Singapore workers feel disconnected in hybrid workplace

Hybrid workplaces may offer more flexibility, but Singapore employees highlight a need for everyone to have equal opportunities to contribute during hybrid meetings. These interactions also have spawned habits such as replying email and using social media while others are speaking. 

Some 54% of white-collar workers in the country said they had fewer opportunities to build rapport with participants who were in the office when they joined meetings remotely. Another 38% felt less included compared to in-person participants, according to a survey conducted by Logitech, which polled 1,067 respondents in Singapore. 

Some 59% agreed that hybrid meetings would be more productive if all participants had equal dips to contribute and speak, the study revealed. Furthermore, 56% said in-office participants were more engaged during hybrid meetings than their peers who were dialling in remotely.  

Hybrid work environments, though, had provided opportunities for multi-tasking, with 68% of remote participants admitting to replying email and 51% using social media while others were speaking. Another 46% would browse the web while others spoke. 

Interestingly, 10% confessed to faking a technical issue to skip out of meetings early.

Legitimate technical cases, however, proved the key challenge Singapore workers faced, with 56% citing connectivity issues as a main disruptor of hybrid meetings. Another 53% pointed to poor audio quality, while 43% cited the need to repeat sentences when other participants were unable to hear clearly. 

Despite the challenges, 63% of respondents said they preferred hybrid work arrangements, while 25% would opt for fully remote work practices and 9% wanted everyone to be back in the office. 

“Hybrid work will continue to be the norm as both employers and employees alike see the benefits of flexible working arrangements,” said Bryan Lee, Logitech’s Southeast Asia head of video collaboration. “The increased frequency of hybrid meetings will come with a host of new challenges for organisations, creating a strong impetus for business leaders to get hybrid meetings right.”

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