Episode 78: Are Hybrid Workers Lonelier Than We Realize?
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Description
As we move to new models of work we have sometimes wondered whether remote workers are too isolated but are hybrid workers also isolated – and maybe even lonely? And if that is true, as some evidence suggests, what should organizations be doing to help workers with that isolation? On this episode Linda Nazareth is joined by Dr. Caroline Knight, Research Fellow at the Future of Work Institute at Curtin University in Australia, who has done research into the loneliness of hybrid workers. They talk about the issues around isolation, and why organizations should be cognizant of managing and supporting workers who are off-site but still part of the organization. Guest: Caroline received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from Durham University, UK, in 2003. After graduating, she worked full time as an Assistant Psychologist in a Medium Secure Unit in Yorkshire, UK, for adults with mental health issues, learning disabilities, challenging behaviour and a forensic background. Her love of academic work and research drove her back to university and she completed her Masters in Research Methods in Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, in 2011, followed by a PhD at the Institute of Work Psychology, Sheffield Management School, UK, in 2016. Caroline is a member of the Academy of Management (AOM), Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), European Association of Work and Organisational Psychology (EAWOP), and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). Caroline’s PhD research focused on the role and effectiveness of interventions to increase work engagement in organisations, however, other projects included investigating depression in the workplace and the motivations of sports volunteers. Caroline has engaged widely with organisations, including the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, and Sheffield City Council, with whom she worked for a period of months as a researcher and consultant on a project to increase employee engagement. In her current role, Caroline is working with colleagues to set up a large longitudinal survey, Working Across the Lifespan (WALS). This survey aims to look at how work design changes across the adult life, what causes these changes, and the impact of work on importantoutcomes such as health and wellbeing, and cognition and memory. Besides this, Caroline is also investigating the role of work design interventions on performance. Links: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-loneliness-of-the-hybrid-worker/
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