Canadian HR Reporter

4 www.hrreporter.com N E W S "People like to personalize their space; they like to have the pictures of their dogs and have what I call territorial markers — it's part of our human nature. So, shifting the behaviour of people to operate in unassigned space is an important part of our change management program. They can no longer have those territorial markers. So, how do you give them a sense of territory in a place that's unassigned? This is very important to the underlying psychology of how people operate. And that's something that's often overlooked when these programs are implemented, and it makes them a failure." IBM has always had mobility centres and hotelling space, and an intelligent space management system eases the scheduling as well as finding people who are in the office, says Faichnie. "We're using technology to help employees reserve desks and meeting rooms before coming to an office. This will ensure spaces intended for use are socially distanced while also triggering cleaning work orders so we're not reusing workspaces until they have been confirmed clean." There will also be changes for leader- ship, she says. "Managers will become 'designers of work' who will determine how projects will be managed across a distributed workforce." HR's changing role In planning the hybrid models of returning to the workplace, the CHRO's job is critical to help create a blueprint for what that might look like, says Faichnie. "In short, they're therapists, benefits counsellors and strategists. We work closely with our business and management teams to really listen to our workforce with empathy and foster transparent dialogue, build bonds of cultural affinity and maintain constant communication." Through all this, HR needs to focus on the employee experience and drive reskilling, cultural transformation and new models of work, she says. "What enterprises need now is a sustainable workforce. Just like energy sustainability, an enterprise cultivates a sustainable workforce by shifting its view of employees from a resource to be tapped to one that is cared for, protected and nourished." There's a lot of work that HR is going to have to focus on next year, such as accelerating digital transformations, communication and upskilling, says Sethi. "They're going to have to double down on the well-being programs, they're going to have to support business around their priorities, which are going to be some element of accelerating digital… [and] acquisitions and divestitures. That's going to have a big strain on people, in terms of people's concerns, the work around integration," he says. "The role of HR is going to have to be stay close to your business, make sure that leaders are leaning in and speaking to their people, mining the data they have, understanding their preferences, focusing on well-being." Every company must also ensure their people are engaged, empowered and productive — whether they're working remotely or in the office, says Faichnie. That means constant and reliable communication, resources and support services to address employees' mental health and well-being, virtual get- togethers and providing flexibility. "Being flexible in how we work, where we work and how we become resilient are critical to sustaining a positive work culture." CHRR CANADIANS' IDEAL WORK SCENARIOS "How do you give them a sense of territory in a place that's unassigned? This is very important to the underlying psychology of how people operate." Samantha Sannella, Cushman & Wakefield 20% Percentage who want to work entirely at the workplace 17% Percentage who want to work mostly at the workplace 29% Percentage who want to work half at the workplace, half remotely 22% Percentage who want to work mostly remotely 12% Percentage who want to work entirely remotely Source: PwC Katherine Faichnie, director of HR at IBM Canada.

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