The hybrid work model have always been there, yet most firms, workers, or people realized its existence with the the pandemic. People, being afraid of getting sick by the new coronavirus, isolated themselves in their homes. However, firms had to survive in one way or other. So, locking out the whole operations of the firm, most of the smart companies decided to try the hybrid work model, as they had no other option.
According to the research of PWC, remote work seems to be a massive success for both sides; employees and employers. 83% of managers say that the newly implemented hybrid system, which mostly consists of remote working scenarios, has been a great success for their firm. Moreover, only less than 20% of the managers surveyed said that they would prefer to go back to their offices after the pandemic. The rest of the managers, on the other hand, are trying to expand the remote working option which they believe to be the most productive option. In addition to this, 13% of these managers said that they were ready to leave their office for good. Meanwhile, the rest addressed the importance of a physical office, as it is meant to be the core place for members of the same company, where they build and sustain their relationships.
Besides the positive comments from the managers themselves, let’s discuss and talk about other important topics related to the newly implemented hybrid work model, including what it is, how to make it work, and the differences between the hybrid and the remote working model. Let’s dive in!
What exactly is a hybrid workplace model?
It is a workplace model, and it is designed to balance the number of employees working at the office and remotely at their homes. The main advantage of the hybrid workplace, also known as the hybrid office, is flexibility.
Besides the flexibility, hybrid workplace models also enables workers to work wherever they want to. Some workers might want to work in an office, as it seems to motivate them. Some workers prefer a more flexible location, such as a city library, in a coffee shop, or they might prefer to do the work at their homes.
With the emergence of the pandemic, hybrid working models have become very popular. These days, the hybrid workplace model has some differences compared to the older versions of the model. The new system provides greater flexibility. Managers, supervisors, or the staff themselves can schedule their own workplace as they wish.
In the older version of the hybrid system, there was a balance between the office days and remote work days. Moreover, mostly office days were outnumbering the remote work days. In contrast to the older version, at today’s hybrid work model, the balance has shifted in favor of the remote work in most cases. The rise of the pandemic also has a massive role in this trend changing shift, as it was safer for people, especially those who are older than 50, to work at their homes.
How can we make the hybrid work model a success?
As firms implement the hybrid work model, smarter firms try to find the key to success for the optimum hybrid work system. And they have found some clues.
Implementing a Custom Hybrid Work Model
We all know that hybrid work comes with many benefits, such as flexibility which enables workers to set their own schedule based on their availability, and they are also available to choose where they work. All these eventually have lead to a more productive way of working and also happy employees with a better work-life balance. Yet, there is a big “but” at the end of that sentence. But, smart firms shall not just take a regular hybrid work model and implement it into their operations. So as to execute their daily, weekly, or monthly operations efficiently, a firm must approach the topic of the hybrid working model with a more inner perspective.
The general implementations of the hybrid work model may not be implemented in most firms as they have different traditions, working methods, and inner dynamics. So, smart businesses implement a very customized version of the hybrid work model. First, they analyze the unique traditions of their company, such as how things are conducted in this firm in contrast with the others or how they sustain the means of communication between the departments. Then, they combine these unique attributes with the general applications of the hybrid work model to have a hybrid work model that fits them.
Creating New Fully Remote Jobs
When operating in hybrid working teams, you will end up having three different workforces: work on-site, remote workers, and teams who work both remotely and in the office. When you decide to move on into a hybrid work model, you need to customize it according to your firm’s unique dynamics. So, one of the customization issues is that you need to decide the percentage distribution of these three groups.
Fully remote workers save the firm from many additional costs such as the rent and all the inventory costs such as pen, paper, and coffee needs. These are all reduced when they are operating remotely. Besides all these advantages, academic studies claim that employees are actually more productive when they are working from their homes.
Being Aware of the Potential Drawbacks and Take Measures
The hybrid work model also has its own drawbacks. Otherwise, it would’ve been too good to be true. There might be inefficient communication between the management and the remote workers compared to the in-office workers. Such alignment issues may eventually cause a snowball effect. The information gap between the in-office and remote workers could become so large that it will create inconsistency between the departments, which will potentially lead to serious problems.
How can I manage the new hybrid work environment?
· Make sure that the remote workers are aligned with rest of the team. A hybrid workplace is something new, and it will adapt in time. An issue you might want to be aware of is that some employees may be left behind. So, build a strong communication system and means so that the employees wouldn’t fall behind, or when they do, they would know where to go to learn what they are missing out.
· Address the shared objectives, boost team spirit. When people do not get to see each other, they don’t feel that connected. So, smart managers do address the importance of shared goals by holding team meetings and shared awards systems so people working remotely feel united.
· Utilize a solid information system throughout the firm. Having a central information system is vital for the sake of the hybrid work system as one of the system’s main drawbacks is the inability to keep track of the shared information. Firms need to have consistent communication means between employees and employers, and between the different departments in order to maintain operations smoothly.
Are hybrid workplace models the future of the working environment?
Hybrid work models seem to be the future of the work. According to studies, most of the workforce require their firm to provide a hybrid workplace option as they want to work remotely, which provides flexibility and productivity. And most employees believe that work-life balance is a vital issue and hybrid work models are the key to keep this balance.
Which companies have adopted a hybrid model for working?
Google was the first company to introduce the hybrid model system, and many companies have followed. The most well-known firms that have adapted hybrid models are as follows:
- Amazon
- American Express
- Atlassian
- Coinbase
- Microsoft
- Infosys
- Apple
- Adobe
- Spotify
- Ford
- CitiGroup
- Adobe
- Uber
- Cisco
- Grammarly
- Intel
- Target
- BP
What are the differences between remote working and hybrid working?
Would you prefer to work remotely or in a hybrid model in 2021?
Originally posted on November 21, 2021 @ 8:39 pm
