Like many other companies around the world, LEGO Group has embraced flexible work and gone hybrid, allowing employees to work some
days from home and some from the office. But unlike the thousands of other organizations that threw together hybrid policies in the
hopes that they would catch on successfully, LEGO’’s personalized, employee-centric approach has set them apart.
For starters, LEGO is a huge company, with over 24,000 employees around the globe. Its main campus, which we will be discussing in
further detail, is located in Billund, Denmark, the home of LEGO. Second, a company this large and diverse has to cater to the needs
of many different employees with different day-to-day responsibilities and varying personalities.
LEGO made this diversity of needs central to its hybrid work policy lending to to its great success. So what contributed to LEGO’s
flexible workplace and why does it stand out from other corporate giants like Google and Apple?
LEGO’s “Best of Both” Approach
Like many other companies, LEGO found that remote work brought about many benefits, like better work-life balance. Working parents found it much
easier to balance caretaking and their jobs. Other employees felt at ease knowing that they were fulfilling their family obligations. Therefore,
leaders knew they had to find a way to provide the “Best of Both” worlds– remote and in-office work. The answer was a structured, well-thought-out
hybrid policy, implemented in 2021. This approach requires most employees to be in the office 3 days a week. Depending on the role, such as those
who must be on the ground working in factories and in corporate, some employees come in more often. The goal of this model is to provide “individual
flexibility without compromising team collaboration or efficiency,” as explained by LEGO Group.
The employee-centric approach might seem like the obvious choice. Workplaces should be centered around their employees. However, in practice, that is
not always the case. Focus can fall on other aspects of the work environment, like boosting productivity and saving costs. While these are important,
employee well-being should be the main priority. This is precisely what LEGO does, and it has proved incredibly successful. Placing an emphasis on
employee wellbeing, LEGO aimed to build trust by providing autonomy. By allowing greater flexibility, they proved that they trusted their employees
to do their jobs no matter where they were working from. This also empowers the workforce to take their success into their own hands, allowing them
to develop a schedule and pick work locations that suit them best.
On the one hand, a big reason LEGO went for the “Best of Both” approach was to fuel connection, as they found employees were happier when making personal
bonds, helping to reduce the loneliness that was a byproduct of working from home. On the other hand, employees needed the time to spend with their families,
as this also resulted in greater happiness and work-life balance.
Bolstering Diversity and Inclusion
A hybrid approach provides an opportunity for employees who wouldn't have otherwise had a chance to work. Some employees have a disability that prevents
them from getting to the office. Or, as described by a LEGO employee living in a traffic-heavy city like Istanbul, she can work productively without worrying
about getting to the office daily. Additionally, this approach gives more opportunities to women and parents who are responsible for childcare while also working
a full-time position.
As exemplified by LEGO, for the hybrid model to actually work, you need to create an office, environment, and culture that employees want to be in. The first
key is creating offices and work models that serve the needs of individual employees. Not all jobs are created equal, and your office needs to reflect that.
The second key is prioritizing employee well-being as much as productivity. This truly sets LEGO apart from other large companies that have attempted to
implement a hybrid model. It has given employees the flexibility and autonomy to be creative and productive.
VENKY