“Innovation-related performance indicators are influenced by the hybrid way of working, globally. There are studies that show that, to innovate, a certain working atmosphere is needed, a certain environment for brainstorming, for this collocation of specialists in various areas of activity who can collaborate much better if they are actually together in the same space.

We do not have clear data at the moment to show us how much this part of innovation has been influenced, but there are studies that say that innovation KPIs increase if people work together in the same space,” Ruxandra Lupsa, Eastern Europe HR Director, NXP Semiconductors said at Workplace of the Future conference organized by The Diplomat-Bucharest.

Key statements:

• The office represents an overwhelming part of each employee’s existence and I think we have lost a little of the personal life – office life balance because there are many activities and many benefits that we offer to employees to determine them to return to the office and I have the impression that we make them stay in the office even after they finish work. I am referring to personal development activities and entertainment that we organize in the office. We need to find a balance.
• We need to be very understanding and patient with people to fully return to the office. There is the concept of “bring your whole self to work”. We don’t want employees to feel like this is a burden or something scary.
• Employees have formed some routines that they didn’t have before the pandemic and now we are asking them to change some of their routines to return to the office. It takes tact, understanding, and patience.
• All levels of management need to understand how the people who report to them, the people who work, are feeling. We are trying to talk to all managers and help them understand correctly what people are feeling and why there is this resistance to returning to the office even in the 3 by 2 version, the working model that we have.
• To guarantee the security of the system, within our digital working environment, globally, we are not allowed to use ChatGPT on work phones and computers. We use Copilot from Microsoft, after many tests done by the cybersecurity team and checks done by people in the legal department, etc.