13 Proactive management and employeeship are also seen as central to hybrid working with trust and contact between the employer and the staff figuring as part of the equation. The dilemma faced by middle managers is also clear in our study. Several respondents feel that managers have lost control over staff who are not at the office, and they do not know how much work they are actually doing, what support they need or how they are coping. “Uncertainty and lack of clarity breed confusion. Requirements for managerial skills are now more important than before”. Problems and shortcomings of leadership, especially at management level, are also mentioned in connection with hybrid working. The respondents mention lack of clarity and uncertainty within the organisation around what actually goes for remote working, despite the fact that there is a policy in place. Many also state that a ‘sluggishness’ has taken root within their organisation since the onset of hybrid working, with requests now taking longer to carry out than before (see fact box). According to the organisations’ in-house employee surveys, levels of dissatisfaction with management and information have grown since the pandemic, and our respondents emphasise the importance of leadership for attracting employees back. “It can take days to get a reply to an email from people who work from home. That gets peoples’ backs up. It sometimes takes days before you get a reply.” FACTS: A study conducted after the pandemic showed that productivity is down by as much as 18%. Reference: Atkin, D., Schoar, A., & Shinde, S. (2023).
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