The future is hybrid: Coca-Cola India's Sanket Ray says office will never go back 100% to what it was

MUMBAI: The pandemic has forced people to contemplate on their work-life balance and be more aware about mental health and wellness, which is going to drive the trend of hybrid workplace, Coca-Cola's President for India and Southwest Asia, Sanket Ray said on Thursday. "What we are seeing is that over the last two years many of the employees are reflecting and looking back at life and work...and they're making different choices.

"The radical changes... maybe somebody is saying that I will move closer to my parents...(or) move closer to small cities. People are asking for choice... when I say hybrid, it can be in the ratio of 70:30, it can be 90:10, it can be 10:90, but it will evolve," Ray said.

He was speaking at the virtual CII Western Region HR Conclave 2021.


Pointing out that the future is uncertain with the possibility of a third wave of the pandemic, Ray said companies need to focus on performance and profitability.

"We need productive leaders to find solutions so that we are able to balance it out. But we need to also look at what are the challenges we can face," he said, adding there could be issues around talent management.

"Things will never go back to 100 per cent of the earlier system...it will be a balance, depending on the job," he said.

"And that's the way forward, and we all as business leaders need the support of HR leaders to help us to find solutions and design processes," Ray added.