| | SEPTEMBER - 2022MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM9the comments sections in our surveys, two different explanations were emerging.The first was related to the quality of working facilities at home. Many spoke of home working parents' struggle to balance childcare and work, but as it turned out, the singles are also facing challenges. A poorly equipped home office is not likely to improve anyone's sense of well-being, particularly if this contrasts significantly with what's on offer in the regular workplace. A 25-year old employee at the outset of her career, working alone from a cramped flat is less likely to appreciate the opportunity to escape the commute. As the below-30s get older, they typically move on to enjoy a different lifestyle and part of the problem is resolved.The other explanation is to do with a sense of social isolation at work. Younger employees have spent less time together with their colleagues, and as a result their social network within the company will be more limited. This problem is not only felt by those below 30, but also by many with only a short tenure with the company. Particularly hard hit are those hired during the pandemic, since all the normal onboarding and socialization into the community of colleagues and corporate lingo is happening online. As one new colleague explained: "I feel lonely even though I participate in lots of meetings." In these cases, the issue was not the physical discomfort of an unsuited working environment, but the limited opportunity to be involved in social interaction with colleagues. When we looked at these two explanations in parallel, we realized that many of our younger employees were facing a dual risk of isolation both at home and at work. Based on the feedback we received, we identified two immediate responses. The first was to involve experienced colleagues in introducing new employees to the corporate speak. This can be particularly hard to pick up in an online setting, in the same way that it is harder to learn a language online, without the chance to interact with native speakers. The second was to encourage leaders to actively help new employees gain a voice in online meetings. The threshold for speaking up online is higher than before because everyone now needs to be silent when someone else speaks. This is likely to increase the fear of saying something wrong or irrelevant, and those without a network find it harder to unmute. Taking time to introduce the new employees and actively making space for them will foster confidence and help alleviate this problem.Although the current situation with mandatory working from home is temporary, we believe that the learnings we are gaining now will help us turn Telenor into a better company after the pandemic. We don't know exactly what post-pandemic working life will be about, but we know that employees will spend more time away from the office and that we need to be especially attentive to the needs our younger employees. The demand for that flexibility is likely to become a significant differentiator, for talent attraction as well as retentionSharon Harvey Davis
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