Manage Your Workday Your Way: Elanor on Hybrid Working
For Elanor, hybrid working is more than in-office versus at home.
It’s seven thirty on a Monday. While most people are still sound asleep, Elanor is feeling the buzz of her morning run. Instead of wasting time stuck in traffic, she builds some activity and movement into her morning routine. “Getting my morning exercise gives me a boost and helps me focus. It’s one of the big perks of hybrid working.”
As a Compliance Operating Officer at Rabobank, Elanor is responsible for reviewing compliance, safeguarding privacy and organizing reports. Precision and flexibility are essential to her role. “The queries we receive are often complex and urgent, so you need to be on your game. You’ve got to ride your energy waves to deliver the best version of yourself and your work. If you work better in the morning, use that to your advantage. If you find you concentrate better in the evening, plan your day around that.”
Nurturing Online and Offline Connections
Every two weeks, Elanor’s team meets at the office to discuss, deep-dive and spend some quality time together. They stay in contact at other times, too, such as during online meetups over coffee. “Most people think working from home means you barely see or speak with your coworkers, but that’s not the case at all. Instead, you choose to meet when it has real value. And as I’m not commuting, I often have two more hours of usable time each day.”
Most people think working from home means you barely see or speak with your coworkers, but that’s not the case at all."
Work Wherever
For Elanor, hybrid working is more than in-office versus at home. She occasionally works from a quiet spot in her local community, as long as she can find a secure connection that keeps confidential data safe. “If I’m not too busy, I might finish off the last hours of the day outdoors, soaking up the rays at the beach in Scheveningen, for example. Being outdoors gives me energy and helps me keep a clear head.”
Working Over the Border
Elanor’s role sometimes takes her abroad for limited periods of time. When it does, she follows Rabobank’s Rabo@Anywhere principle: Stays abroad must be no more than 30 days a year, must be approved by your manager, and must be appropriate to your role. “You should always consult your team and consider things like laws, privacy and data security. Being able to log in from Spain or Portugal for a bit would be fantastic. I’m a firm believer that you work to live, not live to work!”
Freedom Doesn’t Mean Free Rein
The freedom of hybrid working is based on trust. “My manager’s more concerned with my performance and results than where I get the job done. Freedom is responsibility, after all. You need to show you can handle it.
“Some work, like dealing with complex requests or intense consultations, can only be done in person. But when things aren’t as rigid, there’s scope for flexibility. Delivering good work and being a good coworker naturally strengthens trust, giving you the freedom to work flexibly. And I think our team is better for it.”
Practicing Health and Sustainability
Work hard, play hard—but remember to look after yourself, is Elanor’s advice. “One aspect of hybrid working that many people overlook is health. Rabobank knows it’s not good for us to sit behind our laptop the whole day, which is why we’re given plenty of tips and tricks to break the cycle. We call them our ‘Rabo rituals,’ and they could be anything from stretches, chair yoga and breathing exercises to a walk around the block. It’s about taking a moment out, just for yourself. Because if you feel good, you’re happier at work—it’s that simple. Hybrid working supports that.”
