to be done will be managed from home entirely in future.
