Hybrid work is
a drastic departure from the traditional working model.
In this article, we'll explore what a hybrid work 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 on-site 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 almost 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 their
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
workday. In a hybrid work model, employees have more flexibility to
do the work 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 with a flexible work arrangement. When employees have more control over their work schedules, they can free up time for personal matters, whether it's running an errand, picking up the kids from daycare, or being home for a delivery.
Reduce exposure to 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 could mean the need to reconsider the use of their spaces. One interesting perspective is certainly that of
making a corporate coworking within your own 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 work model, your company can hire talent from around the world.
Having access to a larger talent pool means being able to hire people with
specialized skills. This can give your organization an edge.
competitive, help you enter new markets and ensure round-the-clock productivity.
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, send out a survey to help gauge employee sentiment.
about hybrid work.
Here are some questions to include:
- Have you been away from your assigned work location 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 prefer to use it instead of commuting to the office?
Once you have analyzed the survey results, you will understand if the hybrid work in yours
organization can be advantageous. You should also consider what working arrangements
flexible are more suitable for your employees and start customizing
your working model accordingly.
Build the infrastructure that will support flexible working
In the best-case scenario, hybrid working will connect remote and on-site environments in
so that employees can work together easily. You will need 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 your employees.
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 company culture. This is even more important in a
hybrid work, where it's not always possible to swing by someone's desk
or have a refreshing chat. Invest in opportunities that excite your
employees, for example by introducing playful aspects into your company's onboarding process.
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
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 widespread. Companies must accommodate their employees' needs or risk losing talent to employers who do.