As businesses navigate their way through the unprecedented aftermath of COVID-19, the global dialogue regarding best work models continues, and many eyes are turning to the concept of “Hybrid Work.”
What stands behind this often mentioned yet sometimes ambiguous idea?
Why are so many employees choosing it as their preferred work model? Could introducing it into your business structure bring benefits?
What is the Hybrid model?
The hybrid work model has been widely considered the middle ground of work models, combining advantages and tackling the challenges of both in-office and remote options.
The solution combines varying ratios of on-site and remote presence, while its fluid structure allows for plenty of adjustments to answer each business’s particular needs.
The result? A made-to-measure work model, providing what many look for in their job: flexibility in the when, where, and how of daily work.
What are the benefits?
Though it’s no new invention, the Hybrid work model and its many benefits have recently caught the attention of many – especially after numerous months of lockdown, which forced companies to abandon their buildings and set up offices in the privacy of their homes.
Some of the big names we find among the Hybrid-opting businesses are Google, Spotify, Facebook, Shopify, Uber, Microsoft, Apple, Reddit, Revolute, Zoom, eBay, Twitter, and Citibank.
Results of a survey done by Slack show that 72% of the 3,000 knowledge workers would prefer a mix of remote and office work. In other words, we can describe it as a Hybrid work model. Similarly, an Accenture Future of Work Study carried out this year gathered the opinions of over 9,000 workers across the world. We find that 63% of high-growth organizations have enabled “productivity-anywhere” workforce models, and 83% of surveyed employees desire the flexibility offered by Hybrid work.
The biggest benefits of the Hybrid Work Model include:
-Flexibility: the option of working in and out of the office allows employees to develop a better work-life balance. With some staff members preferring to work from the silence of their own home, others thrive in the office environment. Hybrid work allows for both.
-Lowered costs: commute and work-related expenses can become significantly reduced thanks to remote work
-Adoption of technology: the hybrid model optimizes communication and collaboration within teams and management structures both online and offline
-Prevents burnout: working remotely became a lonely and burdensome experience for many. Ensuring in-person contact with your community is an effective way to prevent burnout and combat the feeling of disconnection within your business
-More environmentally mindful: Decreasing the amount of weekly work-home commute isn’t only beneficial for your wallet – it significantly lowers Carbon Dioxide emissions, thus reducing your and your company’s Carbon footprint
At ShareSpace, we believe that the right office space is an investment rather than a cost. It helps secure the best talent and enables companies to thrive by providing them with the right environment. An office is not just a desk-chair set up, as those basic elements can be found anywhere – our kitchen and living room lockdown office setup confirms that thought.
Your workspace should provide an environment that allows for different modes of work, from collaboration hubs, deep focus areas, open plan coworking spaces, community spaces to large conference rooms.
These solutions improve productivity and workflow, promoting connection and simultaneously ensuring flexibility in the length of leases and the amount of space you choose to lease. Head over to our ShareSpace search engine and see for yourself how easy and intuitive it is to find an office that will answer your needs and help your business transition into a hybrid structure.
What type of hybrid model will work for you?
Different types of Hybrid work models will suit particular teams and departments due to the varying nature of their daily functioning. Here is a breakdown of the most common variants:
Office focused – This mode puts emphasis on employees’ in-office presence. It is most beneficial to teams that depend on collaboration or resources that are strictly available within the company premises. Remaining mostly on-site especially promotes teamwork, and strong employee bonding, while offering a number of remote workdays provides an advantage of flexibility. For optimal workflow dynamic, it is useful to use a system where these remote workdays can be requested in advance and worked around the core days of the team’s project work.
Remote-focused – Opting for a remote-focused model enables employees to remain mobile and independent in their working location. A big requirement that must be met on the employer’s end is to make sure their team is well-equipped with all the necessary technological tools and adequate resources, so that the work can be done securely. Though in-office days are usually also available, this approach is best suited for positions that do not require ongoing “touch-base” with the rest of the team but are more focused on carrying out individual tasks. Employees that aren’t based locally and must commute long distances to work also value this option, as savings in cost and time of commute are a big benefit. It’s important to keep in mind that a lot of attention must be given to maintain a connection within your team. Little face-to-face contact and heavy reliance on digital means of communication can potentially lead to a fall in employees’ sense of belonging and connection with the company’s community.
Split week model – This arrangement functions around dividing the work week into a 2:3 ratio of home:work or work:home. This can be adjusted to employees’ preferences or preset to a timetable that is fixed for the whole department. It is a very effective option for ensuring a regular and systemized communication flow for the department teams as they share in-office days that encourage collaboration but balance it with time spent working from home, valuable for deep-focused work on assigned tasks.
Weekly model – The weekly model establishes a routine where employees alternate between working from home and from the office, switching between the two on a weekly basis. Providing employees with much autonomy increases their job satisfaction. Another great benefit is that it brings a lot of agility to the companies’ effectiveness in switching between work locations, which is a great advantage in the face of unforeseen circumstances- employees can quickly adapt to changes.
“At will” model – An option that asks the employee to come up with a personal work arrangement that best suits their preferences.
Whether these employees are looking for a meeting room to see a client or a quiet space to work, their work office is always available to them but is not the required location. This model often goes in hand with offices that have an open floor plan, allowing individuals to work from hot desks or coworking areas without the need to provide an assigned desk for each employee.
How to go Hybrid?
The initial stage of introducing the Hybrid model to your company involves a great deal of preparation and gaining insight into the complexities of your particular business needs, circumstances and listening to the employee’s expectations.
-A Hybrid plan that’s made-to-measure
There is no “one-fit-all” Hybrid model, so look into the structure, values, and needs of your company. As you consider these factors, they will create a structure to work around.
The most important factors to consider:
Does your team have adequate technological tools to allow them to switch between work locations?
Is your employee’s remote work network set up securely to support the nature of their job?
Are your current communication tools optimizing or slowing down your meetings?
– Provide the right space
Depending on what version of the work model you settle on, you should review your office setup. Consider opting for a hub and spoke model if you identify groups of employees clustered in a particular part of the city.
Serviced offices are another option to consider. These managed office spaces can bring you great cost optimization. By introducing an alternating work system to your company, you may be able to reduce the amount of office space used on a daily basis or re-think the way that space is used, optimizing it into various features like focus or coworking areas.
-Create a transparent and accessible office schedule
With the continual movement of employees working in and out of the office, it’s essential to provide your team with a clear and accessible office calendar that can keep the community “on the same page” regarding big projects, deadlines, and meetings.
-Listen and communicate
Listening is fundamental for creating a healthy work culture. With the team split between remote and in-office work within the hybrid model, we cannot always fully rely on cues such as body language and in-person communication to check in with our staff. It is now more important than ever to establish an open dialogue and create a space for raising issues and giving feedback.
Imposing a new work system without clear direction or vision can be confusing or intimidating for staff. Honestly and patiently explain why you feel these new changes will be beneficial for your company and employees, and how as a company, you plan to overcome any challenges connected with this transition.
Here are some points to keep in mind:
-How will the Hybrid model change the day-to-day work experience
-Are there certain meetings and events for which you expect all staff to be present?
-How can employees request remote days?
-What communication channels should be used for meetings and conference calls?
-Be supportive and patient
The last months of pandemic-related changes and struggles made some employees more flexible to further changes. For others, it’s made them more resistant to significant interference in their daily work. It’s important to keep in mind everyone’s experience was very individual. Supporting your staff and watching out for any signs of discouragement or burnout is a top priority.
It is important to maintain an open dialogue with your team as introducing Hybrid model solutions into your business can take time. Ask for feedback, and continually review your progress.
We want to help you find a cost-effective solution that will create a collaborative atmosphere and increase productivity within your business. ShareSpace is the world’s first marketplace & transaction management SaaS (Software as a Service) for commercial office space leasing, which matches businesses with traditional and flexible workplace providers. It uses a search engine with real-time office availability and pricing and offers a secure, customized digital signature solution based on blockchain technology.
If you are looking for a new space in a prime location, check out our powerful search tool.
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