Hybrid work is
a drastic departure from the traditional working model.
In this article, we will explore what a hybrid working model is and what benefits it offers.
Here's what we'll cover:
What is hybrid work?
Hybrid work has many variations. Some companies allow every employee the
flexibility to work onsite and remotely part of the week. Other companies
they choose to have employees who work full-time remotely or on-site. And others
allow a combination of the two models.
The value of hybrid work
A recent survey conducted with Wakefield Research shows that nearly half of the
employees (47%) would likely seek another job if their employer of
work did not adopt a flexible working model. So the employees see
clearly the value in hybrid work. But what attracts them about a hybrid working model?
Let's take a look at some of the benefits of hybrid work for employees and theirs
companies.
The 47% of employees would change jobs if hybrid forms of work were not envisaged
Work when and how you are most productive
In the traditional office model, people are on duty between 9am and 6pm each
working day. In a hybrid work model, employees have more flexibility for
get the job done when they are most productive. For example, some people work
better early in the morning while others in the evening. They can also choose to work with
your team on site or via videoconferencing from a remote location.
Better work-life balance
A recent study by Slack found that flexibility is one of the main reasons
so employees are attracted to the hybrid work model.
Finding balance is easier in a flexible work arrangement. When employees have more control over their working hours, they can free up time to deal with private matters, whether it's running an errand, picking up the kids from kindergarten, or being home for a delivery.
Reduce exposure to the disease
Some recent research shows that a majority of employees claim to
be concerned about your own health and safety when it comes to returning to the
work. Fewer people in the workplace reduces the chance that a
sick employee infects others. Businesses can also request screening
health care or vaccination tests for employees entering the workplace.
Save on real estate expenses
In a hybrid work setup, fewer people are on-site in a given
moment. For some companies, this may mean the need to review the use of their space. A certainly interesting perspective is that of
making a corporate coworking within your company so as to
maximize both the revenues of your Building and the meeting of talents or Start-ups perhaps
useful for the development of your company.
If you want to deepen the theme of corporate coworking we recommend reading this
item.
Hire talent from around the world
In a hybrid business model, your company can hire talent from around the world.
Having access to a larger talent pool means you can hire people with
specialized skills. This can give your organization an edge
competitive, help you enter new markets and ensure productivity around the clock.
How to adopt a hybrid working model
To adopt a hybrid work model, you need people, processes and the
right technology. Let's take a look at some things you should consider when
switch to a hybrid working model.
Examine the needs of your employees to find out what they need
To create a hybrid model that works for your business, speak up your strength
I work to know their needs. By involving employees, you can create a
work model that keeps your people motivated to give their all.
To do this, submit a survey to help gauge employee sentiment
about hybrid work.
Here are some questions to include:
- Have you moved away from your assigned workplace in the last year?
- How many days a week do you expect to want to work on site?
- If you had access to an office space closer to home, would you rather use it instead of going to the office?
Once you have analyzed the survey results, you will understand if the hybrid work in yours
organization can be beneficial. You should also see which work arrangements
flexible are more suitable for your employees and start customizing
your working model accordingly.
Build the infrastructure that will support flexible working
At best, hybrid work will connect remote and on-premise environments in
so that employees can work together easily. You will have to invest in
technologies that allow this, such as communication tools and
on-site videoconferencing equipment. Decide if you need new tools
or if you can leverage existing ones in new ways.
Establish company-wide communication best practices and encourage leads
of the team to set clear expectations with their employees. For example, you can
adopt an asynchronous communication style to welcome working employees
in different time zones.
Create office hours to manage workplace traffic and provide flexibility to
employees. There are several ways to approach this.
For example, you can decide that employees will work on site on certain days or weeks. Alternatively, you could allow custom scheduling where managers set their team's schedules.
Invest in corporate culture
Strengthen your corporate culture. This is even more important in a model of
hybrid work, where it is not always possible to swing by someone's desk
or have a refreshing chat. Invest in opportunities that excite yours
employees, for example by introducing playful aspects into the onboarding of your company.
Collect ongoing feedback
As you work to create an ideal hybrid workplace for your business, remember
to collect employee feedback. Make sure you provide more than one way for the
employees to share their thoughts. For example, you could send out surveys of
quarterly feedback to your employees.
The hybrid model was seen as an alternative work style.
But as more and more employees demand flexibility, it will become even more used. Companies must meet the needs of their employees or risk losing talent to employers who do.