What is Hybrid Work, and Why are Employees Interested In It?

The hybrid work paradigm is a significant divergence from the traditional work model. But, exactly, what is hybrid work? In this post, we'll define a hybrid work paradigm and discuss how to make the move seamlessly.

Here's what we'll talk about:

• What exactly is hybrid work?
• The importance of hybrid work
• How to Implement a Hybrid Work Model

What exactly is hybrid work?

Hybrid work describes a work arrangement wherein employees are permitted a combination of in-office and remote work. Depending on the specific hybrid task at hand, the degree of autonomy can change significantly.

Here are some examples of mixed work policies used by businesses:

• Hybrid split-week: By team or function, the organisation assigns certain days for on-site and remote work.
• Managers determine which days their teams come into the office on a hybrid basis.

A hybrid mix is a combination of all three possibilities.

A hybrid workplace's major objective is to improve work-life balance by giving employees more control over when, where, and how they do their jobs. Employees in a hybrid work arrangement should be able to smoothly switch between home and the office without losing productivity.

The importance of hybrid work

We know that employees value mixed work. According to a Wakefield Research survey, over half of employees (47%) would likely look for another job if their employer did not provide a flexible working arrangement.

So it's no surprise that 77% of organisations have already chosen to go hybrid, according to data from our most recent April 2022 poll. Furthermore, 56% of those businesses allow employees to select when and how frequently they want to come into the office.

So, what draws people to a hybrid work environment? Let's take a look at some of the benefits of hybrid employment for individuals and employers.

Work when and how you are most efficient.

People in an office-first paradigm are expected to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Employees in a mixed work style have more freedom to complete tasks when and where they are most productive. This need adaptable schedules and locales. Some people, for example, work best in the morning, while others work best in the evening. They can also opt to collaborate with peers on-site or work alone from a remote location.

Improved work-life balance

According to our most recent January 2022 poll, the majority of employees (63%) believe that more flexibility would make them feel more powerful. Employees are drawn to the hybrid work paradigm for a variety of reasons, according to Slack.

Finding balance is simpler with a flexible work schedule. Employees who have more control over their work schedules have more time to take care of personal matters, such as running errands, collecting up children from daycare, or being home for a delivery. According to Justin Bullock, our very own Head of Sales, hybrid work allowed him to attend his 10-year-old son's birthday celebration. "As a mom, hybrid work allows me to incorporate these kind of activities into my daily schedule." That means more time for the things that are most important to me, which makes me happier and more refreshed at work."

Hire talent from all over the world.

Do you want to expand your talent pool? Your organisation can hire talent from all over the world using a hybrid work style. You can hire people with particular skills if you have access to a larger talent pool. This can provide your company with a competitive advantage, assist you in entering new markets, and assure continuous production.

Coworking space in Islamabad

Reduce your risk of disease.

Individual's attitudes toward crowded public spaces have changed in the past two years, and this has discouraged some people from returning. In fact, 87% of employees indicated they are concerned about their health and safety when it comes to returning to work last year.

Fewer people are typically at work at any given moment in a hybrid workplace. This lessens the likelihood that a sick worker may spread their illness to others. Because most hybrid models accommodate remote workers, an ill employee can stay at home and protect their colleagues.

With the advent of more accessible workplaces, businesses have begun mandating safety measures for their staff. This could include health exams or confirmation of vaccination for employees and visitors to the company.

Reduce your real estate costs.

Fewer people are on-site at any given moment in a hybrid work from home scenario. For some businesses, this may imply downsizing their real estate. At the absolute least, hybrid working will assist you in determining how much office space you will require to accommodate your staff.

Rethinking your workplace plan can help you save 30% on real estate costs. This allows you to spend the cost savings in other areas, such as providing more work options for employees through satellite offices and smaller co-working spaces.

How to Implement a Hybrid Work Model

Adopting a hybrid work style necessitates the right people, procedures, and technology. Let's look at a few things to think about while transitioning to a hybrid work model.

Survey your personnel to determine what they require.

Speak with your staff to learn about their needs before developing a hybrid model that works for your organisation. By incorporating employees, you may develop a work paradigm that prepares them for change while also motivating them to achieve their best.

Surveys are the most effective way to assess employee attitudes toward mixed work. Include examples while asking questions about the working environment in which they might thrive. Here are a few questions to consider.

• Do you prefer working independently or with others when you're on-site?
• What percentage of time each week do you anticipate spending physically present?
• If you had the option of working from home instead of commuting to the office, would you take advantage of it?

Finding out what employees want from hybrid work will help you develop a model that meets their needs. For instance, you may arrange for conference room scheduling on days when individuals are welcome to come into the office.

Build a system that can easily adapt to change.

Hybrid work, when done well, will smooth the way for easy collaboration between remote and on-site workers. Investing in workplace technology like remote communication tools and on-site video conferencing equipment can help make this a reality. Find out if you'll need to buy new equipment or if you can make do with what you already have.

Create company-wide standards for effective communication and urge team leaders to set high standards for employee communication. For teams spread across multiple time zones, asynchronous methods of communication are a viable option.

Set up office schedules to manage employee availability and reduce congestion. You can take any one of a number of different routes here. Incorporating a hybrid at-will policy that gives workers some say over when they clock in and out could be one example of how a hybrid approach to work could benefit both you and your staff. An alternative is to use a manager-scheduling strategy, wherein managers determine which days their staff members are required to be present at the office.

Put money into the company's ethos.

Culture is the lifeblood of your business. It's a must-have for your mixed-work model to thrive. It's important to actively promote your company's culture as employees return to the office after a break.

Our most up-to-date survey from the workplace found that 88% of businesses offer incentives to encourage workers to return to the office. Think about things like food and drink programmes, happy hours, and company gatherings. To spark business culture and encourage people to work from home, invest in risks that thrill your staff, such as remodeling the office environment.

It is also important to design hybrid workplace experiences with the company's values in mind. A team-building exercise, either live or online, can be a great way to foster collaboration inside an organisation. 

Create an awesome atmosphere in the workplace.

The effectiveness of your hybrid work model will depend mainly on your level of professional expertise. It is crucial that you don't let this slip. Even if your workers aren't physically present at the office every single day, they still need to feel like their time there counts. The more people there are to meet and work together in person, the better it will be for everyone involved.

It is crucial that workers enjoy their time at the office for the hybrid workplace to be effective. Our blog post, "5 steps to do to generate a better workplace environment," contains suggestions for creating a welcoming and productive workplace.

Invent fictionalized representations of your ideal workers.

Surveying your diverse staff is a great way to gauge morale in the moment. However, you can't always take a survey of the people you represent. Make a roster of staff members to facilitate speedy identification and action. Personas are fictional characters created to represent your target audience's needs, perspectives, and motivations.

You can better adjust to new situations with the help of personas. They will provide guidance as you plan innovative employee experiences and adjust the workplace to accommodate staff members' evolving requirements. In this article, I'll discuss their relevance and offer some explanations for it.

Constantly seek out and record comments

As you attempt to create a hybrid workplace that is perfect for your company, don't forget to get input from employees. Give your employees a variety of ways to share their thoughts and opinions. In order to solicit constant feedback from workers, you may, for instance, establish a permanent Slack channel. Quarterly surveys for employee input are another option.

With this information in hand, you can quickly test and refine potential solutions for a hybrid workplace setting until you find one that suits all of your employees' needs. Our blog piece offers further guidance on how to gather employees' true, uncensored feedback.

The hybrid model is now the standard method of business operations. This problem won't go away. As with any method of organisation, though, there are pros and downsides to consider. These days, companies can't afford to ignore employee needs or risk seeing their best people leave for a competition.

If you are in a leadership position at your company, use this advice to introduce hybrid work arrangements. Freedom at work leads to greater productivity, which benefits your business. Do you have an interest in understanding the complexities of hybrid jobs? Check out Envoy's hybrid work resource centre.