Hybrid Work Model - How to Build One and Why ? (5 mins Read)

Hybrid Work Model : How to Build One and Why ?

There are employees who love working from home which provides them the extra one hour of commute and have more family time instead at home. But, there are others who are happiest while working from office full time, with a lot of social interaction possible throughout the day for them. Also, there are many who want the best of the both worlds and want to have the flexibility to choose when and where they work from. So, we can see that there is no one size fits all approach to the new model of work.

This is where the hybrid model of work comes in—merging the office and the remote work. There are companies which are already working in a hybrid environment, but there are many others who are struggling to adjust with this hybrid model. They are finding it very hard on how to nail the balance between remote and in office work? How to encourage collaboration and engagement within the teams irrespective of where the individuals are located? How to sustain inclusion for all the employees?

As companies around the globe have gone fully remote from the onset of Covid 19, many companies now need to build a good hybrid working model—or risk losing their valued employees. 

Let’s understand what’s a hybrid work model

A hybrid work model has some of the employees working from home while there are others who work from the office. It’s all about adapting to work in such a way that the teams give out their best and have experiences which are all inclusive and reach the maximum people possible. Hybrid work is not only about a physical location of the workplace—it’s both about the place and the time of work. The hybrid work model is actually working from anywhere and at any time as per the requirement of the company and keeping in mind the choice of the employee too.

 While considering the future of work, location shouldn’t be the company’s main focus. Instead of focusing on work from office versus remote, what we really should focus on is how we can keep our employees engaged and productive in all types of environments. The organizations  which find new ways to engage their employees and the customers alike are more likely to retain and attract the best of the talent and exceed their customers’ expectations.

Benefits of the hybrid work model

The decision for going back to the office is driven from the top. Still, the employees expect flexible options for them in that respect. A survey was conducted recently in order to better understand the people’s views and plans around the hybrid work. The survey had more than 300 people who were team leaders, consultants and employees across a range of various industries and several organization types and sizes from many countries. As per the survey, flexibility was considered as the biggest benefit of the hybrid model of work.

While the majority of the global workers struggled through the pandemic work conditions, still most of the business leaders said they were thriving in their business. Employees say that their physical health has never been better. They can manage their time in a way they have never been able to do before. Their commute to work has given them almost three or more hours per day back into their life and they can use that time to be more physically active and be with their families.

There are various benefits which the hybrid model provide:

• Having the flexibility to choose from where to work
• Feeling more comfortable from wherever they work
• Overall sense of better well being
• Better innovation opportunities
• Becoming more sustainable
• Reducing costs for both the employer and the employee

Due to so many people leaving their jobs in the last one year, there’s a lot at stake for the leaders when it comes to implementing a hybrid work model for it’s benefits. While many of us understand that hybrid work is inevitable, 68% of the companies do not have a plan yet or detailed vision in place for the hybrid work, according to a study. So, the companies need to think and develop a successful hybrid model after considering several factors.

Factors to consider in order to develop a successful hybrid model

The nature of the employees' work

There is a severe need for some employees to be physically present in the office depending upon the type of job they do. Like meeting the clients, showcasing their products and services and collaborating on the projects are some of the good reasons to be present in the office. But on the other hand the employees who spend four to six hours by themselves at their desks—such as analysts can easily work from anywhere.

Employee’s tenure or experience 

If an employee has been recently promoted and needs to be in the office to work closely with the supervisor then that’s a valid reason and if the employee is new to the company and would benefit from being in office. Looking at the point that the new employees will have very little personal contact with the different departments and the existing team members under this new model, the leaders will now have to ensure that all the employees have the same sense of belonging and that no group is more valued, developed or supported than the other.

Age needs to be considered

The people of the latest Generation Z, in general prefer being in the office, different surveys have shown. They are very new to this professional work environment and their social life is often intertwined with work. A survey found that members of this generation reported that their productivity has dropped since working from home and on the other hand people who were much senior than them reported high productivity while working from home.

Personality is also a factor

There is a difference between the employees who thrive working from home and those who are happy in commuting to the office and working from there. The latter group of people develop strong social relationships at their workplace and need the camaraderie of being in the office. They are the people for whom work is their life and they feel compelled to be in the office.

The best employees for working remotely, irrespective of whether they are introverts or not are those who have passions and interests outside of their work. They work efficiently from home and are strong performers as they see work as a huge means in order to fund their life. There is a need to recognize that some people don't need to be in the office.

If you can provide that flexibility then it can be a strategic tool for retention. You might lose some best talent if you're not keeping up with the times.

Conclusion

The hybrid model is here to stay. As the companies normalize working from home, terms like  ‘hybrid workforce’,‘flexi work’ and ‘work from anywhere’ are becoming more apt for the current scenario. With so many people quitting their jobs in the last one and half years, there’s a lot at stake for the leaders when it comes to implementing a hybrid model of work. While many of us understand that hybrid work is inevitable, still around 70% of the companies have no plans yet or detailed vision in place for hybrid work model, according to a study. Companies need to think of it and build a successful model of work.

A survey found that 94% of the respondents felt well equipped for the transition to a hybrid work model and more than 65% already have the tools needed and processes in place for that. We are being given the opportunity to create a new and more comfortable work model that fits all of the humanity and nature very well.