Proximus opts for hybrid working

Corona also caused turbulent times in the business world. “The government made homeworking compulsory for those who were able to do so,” says Marc Moris, Director Corporate Prevention & Protection at Proximus. “But that doesn't work for our technicians, for example. They continued to work on the street and with customers. Of course, we provided extra protection measures for them.”

For the homeworkers, we paid a lot of attention to their well-being. “It's easy to forget that working from home is not straightforward and easy for everyone,” said Moris. “Think of young starters who share a small bedsitter or couples who were suddenly forced to stay at home in the middle of a divorce settlement.”

In the meantime, the corona measures have been relaxed and Proximus employees are also gradually returning to the office. “Initially, we ask staff to come to the office at least one day a week, in order to reconnect with the company and colleagues,” Moris explained. “We want to evolve step by step towards a new work-life balance: two days working at the office, three days of homeworking. Anyone who wants to come to the office more often is, of course, welcome.”

At the same time, there are measures that remain in force. The office workers have to sign in, so that Proximus can keep track of the number of employees present in the buildings.

Marc Moris, Director Corporate Prevention & Protection.

Togetherness

It is important to Proximus that employees now come to the office at least once a week. “If you always work from home, alone, then the sense of belonging disappears,” says Kathleen Vande Kerckhove, Director People & Organizational Development at Proximus. “Being part of a team is important and that is best achieved by meeting each other in person on a regular basis.” This is especially important for new employees. “If you're new to a company and you've never been to the office, you don't get a feel for the culture and it's more difficult to get involved,” said Vande Kerckhove.

In order to harmonize office and homeworking as much as possible and to get everyone involved in hybrid working, Proximus provides additional communication via the company's intranet. There the employees will find all information about the applicable measures and practical agreements regarding hybrid working. At the same time, Proximus is adjusting the layout of its buildings. “We are turning our offices into an open campus,” Moris explained. “There is a new balance between larger spaces for teamwork and adapted rooms for videoconferencing, client meetings, co-creation and focused work, among other things.”

New Balance

“We believe in activity-based working,” said Vande Kerckhove. “Some activities are best done at home while, for others, it's better to come to the office. It's just not always the same for everyone. You can't just define things strictly. That's why we think it’s important that this is agreed at the team level, so that each team finds the most suitable training.”

Kathleen Vande Kerckhove, Director People & Organisational Development

Well-being remains an important focus. “During the lockdowns, it was sometimes difficult to balance work and private life,” Vande Kerckhove continued. “It was the lack of perspective that was so hard on a lot of people. It then became apparent how important the connection with colleagues is: the moments before and after meetings, for example, when there is informal contact. You soon miss that when you work from home.”

But apart from connection, disconnection is also important. When you are continually working from home, there is a danger that the work never stops. For Proximus, it is vital that employees find a new and correct balance in hybrid working. “I see that as an opportunity,” said Vande Kerckhove. “By working in a hybrid way, employees can adjust their work-life balance more to their liking.” At the same time, the managers are adapting their style. “We encourage them to have faith in their teams, to relinquish control a little, and to focus more on outcome rather than presence.”

Inspiration for other companies

“At Proximus, there is very open communication between employees and the organization,” said Moris. “By actively listening to the needs and experiences of our employees, we, as an organization, can provide the right support. This ranges from the CEO's weekly message, to the intranet which, in turn, extends to HR, for example, with all kinds of support, e-learning, and so on.”

We also help our team leaders to enter into a dialogue about this with their employees by means of adapted and supportive tools.These are applied in a very practical way to determine how work will be organized at team level in the future. It is an approach that is also inspiring other companies. “There are indeed large organizations that come to us to see how we approach things”, Moris concluded. “Our starting-point continues to be the most essential element in this: we always put our employees first.”