de How often do you see your coworkers? Probably every day. But what about face-to-face interactions?
According to a recent Deloitte statistic, 44% of employees interact with their teams every day by commuting from the office. The rest work remotely at least part of the time. To be more specific, 22% of employees work from home entirely and only interact with coworkers online. Another 34% practice a hybrid approach: working from both home and the office.
The hybrid approach is becoming the new norm. Morning Consult found that hybrid became the preferred option for the first time this year. Most attribute this to the fact that they have more flexibility to tailor their lives to their needs, rather than being locked into a strict work schedule.
For companies, there are several benefits to switching to a hybrid model: competing with other employers for the best talent in a hot labor market. The benefits of remote and telecommuting at a lower cost. Less office space — less office rent and maintenance costs.
Implementing a hybrid work model also opens the door to advanced space management techniques. By leveraging tools like desk booking systems, companies can ensure that office spaces are used efficiently. These systems allow employees to reserve desks and meeting rooms in advance, optimizing the use of physical space and reducing conflicts over resources. This not only enhances productivity but also contributes to a more organized and harmonious work environment.
In this article, let's talk about the pros and cons of a hybrid work environment and how to implement a hybrid model in the workplace. We'll explore strategies to make the transition smoother and tools to support a successful hybrid work setup, ensuring that both employees and employers reap the benefits of this flexible approach.
What Do Hybrid Workplaces Look Like
Hybrid workplaces combine working in the office with working from home. The approach to commute times can be different: when employees follow the work schedule set by the employer and when teams choose their own days to go to the office.
When employees work according to the employer's schedule, it is easier to organize the workspace — colleagues have certainty in their actions. Therefore, this variant of flexible schedule organization is more common.
When employees can choose convenient days to visit, it helps them to stay more flexible. However, then it is more difficult for the employer to understand where colleagues will work tomorrow.
The Pros and Cons of Hybrid Work Model
Hybrid workplaces have gained momentum, with more companies offering a hybrid workplace model to their teams and more employees opting for the model. Before you also switch to hybrid work, you need to develop a deep understanding of what it has to offer, as well as the bottlenecks you are likely to face.
Here are the benefits companies that go for hybrid work reap↓
Benefit #1: Enhanced Team Performance
Deloitte's external labor market survey of 1,000 U.S. professionals examines the benefits of flexible work arrangements and offers recommendations for managers to align work processes with employee expectations.
The results of the study show that 94% of respondents find flexible work schedules beneficial. Among the top benefits are lower stress levels, better mental health and better work-life integration. And hybrid workplaces also allowed for a favorable work environment, which means increased employee motivation, engagement, and productivity.
This is exactly what a hybrid work environment offers: the ability to switch between office, home, co-working space and choose the right work schedule.
Benefit #2: Reduced Costs
Hybrid workspaces are more affordable compared to a traditional in-office work model. 2023 CEO survey proves the fact: 9 out of 10 CEOs admit cost savings to be the primary effect of going hybrid. Cost savings included lower costs of shared office space, in-office amenities, and overall reduced office space.
This is possible as you do not need to accommodate all your personnel at a time. Instead, you need to provide comfortable hybrid working conditions for 50−60% of your team if you choose the three-days-in-office/two-days-remote model. It means an optimized budget for building a hybrid office, as well as its management.
Benefit #3: Competitive HR Offer
While the majority enjoyed working from home in 2020, almost a year later, it became evident that fully remote work deprives employees of meaningful connections. A lot of people complained about the lack of in-person communication and the feeling of loneliness. Yet, they still didn’t want to get back to work in the office forever.
By introducing a hybrid model in the workplace, businesses allow employees to enjoy the benefits of both models: flexibility and a sense of belonging. Additionally, implementing tools such as desk booking systems can further enhance this experience by allowing employees to reserve their workspaces in advance. This not only ensures that they have a designated place to work when they come into the office but also helps in maintaining a well-organized and efficient office environment.
Surveys show that flexible working conditions improve employee satisfaction. A minimum of 80% of hybrid workers claim to have enhanced relationships with their families and colleagues compared to when they worked fully in the office. What is more, they value the fact that there is no need to commute to the office and spend extra money on gas or lunch.
Furthermore, using hybrid work software can streamline the transition to a hybrid model by providing tools for efficient communication, collaboration, and task management. This allows employees to seamlessly switch between remote and in-office work without losing productivity.
This allows businesses to make a more competitive offer to potential candidates and give more reasons to stay for the existing ones. As a result, hybrid work facilitates recruitment and talent retention, which, again, leads to reduced HR costs. In conclusion, the hybrid model not only enhances the workplace experience but also supports the overall growth and sustainability of the business.
But the hybrid model has pitfalls to watch out for↓
Drawback #1: Siloed Communication and Self-Management
You still need to closely monitor communication across teams, as well as hybrid workers’ productivity and well-being. According to Deloitte, those who work partially from home and partially from an office claim that they feel disconnected from on-site colleagues. That’s why they see their communication as ineffective.
Moreover, hybrid employees admit to being distracted from non-working activities and experiencing difficulty managing their work (including access to work files, prioritizing their well-being, etc.). This may lead to increased levels of stress and burnout.
Drawback #2: Inefficient Employee Management
Employers must determine the level of flexibility that will allow hybrid employees to balance office and remote work without sacrificing in-person collaboration and office utilization. On the one hand, you can let your employees choose when and for how long to visit the office to maximize flexibility for the sake of efficiency.
On the other hand, this is quite risky as you could lose control. That's why many require that certain days in the office are adhered to.
Though of course this problem is solvable as well. For example, you can implement schedule planning and scheduling. This way, it will be easier for managers and employees to synchronize.
How to Implement Hybrid Work
Businesses are finding it difficult to implement changes (even potentially beneficial ones) in the workplace. According to Gartner, employees are reluctant to support corporate change, with only 43% of employees supporting new corporate initiatives. Meanwhile, in 2016, the figure was 74%.
Below is a list of initiatives that will make the transition to a hybrid schedule more comfortable.
1. Make Office More Functional
Hybrid workspaces are not traditional offices. You need less space, equipment and furniture, but you should focus on functionality.
For example, when preparing your workspace, make sure it fits everyone: men and women of all builds and looks. It is best to purchase adjustable desks that can be set at different heights. Some of them even allow employees to work standing up, which can be a great option.
In addition to office furniture, you need to make the entire office functional. This will allow you to better utilize the available space and add value to your office. For example, you can purchase massage chairs to create a relaxation area or a video game console, a comfortable couch, a coffee table, and plenty of video and board games for the gaming area.
2. Retool Performance Management
You can’t assess performance the same way you do when your organization switches to hybrid work. Since you are going to have less control over your employees compared to when they work fully in-office, you need to provide detailed performance objectives. This will help you track productivity, supervise team performance, and provide clear objectives for each employee.
When developing a new work performance management system, go beyond traditional ratings and KPIs. You need to implement regular checkpoints, key behaviors, and proactive coaching as part of your new hybrid corporate culture.
Besides, you need to promote a higher level of self-management to help employees efficiently arrange their work with personal goals and business objectives in mind.
3. Ensure Omnichannel Experience
Employees working in hybrid environments are constantly moving between the office and home. To enable them to work effectively in both locations, it's crucial to ensure equal engagement regardless of their whereabouts. Providing equipment such as laptops facilitates their work: hybrid employees don't need to rely on office PCs to access work files.
Additionally, don't forget about equipment for shared spaces. For instance, invest in a television or an interactive electronic whiteboard with internet access so that employees working from home can participate in meetings held in your conference rooms.
4. Help Your Employees Adapt
Once you've implemented the solutions mentioned above, aid your employees in adapting to hybrid work by introducing office automation systems. These systems not only offer a novel office experience but also reduce office management costs and prevent manual errors, thereby boosting overall productivity.
The office management system allows employees to choose a comfortable seating arrangement. In it, employees can assign themselves workstations in the office on specific days thanks to desk booking. In this way, human error can be eliminated and rearrangements can be prevented, resulting in cost savings and increased efficiency.
Main on Hybrid Workplaces: What to Consider
- Hybrid workplaces combine office-based and remote work, facilitating adaptation to different work conditions and personal preferences of employees.
- Benefits of the hybrid model include improved team productivity due to flexibility in choosing work location and hours, thereby boosting motivation and efficiency among employees.
- The hybrid approach has become the preferred choice for many companies and employees, thanks to the opportunity to reduce office space costs and enhance team performance.
- Major drawbacks include fragmented communication and challenges in personnel management, necessitating the development of effective strategies to maintain connectivity and coordinate team activities.
- Implementing hybrid work requires optimizing office space to adapt to new work conditions, implementing performance management systems, and ensuring a consistent work experience for employees in different locations, fostering an efficient and supportive work environment.
