How has our understanding of work changed since the hybrid model was introduced at Telefónica?
Hybrid working was the way I managed to combine my two roles: my professional ‘office’ work with the responsibilities of running a household. Remote working requires focus and commitment, but in return it allows us to play a more active part in daily family life, which has a positive impact on our work-life balance.
It also helped me take a step back and reassess, as there were many things I did out of habit but which weren’t actually adding value.
In your experience, what are the main benefits of hybrid working for both employees and the organisation?
Hybrid working offers many efficiencies. The most obvious of all is the time saved on commuting, which for some people can amount to several hours a day. For example, two of my reports live in outlying areas and are literally saving at least three hours a day.
Furthermore, hybrid working leverages more digital ways of working, such as the use of tools like Microsoft Teams or shared resources on OneDrive, which bring direct benefits in terms of information management, process digitisation and resilience in the face of circumstances that prevent physical attendance at the workplace. The pandemic was the extreme example, but in Venezuela we have had other very tangible cases.
What role does technology play in the success of the hybrid model, and what tools do you consider key to making it possible?
Technology is the great enabler of hybrid working. In my opinion, we can only truly talk about this model when we have tools that ensure business continuity regardless of our physical location.
In our case, this is guaranteed by Office 365 with Teams and OneDrive, although similar solutions exist from other providers. The important thing is to give the team the ability to meet, communicate and exchange information in a flexible and secure manner.
One of the major challenges of hybrid working is maintaining the culture and sense of belonging. How can this aspect be reinforced in distributed teams?
For me, meetings remain the focal point that embodies the teams’ sense of belonging. Even if the meeting takes place virtually, it is important that it happens and that we do not simply settle for each person carrying out their agreed tasks.
For our culture, it is also key to have spaces for informal communication that truly belong to the team.
What skills or competencies do you think are most important for leaders and teams in a hybrid working environment?
For me, the key lies in the combination of flexibility and responsibility. From a leader’s perspective, you may find that a team member is not immediately available at a specific point during the working day, whilst each person must be responsible for maintaining and completing their tasks to the required standard and within the appropriate timeframe.
Another aspect of this flexibility is understanding that certain activities require greater physical presence, so we must be willing to be flexible when the situation demands it.
Looking ahead, how do you envisage the evolution of hybrid working in the coming years and what opportunities does it open up for companies like Telefónica?
Looking ahead, I believe hybrid working should evolve towards greater digitalisation and the freedom to work from anywhere, but in a way that allows the company to capitalise on concrete benefits, such as a genuine reduction in the physical space required to operate.
This could help us break down certain geographical barriers and consolidate multidisciplinary teams.
