The forced experiments of remote working in 2020 and the hybrid reality of 2021 have led us to a place where we are all fundamentally questioning and rethinking how we work. Building on the findings of Culture24’s survey of over 95 different cultural organisations into the impact of hybrid on working practices, this round of our Let’s Get Real (LGR) action research programme focussed on navigating the challenges of hybrid working to help your organisation become more inclusive and resilient.
The programme was run in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust and began in June 2022. You can read the full programme details with costings, timings and structure.
Read on for an overview of the survey findings and the ways in which we shaped the LGR programme in response…
Over 10 weeks, from October 2021 to January 2022, we surveyed over 95 different cultural organisations to find out first hand what the impact of hybrid working has been on how they work. Questions uncovered a lot of information about working patterns now and a mix of conflicting feelings about the future of work, mapping the positive and negative impact of hybrid working and exploring that impact on both teams and an organisation’s ability to fulfil its own mission.
Overall the survey showed that 73% of people felt that changes to the way they do their job as a result of hybrid working have been positive, with only 17% feeling negative and the rest remaining neutral. This is a clear message to cultural employers that finding ways to sustain and develop hybrid work practices would be welcomed by staff.
Many talked about how communication within their teams was better thanks to new tools that were more flexible and fluid. Meetings are quicker online and one to one time is better, with more privacy. Time management was easier, with less pressure and overall many people talked about a much better home/work balance with less distractions. Many found it easier to focus at home and less time spent travelling to and from work improved their productivity, with more time to do research and take up opportunities for online training.
“The improved work life balance has been phenomenal. It has benefitted me so much as I have more time to look after my well-being, I have time to cook and exercise and take time for myself in the points of the day that would have been my commute.”
Looking more deeply into the survey data we also found that within this overall positive picture there were still many challenges for organisations that people are experiencing a wide range of contradictory feelings. What came out clearly however was the fact that the real potential of hybrid working longer term, will only be realised if organisations can get the tech, the processes and their openness to change right.
Many people mentioned the way hybrid working changes the rhythm of how you work and the need to make adjustments and explore the best tools and formats. Many people miss the lack of spontaneity with colleagues, saying how the collaborative process can take longer and brainstorming is difficult. For some they felt under pressure from expectations that they must always respond, resulting in longer hours, being always on and sometimes a lack of trust from management. Some found being at home a distraction and a challenge to stay motivated. For those starting a new job it’s difficult to get to know the other team members. Some mention the lack of IT support and the difficulty when some colleagues didn’t like communicating digitally and resisted digital change. The impact on inclusion and accessibility also came through very strongly as a concern for the sector, both for audiences and within museum teams.
“It’s very difficult to manage countryside, heritage and arts from your kitchen. Not everything can be done on Zoom.”
The survey data tells us that the biggest opportunities that hybrid working offers to help your organisation fulfil its mission were:
- the ability to work with people from further afield – regionally and internationally
- to increase digital skills, literacies and confidence within the organisation
- to improve communication between team members
- to improve the diversification of audiences online
“We have already seen an increase in participants from across the globe Vs previously much more local audiences and meeting participants. Look forward to developing this and providing an engaging hybrid environment.”
Thankfully these challenges and opportunities are in areas that are within our power as organisations to address and this is why Culture24 has chosen to make understanding hybrid the focus of our next groundbreaking Let’s Get Real action research programme.
You can read the full survey results here: Summary of full hybrid working survey results.
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