Not so long ago, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed to many as if work in the office was becoming obsolete. Now, as offices and other workplaces reopen, with plans to stay that way, employees appear to be torn. Surveys show that, while some still prefer to work completely in the office, and others like the work-from-home arrangement, over 50% of employees would opt for a hybrid work model.
The future of work is hybrid
What is hybrid model of working? When it comes to hybrid model, meaning, a mix of in office and remote locations, companies with hybrid work models and hybrid work model best practices tend to attract talent due to flexibility in its hybrid work model policy, post pandemic hybrid work model, and hybrid working policy templates that make managing hybrid workforce training possible.
A hybrid work schedule may manifest in a variety of ways. Hybrid work model examples may include when some workers may come into the office a few times a week, or once every other week, and spend the rest of the time at home. Some may only need to come into the office once per month! In truth, the types of schedules are as wide-ranging and unique as the employees that make them.
Today, we break down the benefits of hybrid working, as well as some of the downsides.
The Pros
It likely comes as no surprise that the hybrid workplace is popular for a variety of reasons.
Cost
The most obvious positive outcome of hybrid working manifests in the wallet. With most of your team out of the office, it may make sense for you to downsize your workspace and cut down on your office supply budget. Utility and cleaning costs will naturally lower when fewer people come and go. Some may even find it beneficial to forgo dedicated office space entirely and instead opt for local in-person meetings at popular restaurants or event centers.
Your employees will feel this benefit, too. Surveys indicate that over 85% of employees who moved from a fully in-office work setting to a hybrid work model reported a significant drop in transportation and fuel costs. Benefits of hybrid workplace include other factors as well.
Employee Preference
As previously mentioned, as learned from hybrid work model research, a high number of workers who can perform at least some functions of their job from home often prefer to do so. For example, tech companies hybrid working or hybrid workplace examples may include spaces that are familiar and comfortable, in clothes that match their style, may take some of the stress away from the tasks associated with their job.
Not only that, but work-life balance becomes easier to manage when some control is granted over work location. When employees can make decisions for themselves about their schedule, working conditions, and mental health away from their office, they may feel they have more bandwidth for their personal and professional lives. A healthy team is a happy team, and a happy team can mean great things for your organization.
The Cons
As with any work approach, there are some concepts in the hybrid work model that may not be ideal for your business. Let’s break it down:
Burnout
To be sure, many of your employees may have already expressed their interest in a hybrid work schedule or even a fully remote one. But that plan may not yet be everyone’s ideal style of work.
As you transition to a different work model, it is essential to remember your workers that sorely miss regular face-to-face interactions with colleagues. The frequent distractions and myriad frustrations that can come with working from home may feel like too much. Special attention should be paid to including these valued employees in the hybrid integration process, as well as during team-building activities and meetings.
Communication Changes
If you worked remotely at any point in the past couple of years, you know firsthand how quickly a communication chain can crumble. Emails that get rerouted to the spam folder, spotty personal Internet connections, hotspots that fail, apps that crash — the list goes on. Organizations that try to integrate a hybrid work model without the proper tools or training can grind to a halt in record time.
Not only that, but in the inevitable event that problems arise, the choice to simply walk down to your colleague’s office for a brainstorming session is not available. Depending on your business, time-consuming problem solving may not be an option for you.
The Secret Ingredient
The real key to making a hybrid work model work for your business is getting the proper tools to make sure that the information you need gets where you need it when you need it. Docket is here to help.
Our productivity features include documentation and sharing tools that get your meetings going quickly and efficiently. Our integration capabilities make sure that your team is always on the same page, so you can focus on building your business and shaping the future.
Start using Docket for free today to see how we can upgrade your workflow.
