"Future of Work"
The way we teach, learn and work at ETH Zurich is changing. Those changes are being driven primarily by our experience during and immediately after the coronavirus pandemic.
In the “Future of Work” project, ETH is developing and substantiating its position on how it wants to shape (collaborative) work and the path to new forms of work in the future.
Various points may be handled in a new or different way. The following holds true until further notice:
To consolidate the future approach, ETH has involved various stakeholders and collected and compiled their feedback, needs and experiences.
Results of the 2022 survey
From 12 to 22 November 2022, ETH employees were able to share their attitudes on the topic of flexible working and new forms of work in an anonymous survey. ETH Zurich commissioned the FHNW School of Applied Psychology to conduct and evaluate the survey.
? The most important findings at a glance: Internal news article from 19 June 2023.
? protected pageFull presentation of the survey findings (results, overview diagrams as well as further explanations)
Work on the “Future of Work” concept is not over even now that the survey results have been made available. The next step is to analyse the results in more detail to define measures and recommendations that will then be presented to and discussed with the Executive Board.
Open dialogue remains important
ETH Zurich recommends that supervisors discuss the lessons learned within their team. It is important to get to know people’s different expectations and options and to find a form of work that best suits the team’s wishes and tasks. These can vary widely and depend on the nature of the activities, phases and tasks, individual preferences, and the structure of the team.
Flexible forms of work offer great opportunities. At the same time, they require openness and resourcefulness to find good solutions for individuals and the team. Trust, empowerment and responsibility pave the way for granting and using the corresponding freedoms. Values for which ETH Zurich stands.
Workshop template for supervisors and their teams
After the coronavirus pandemic, supervisors had access to a protected pagetemplate for a “Welcome back” workshop (see recording of the town hall meeting below) provided by the Vice-Presidency for Personnel Development and Leadership
This workshop is also recommended for newly formed groups.
Review: Phases for consolidating the new approach
The deliberate perpetuation of new forms of work and collaboration at ETH was divided into two phases starting in March 2022. The first stage has concluded.
Phase 1: “Return to the Office”
In the first phase, the existing conditions were identified and consideration given to questions about the new way of (collaborative) work in teams and research groups. The aim was to find out together (2022 survey of all ETH employees) how we can work in a modern working environment in a motivated and concentrated way and what works in the different teams.
“Return to the Office” created a collaboratively designed work environment that addressed diverse needs. Supervisors and their teams worked together to develop and test a new understanding of collaboration. The goal was to implement what was learned and lived through during the coronavirus pandemic and – where the function allowed – to enable a good mix of on-site work, work from home and mobile work.
The post-?pandemic workplace at ETH Zurich
After two years of pandemic-??related absence, most ETH employees have now returned to their workplaces at the university. During this “Return to the office”-?phase, employees are trying out how flexible working can be put into practice. A new video series sheds light on the process.
Flexible working during the “Return to the office” phase
For around half a year now, most ETH employees have once again been working on site – albeit a bit differently than before the pandemic. A new video featuring the ETH transfer team shows how they are getting to grips with flexible working, working from home and virtual meetings.
In the town hall meeting "Return to the Office & Future of Work" you got an insight into the next phases of how ETH Zurich intends to deal with current and future modes of working and collaborating. What are the key questions surrounding the transition back to the office and the future of work at ETH? What parameters and guidelines are in place? How can teams and supervisors establish new ways of working and collaborating post-?pandemic? These issues and more were covered in the meeting.
Contact
Vice-?Presidency for Personnel Development and Leadership
Binzmühlestrasse 130
8092
Zurich
Switzerland