Can the Hybrid Work Model Work for Your Office

Many organizations have adopted remote working widely as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. So far, the outcomes have been favorable: Employees now have a better work-life connection and can work as productively and efficiently as before, if not more so.

However, this unanticipated change comes with its own set of difficulties. Employers are concerned that allowing employees to work remotely reduces their ability to monitor employee behavior and complicates team management. It’s time to engage in a hybrid workplace model in which office and remote work are equally distributed. Let’s examine the advantages of a mixed work approach in more detail.

How to Implement a Hybrid Workplace Program

By combining office-based, remote, and semi-remote workers, a hybrid workplace paradigm optimizes business operations and gives all workers the freedom they need to be effective. Employees in research and development who need to use specialist office equipment can easily do their tasks in a hybrid work environment, as can those whose tasks only require an internet-connected device.

Bringing your own device (BYOD) as well as choosing your own device (CYOD), which are becoming more popular remote work trends, function well with a hybrid work style. Employees can use their own devices whether they are in the office or working remotely, which lowers IT costs.

Due to the fact that employees are more accustomed to using their own devices as opposed to company-issued ones, these regulations may also increase productivity. Employees can work from any location at any time according to the BYOD and CYOD tenets. It also raises security issues, though, which desktop virtualization programs can handle. Employees can use BYOD and CYOD to securely access workplace resources on a centralized server. We’ll cover this topic in more detail later in this article.

Hybrid Workplace Best Practices

Now that you know what exactly a hybrid work model is, let’s look at the top advantages of utilizing one.

Improved Teamwork and Working Relationships

If staff can interact via face-to-face conversations in the same location, at least occasionally, many firms will be better able to accomplish actual innovation. It may be more difficult for your business to innovate and prosper if all of your workers work remotely and can only interact digitally. While remote working solutions do enable employees to communicate with their coworkers, this communication is not as natural as it would be in an office environment. Another issue is “Zoom Fatigue,” or burnout from virtual meetings, which can impair communication and reduce collaboration when working remotely.

Additionally, while workers who work remotely can collaborate to solve problems, relationships at work may suffer due to the absence of face-to-face engagement. Real face-to-face interaction promotes deeper ties, trust, involvement, and loyalty among staff members, all of which improve collaboration and innovation.

Employees can benefit from the best of both environments by using a hybrid workplace paradigm. Collaboration is made simpler by conventional office-based operations and its face-to-face contacts. It enables staff members to interact with one another, speak during breaks, and have casual in-person discussions about relevant ideas to spur innovation. Employees have the opportunity to work remotely on projects that demand intense individual concentration while yet enjoying the advantages of collaborative, in-person connections.

More Favorable Work-Life Balance

Work-life synergy is a crucial component of any productive workplace. It assists in preventing burnouts and reduces stress, both of which can have a detrimental effect on workers’ mental health and result in physical disease including hypertension, persistent aches, and cardiac issues.

According to a study by Harvard Business Review, firms in the US spend around $125 to $190 billion annually on healthcare due to the physical and mental issues caused by burnout. When you take into account factors like higher turnover, talent loss, and decreased productivity, these expenses only go up. Work-life balance is valued by organizations because it keeps employees happier and more productive while also reducing costs. A hybrid work paradigm is ideal for attaining this balance since it gives employees the choice to work both onsite and remotely.

Your workers will be better able to combine their personal and professional obligations with a hybrid approach. Employees who work from home can plan their day so that breaks are used for important tasks like picking up children from school or visiting the doctor. They may manage their daily affairs better as a result, which can help them concentrate and pay attention better at work.

Higher Productivity

Early research revealed that remote working could increase productivity even prior to the coronavirus pandemic occurring. More than half of managers think that their teams are far more effective when they work remotely, according to a research study that was conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Three factors boost productivity: greater flexibility, sharper concentration while working, and decreased absenteeism. Employees that work remotely have more flexibility because they can do so whenever and from wherever they choose. As a result, they can easily balance their duties while spending less on themselves.

At the individual level, working remotely might reduce the distractions brought on by a bustling office environment. There are less interruptions from peers, which helps employees concentrate on jobs that call for more concentrated attention and can be a big source of lost time. Due to higher engagement, working remotely can help lower absenteeism. Instead of having to take an entire day off to avoid showing up at work and infecting others, employees can continue working even if they get sick or face other mild health difficulties.

Despite these advantages, some employees may find that working remotely isn’t the ideal choice, for example, if they don’t have a dedicated workspace or if their children have a week off from school and make it impossible to work undisturbed. At the individual level, working remotely might reduce the distractions brought on by a bustling office environment. There are less interruptions from peers, which helps employees concentrate on jobs that call for more concentrated attention and can be a big source of lost time.

Contrarily, office arrangements offer private areas that can be furnished with tools for collaboration including video conferencing capabilities, respectable audio and video capabilities, and room displays. By utilizing these technological resources while on-site, employees can increase productivity gains during workdays and save individual duties for their alone time at home.

Increased Talent Pools

An organization that uses a hybrid work model might select talented local individuals or draw from a global labor pool when it comes to recruiting. Hiring locally shows your customers and clients that you care about the neighborhood. You are unable to tap into the larger talent pool as a result, though.

Most employees have now personally experienced the advantages of remote work, such as shorter commute times and improved work-life balance. According to a recent McKinsey survey, 80% of those surveyed say they enjoy working remotely. Many people have grown accustomed to these advantages and will thus be more willing to apply to businesses in the future that provide flexible work arrangements.

This is especially true for individuals with in-demand talents, like tech professionals, whose jobs are frequently easily completed remotely. Organizations that use hybrid work models may recruit more qualified and varied personnel across many geographies than those that do not, since the combination of virtual and traditional working can be a primary factor for tapping into a wider depth and breadth of talent.

Reduced attrition rates can also result from hybrid work policies. Employees who don’t believe they have a healthy work-life balance may get demotivated and opt to leave your company. A hybrid work approach, on the other hand, is excellent for attaining better work-life balance. Employees become loyal and remain longer when they are content and delighted with the organization for which they work.

Better Employee-Employer Relations

Trust between managers and their staff members is one of the most crucial—and challenging—components of a positive, productive work environment. By demonstrating that they are just as competent and productive when working from home as they are in the office, hybrid work models enable employees to gain the respect of their employers.

By giving workers the freedom to perform their tasks on their own terms and making them feel empowered by management, the adaptability of hybrid work models can also increase staff loyalty. Employees won’t feel like they’re continuously being “watched” by managers or that any non-work-related activity is being closely examined if given the opportunity to support work with personal duties and activities that they potentially may need to conduct during working hours. 

As a result, they’re more inclined to respect the company as a whole, and management gains from not spending so much time micromanaging or continuously checking in on workers to see if they’re actually working. Employees are also more likely to remain motivated in their duties and with the organization for a longer period of time when they feel valued and trusted.

Employees will feel less constantly “watched” by management if they are given the ability to balance their work with personal commitments and various errands that they potentially may need to undertake during working hours. As a result, they’re more inclined to respect the company as a whole. Management also gains from not spending so much time micromanaging or continuously checking in on staff to see if they’re actually working.

Employees are also more likely to remain committed to their jobs and the organization for a longer period of time when they feel respected and trusted. Greater employee knowledge and skill sets, as well as fewer expenses associated with sourcing, recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training, are all advantages of lower overall turnover rates that all result in long success of your business.

Improved Employee Performance Visibility

Employee performance is essential to the overall success of the firm because it enables managers to identify areas that need improvement.Because they enable employees to easily combine in-office and remote work, hybrid work environments usually make use of collaboration platforms and integrated technology. These platforms make it simple for managers to observe employee activity on a variety of activities, which helps them obtain a better understanding of what employees are working on. When they (or other staff members) are working in an office or remotely, managers are aware of how successfully employees are meeting deadlines and milestones.

With this knowledge, managers may more effectively deal with underperforming workers and reward outstanding achievers. Employees can continue to benefit from this independence and flexibility, for instance, if they demonstrate their ability to remain productive while creating their personal hybrid schedules. This will strengthen their loyalty and trust toward your business. Those who have trouble fulfilling their duties at work might meet with their boss to discuss what obstacles are getting in the way of their performance, after which their schedules can be changed so that they invest more time at the actual office, they can be placed on a performance management plan, etc.

The Bottom Line

The correct technology must be used to give employees access to everything they need to complete their tasks, whether they are operating from a physical office or from their home one, in order to create a successful hybrid work paradigm. If you have any questions or concerns regarding how a hybrid work model can work for your office, please reach out to our team of professionals at Culver Careers today for more information.