The HR/IT Partnership in Enhancing the Hybrid Work Environment

As the world continues to adapt to the new normal of hybrid work environments, it has become increasingly important for HR teams to partner with IT departments to create worker archetypes that can support employee enablement and increase productivity.

You might be thinking, “What are worker archetypes and how do they help?”

Worker archetypes are profiles that describe the characteristics and needs of different types of workers within an organization. These profiles are based on factors such as work style, communication preferences, job responsibilities, and technology proficiency. By creating worker archetypes, organizations can better understand the unique needs of their employees and tailor their work environments and technology solutions accordingly.

How can worker archetypes enable employees and increase their productivity?

With worker archetypes, organizations can better understand the needs and preferences of their employees and provide them with the tools and resources they need to be productive and enabled in their work. For example, if an organization has a significant number of employees who need to work remotely, they can use worker archetypes to understand the specific technology and communication tools these employees need to be successful. Similarly, if an organization has employees who are more collaborative in nature, they can use worker archetypes to identify the best tools and technologies to facilitate collaboration and teamwork.

Why is it important for HR and IT to work together to create worker archetypes?

HR is responsible for understanding the unique needs of employees and designing programs to support them, while IT is responsible for providing the technology solutions that enable employees to be productive and successful. By working together, HR and IT can ensure that the worker archetypes they create are comprehensive and effective, providing employees with the tools and resources they need to be successful, while ensuring that they are aligned with the organization's overall goals and objectives.

How do we go about creating these worker archetypes?

Here’s a few steps to consider:

1.     Identify common job roles: Identify the most common job roles in the organization and group them into categories. For example, these could be functional areas like marketing, sales, engineering, customer support, and finance.

2.     Define the characteristics of the archetypes: Once the job roles have been identified, you can create worker archetypes based on common work styles, preferences, and needs. Some characteristics to consider when creating archetypes might include:

·      Work style: Whether the worker prefers to work independently or in a team, their level of collaboration and communication, and their preferred working hours.

·      Communication preferences: Whether the worker prefers to communicate in person, over the phone, or via email, and how frequently they need to communicate.

·      Technology use: The worker's level of proficiency with different technologies and their preferred devices for work.

·      Work environment: Whether the worker prefers a quiet workspace, open-plan office, or remote work environment.

3. Conduct surveys, focus groups and/or interviews: Conduct surveys, focus groups, and/or interviews with employees to gather information about their work styles, preferences, and needs. It’s important that the archetypes are accurate and reflect their needs.

4. Develop archetypes: Develop worker archetypes based on the information gathered from the surveys and interviews and common characteristics. For example, an archetype could be "the remote worker who prefers asynchronous communication and is highly proficient in technology." The archetypes should be representative of the different job roles in the organization and the characteristics that are most important for supporting hybrid work.

5. Validate and communicate archetypes: Validate the archetypes by testing them against real-world scenarios and ensure they are applicable across different departments and roles. Communicate defined worker archetypes to employees and managers to ensure they are aware of the different work styles, preferences, and needs within the organization. This can help managers better support their teams and employees understand how to work effectively in a hybrid work environment.

6. Use the archetypes to inform policies and practices: HR and IT can use the archetypes to inform policies and practices that support hybrid work. For example, policies around flexible working hours, communication tools, and remote work can be tailored to the needs of the different archetypes. Or targeted training programs or improved communication and collaboration tools may be specified for different archetypes.

Overall, creating worker archetypes is an important step for HR in supporting hybrid work models. By understanding the unique characteristics and optimal working requirements for each role, HR and IT can help managers and employees adapt to the new way of working, increase employee productivity and satisfaction, and ensure business continuity.

How are you partnering with IT to enhance the employee experience in your hybrid work environment?  Comment below…

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