Strengthening Organizational Connection in a Hybrid Work Environment

A large government consulting organization responsible for managing facility operations across national government bodies. The organization sought to better understand how hybrid work models, with employees choosing between working from home and in the office, affected social cohesion and employee connection with the organization.

The Challenge

The client was concerned that employees choosing to work from home for reasons of personal efficiency (e.g., reduced commuting time, better focus) might lead to reduced social cohesion, a weaker connection to the organization, and potentially a negative impact on organizational culture. They sought data-driven insights to validate or challenge this hypothesis, with a focus on improving the workplace experience and culture.

The Solution

Using Reworc’s workplace analysis tools, two employee groups were identified based on their future work preferences:

• Group A: Employees who preferred a higher proportion of working from home (~100 people)
• Group B: Employees who preferred more time in the office (~30 people)

Reworc’s solution provided real-time cultural alignment scores, helping the client measure how connected employees felt to the organization. The software calculated an “alignment score,” reflecting how well employees’ experience of the organization’s culture matched what was needed for future success.

The Results

The analysis revealed the following:

• Remote Workers (Group A):
  Alignment score of 79, indicating a strong sense of connection to the organization and optimism about future cultural alignment.
• Office Workers (Group B):
  Alignment score of 61, suggesting that employees who spent more time in the office felt less connected to the organization.

This analysis disproved the original hypothesis that working from home would reduce social cohesion. In fact, it indicated that remote workers experienced stronger organizational connection, while office-based employees felt that more work was needed to improve their connection with the organization.

Additionally, the software revealed interesting differences in activity patterns:

• Remote workers held more meetings (including virtual ones) and considered them important for maintaining organizational bonds.
• Office workers, although also participating in many meetings, placed less importance on them.

Conclusion

Reworc’s workplace analysis tools provided the client with clear, actionable insights that challenged their initial assumptions. The data-driven approach allowed them to focus on enhancing office workers’ connection to the organization while recognizing the effectiveness of remote work in maintaining employee engagement. This case demonstrates how Reworc’s data-driven platform can reveal critical insights into employee behavior, driving better cultural and operational decisions in hybrid work environments.