Lotta Janzen
Human Resources Manager
What convinced me to join WifOR was the research done here, the open company culture, and the variety of responsibilities and projects.
People Culture: What is the Hybrid Work Model?
My WifOR Journey is a series exploring the experiences and insights from WifOR’s team. This interview with Lotta Janzen, HR Manager, discusses what the Hybrid Work Model is, why WifOR has adopted it, and what it means for employees.
Lotta, what is the Hybrid Work Model and how does it work?
The Hybrid Work Model at WifOR is our approach to offering more flexibility for all employees. Employees can choose where to work on a daily basis – whether from home, one of our offices, or even sometimes abroad. It’s based on the trust that every person will choose the option they feel the most comfortable and productive in. Sometimes that might be working from home, but we also value the collaboration and togetherness that being in the office can bring. We don’t set a certain number of days for employees to work in the office per week or month, but rather trust the organization within teams to communicate when in-person collaboration is needed.
Why was WifOR motivated to adopt the Hybrid Work Model?
WifOR established a remote working option, like many other companies, during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, even when we slowly started returning to the office, we realized that people did not want to give up this flexibility. Working together remotely is very much possible and offers many benefits. Our motivation was to enable this flexibility for colleagues to increase employee satisfaction as well as overall productivity.
Which benefits does this offer?
From an employee perspective, benefits include a better work-life balance, greater individual control over work life, and more efficient use of personal time. It means, for example, colleagues do not have to commute to the office on some days. This, in turn, contributes to higher overall satisfaction. From an organizational perspective, the Hybrid Work Model supports our employer branding and contributes to our ethos of placing people at the heart of the company. The organization therefore benefits from increased employee satisfaction and smoother collaboration.
How has WifOR navigated the challenges associated with implementing and sustaining the Hybrid Work Model?
One challenge with implementing a Hybrid Work Model is that it needs to be carefully planned to ensure compliance with labor and tax laws. To navigate this challenge, we got the right support from professionals. Another challenge we considered was the effect on company culture and collaboration. The concern was that if employees worked remotely, bonding experiences between colleagues might become fewer and further between. One part of navigating this challenge is our monthly All Hands Meeting that we use to keep everyone up to date. The teams have also established digital team meetings as well as online coffee breaks that create time for socializing. In addition, we hold regular in-person events such as our Annual Summer Party.
Finally, what have you been able to gained from the Hybrid Work Model?
Choosing if I work at the office or from home means I can use my time more efficiently. I enjoy coming to the office, having a coffee with colleagues and joining in-person meetings. But I also appreciate saving time in my day and bringing variety to my work week, especially because this helps to balance my Master’s degree with working full time. The flexibility WifOR offers makes this so much easier.
Lotta joined WifOR in April 2022 as a Junior HR Manager and has since progressed to a more senior position as HR Manager. Alongside her work at WifOR, Lotta is also studying for the joint Master’s German-US-Dual-Degree (M.Sc./MBA) at the SIBE (Germany) and Post University (USA).
