Let’s face it. Things are never going back to the way they were before the global pandemic, especially when it comes to working in an office setup. The pandemic has truly shifted the way we live both our personal and work life.
The introduction of hybrid work during the pandemic made it so that businesses can still run with as little disruption as possible. A few years after the world shut down and people were forced to work inside their homes, we have come to love this kind of setup.
Hybrid work is not something that just happened during the pandemic. It has been one of the options for work for a very long time. In this article, I’ll discuss more about hybrid work, why there is a need for it, how it works, the benefits, the pros and cons of hybrid work, and more.
- What Is Hybrid Work?
- A Move for Better Employee Retention
- Characteristics of Hybrid Work
- Beneficial for Both Parties
- The Advantages of Hybrid Work
What Is Hybrid Work?
The term hybrid work is not foreign to me as someone who has already been exposed to working in such a setup. In the past few years, many, if not all, offices and other workplaces have adapted to such an interesting setup.
But, what is hybrid work and what does it look like in an office setting? Hybrid work supports the option of having workers work in the office or at home.
Many organizations offer this kind of option to their workers by switching the environment regularly. Some people might work in the office for a couple of days while the other group works remotely and vice versa.
This allows people to choose how they work and where they want to work.
How Is It Different from Full-Time Office Work?
Hybrid work is a mix of office and remote setup. I still get to work the same hours under the same company. The main difference between the two is that I get to choose or, at the very least, have the opportunity to work outside of the office.
Remote work allows me to work at home or at any place where I’m comfortable. Even if I’m on a vacation somewhere on the other side of the world, as long as I’m able to work and provide output at the same level as the ones that are in the office, it’s all good.
It’s a breath of fresh air to be able to work in a flexible setup that many people are slowly embracing.
A Move for Better Employee Retention
You probably noticed that many of us have already grown accustomed to the hybrid work lifestyle but the transition to having a hybrid work model was used long before its popularity today.
Many organizations and companies have opted to use hybrid work due to its many advantages and benefits that we will discuss later. Companies have embraced hybrid work as it allows workers to have more comfort.
Productivity is at its all-time high when offices offer a hybrid work model to their employees. One major motivation for companies to shift to hybrid work is retention.
Many offices today are expected to return to work in the office full time while most are already comfortable with hybrid work. By offering such a setup, many employees won’t be looking for work elsewhere.
Optimizing Office Space for Hybrid Work
While many establishments and businesses have embraced hybrid work, there are still many that want their employees to return to the office full time. Many of these businesses often say that their offices are ready to accommodate them but we all know that these businesses simply want to optimize their office real estate.
There are a few ways to optimize office real estate even when adapting to a hybrid work model. Offices will just have to invest in physically transforming their offices and adapting to the setup with the help of technological advancements.
This helps lower the costs of office real estate while also providing for the needs of each employee without compromising the quality of work.
Characteristics of Hybrid Work
Hybrid work is more than just providing another option for workers. There are a lot of different characteristics of hybrid work such as flexibility, inclusivity, security, stable support, and proper management.
Flexibility is one of the main characteristics of hybrid work that I’ve noticed from the get-go. Hybrid work allows employees from all over the world to work for the same company.
Employees can still work even if they are in different time zones or locations.
This also allows for proper inclusivity where employees enjoy the same experience even when they are from different backgrounds and cultures.
Different Types of Hybrid Work
You may define hybrid work as a model that allows employees to continue working in a different location, especially at a place where they are comfortable. There are many other types of hybrid work that I’ve encountered.
These are Remote-First, Office-Occasional, and Office-First. Remote-First is the most common type that we’ve known so far. This is when offices allow almost all of their employees to work at home as long as the situation allows them to.
Office-Occasional is when employers offer their employees a chance to go back to the office and have more days spent in their remote setup than in the office. Lastly, Office-First prioritizes working in the office over remote work.
Beneficial for Both Parties
It comes as no surprise that many more offices and large companies today are offering hybrid work than before. The past few years have made them realize that this kind of setup is very beneficial to both parties.
Not only does remote work allow for better productivity but it is also one of the main cost-effective methods for companies. Laptops are very cheap and can easily be brought anywhere for work. The only challenge here is making sure employees have a secure internet connection, but this can be solved by using VPN services.
Employees can continue to work through the different crises without any loss in productivity. Since the pandemic, companies have gained confidence in employees’ ability to work remotely, according to Statista.
In short, companies are starting to acknowledge that hybrid work is more effective at keeping costs low while also increasing productivity in their workers which means more profit for them.
Open for Better Opportunities and a Collaborative Approach
There are still so many reasons why many companies are opting for hybrid work. This model allows employers to gain access to a wider talent pool. Adopting this kind of work model opens up a slew of possibilities and opportunities for people from all over the world.
Another great reason why many companies are opting for hybrid work is it makes tracking employee performance much easier.
Oftentimes, we work through tools that monitor our results. This allows employees to track work progression much easier thus allowing for an easier collaborative approach when it comes to employer-employee working relationships.
The Advantages of Hybrid Work
There are a lot of advantages and benefits to hybrid work. Many of which are focused more on the employees but there are also benefits that are aimed towards employers and owners as well.
In an office-based setup, people are expected to work on the clock but the hybrid work setup allows for more flexibility. This results in better work-life balance as employees find more time to spend on their hobbies and other recreational activities.
This often leads to high productivity which many employers are always looking out for.
Having remote work reduces the risk of employees getting sick, especially at a time when health is a priority. Many offices also save a lot of expenses by having their employees do hybrid work.
The Many Downsides of Hybrid Work
While there are a lot of pros to hybrid work, I’ve also discovered that there are also some downsides to it. One of which is the disconnect between in-office employees and those that do remote work. Virtual meetings can help lessen such disconnects but it is still rather prevalent in these setups.
Working remotely dissolves the personal interaction between employer and employee which is a great way to increase rapport and retention. Working remotely also has a high tendency of distraction and procrastination among many employees.
It is up to the employers to keep their employees focused. This usually happens because of a lack of oversight. While many office-based setups often provide a guiding hand to the employees, there are limited options for those who are working remotely.
Conclusion
Hybrid work is a huge departure from the work setup that we’re used to. Hybrid work opens the doors for both employers and employees to stay connected, provide the same quality results, and offer more options for both parties to thrive within their levels of comfort.
This is the reason why many of us will always opt for a company that offers hybrid work.