Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Work Policies
Brainstorm Force, a product organization known for its innovative and collaborative culture, has consistently invested in building a high-performing workforce.
Case Details
Client Name: Brainstorm Force
Transformation Pillars : People
Project Duration: 9 Month
Client Website: brainstormforce.com
Background
Brainstorm Force, a product organization known for its innovative and collaborative culture, has consistently invested in building a high-performing workforce. With teams distributed across geographies and a growing Gen Z and millennial employee base, leadership recognized the need for flexible and hybrid work models to balance productivity, collaboration, and employee well-being.
Challenge
Although Brainstorm Force had an adaptive culture, the lack of formalized flexible and hybrid work policies led to:
- Inconsistent practices across teams and functions.
- Reduced clarity on expectations around in-office vs. remote work.
- Employee concerns about work-life balance and inclusivity.
- Risk of burnout due to blurred boundaries in remote working.
These gaps created friction in maintaining the balance between productivity, collaboration, and employee well-being.
Solution
Brainstorm Force partnered with Xformers to co-design a Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Work Policy framework. Leveraging the Co-Creative Consulting approach, the initiative aimed to provide clarity, flexibility, and fairness while staying aligned with the organization’s culture of trust, accountability, and innovation.
Key Steps
Discover Phase: Understanding Needs
- Conducted employee pulse surveys and focus groups to capture expectations.
- Analyzed productivity, collaboration, and engagement trends.
- Secured leadership buy-in for a formal hybrid model.
Design Phase: Crafting the Framework
- Defined clear hybrid work guidelines (remote, in-office, and blended models).
- Introduced flexible work hours, emphasizing outcomes over clock-in times.
- Built policies to ensure inclusivity for different roles and employee needs.
- Integrated well-being measures such as no-meeting Fridays and wellness days.
Co-Create Phase: Pilot & Refinement
- Tested the hybrid framework with select teams over three months.
- Gathered feedback to refine communication protocols, collaboration norms, and manager practices.
Implement Phase: Organization-wide Rollout
- Company-wide launch of hybrid and flexible work policies.
- Training for managers to lead hybrid teams effectively.
- Tools and digital platforms introduced for seamless collaboration and visibility.
Sustain Phase: Embedding the Culture
- Regular employee engagement surveys to monitor effectiveness.
- Quarterly policy refresh to reflect evolving workforce needs.
- Ongoing leadership and manager workshops to reinforce hybrid best practices.
Outcomes Delivered
The implementation of flexible and hybrid work policies created measurable impact:
- 30% increase in employee satisfaction with work-life balance.
- Improved collaboration scores by 20% in engagement surveys.
- Higher retention of key talent, especially among millennials and Gen Z.
- Enhanced productivity and focus, with employees reporting fewer burnout symptoms.
- Strengthened employer branding, positioning Brainstorm Force as a progressive, people-first organization.
Conclusion
Through its partnership with Xformers, Brainstorm Force successfully designed and implemented flexible work arrangements and hybrid policies that balanced organizational needs with employee expectations. By embedding flexibility, clarity, and inclusivity into its ways of working, Brainstorm Force reinforced its culture of trust, accountability, and innovation, ensuring sustained productivity and employee well-being.