Hybrid workplaces mix in-person and remote work for employees. Don’t you think that this transition raises several challenges for businesses about managing the new hybrid workplace? Managing a distributed team of individuals engaged in diverse work modes – such as in-office, hybrid, remote, and outside sales – is uncharted territory for many executives.
Doesn’t this make you a little curious to find amicable ways to boost employee satisfaction? We have created dedicated sections to help you get a clear insight into successfully boosting employee satisfaction in a hybrid workplace.
The Hybrid Work Model: An Overview
If you’re a leader in a hybrid company, you’re probably aware of both the advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, you can provide your staff with the flexibility they desire, thereby increasing overall productivity and retention in a competitive employment market. On the other hand, you’re in charge of creating long-term communication, employee engagement, cooperation, and cultural development in uncharted territory.
The hybrid work model is a company concept that incorporates both remote and on-site work. It creates a flexible work schedule instead of organizing the workday around a desk in a physical office job. Employees can divide working from home and going to the office.
Additionally, it is similar to a remote workforce in that employees work from home, but it is not entirely remote. On the other hand, companies keep their existing office spaces but use them differently than in the past. So, it doesn’t matter if you own a large corporate building or run a top Shopify store from it. All that matters is you create a harmonious work environment.
A hybrid workplace concept has changed the way individuals operate in a traditional office. Although real office spaces are now reserved for in-person meetings and team collaboration, other days of the week are designated for working from home.
Collaborative initiatives are now used throughout office hours. This might involve anything from presentations to team-building events to introducing new projects and other works requiring employees to interact face-to-face.
Remote working days enable members of a hybrid team to concentrate on their current responsibilities without being distracted by those of their coworkers.
As a result, employees have access to all of the benefits of remote work, but none of the obstacles diminishes communication. They can work from home and visit the office once a week to cooperate and socialize with their coworkers.
How Does a Hybrid Workplace Look Like?
In 2020, employers had a dilemma, ensuring that employees received the resources they needed to remain productive (and healthy) while also fulfilling corporate goals. This led to the creation of the hybrid workplace.
It is a firm concept that integrates both on-site and remote operations. As opposed to working in a traditional office environment where the day is planned around a desk, telecommuting allows for more freedom in scheduling.
It could be the same staff required to be on-site or a mix of people who are present on different days or at different times. Alternatively, employees may be required to attend in-person meetings on particular days.
Instead of scheduling work around regular hours logged into an office, the hybrid workplace often allows people to fit work around their lives. It’s the ideal blend of productive work, lower stress, and less commuting for many individuals (and businesses). It can also be assumed that a hybrid work model can be perfect for even starting a business if one doesn’t have much figured about the premises.
Hybrid Work Subtypes
In fact, the hybrid work model has multiple variants. Six alternatives are distinguished, each of which gives you a general idea of how this modern workplace layout might look in your company:
1. Completely decentralized
This variety isn’t technically a hybrid model; it’s just another word for “totally remote” – that is, everything is done outside the workplace.
2. Coming to the office first
This is the polar opposite of the remote-first arrangement: the office is the primary location, but work may be done from home occasionally.
3. Working in synchronized hybrid mode
The second sort of hybrid work is a system in which teams operate synchronously in the corporate or home office according to the same, frequently predetermined schedule, i.e., the entire team is present, or no one is.
4. Starting from remote, then coming to office
Work is primarily done from home or outside the workplace in this form, and there are no requirements for presence in the office. Of course, working in the company office on occasion is still conceivable.
5. Working as a static hybrid
Your employees can choose whether they wish to work from home or at the corporate office and then stay there indefinitely. As a result, only a small percentage of employees choose remote work, while most prefer to work in the office every day.
6. Working in a dynamic hybrid mode
In the dynamic version of hybrid work, team members choose whether to work in the office or at home on which days and at what times. This implies that the office personnel is constantly changing, but booking special appointments for meetings and other events is also possible.
What Distinguishes Hybrid Workplaces from Remote Work?
People may confuse hybrid and remote work as synonymous, but the truth is that there is a significant distinction between the two. Despite the numerous advantages of remote work and the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid work, it is preferable to completely comprehend both concepts and choose the best suit for your company.
Remote work
Although working from home is not a new concept, it has gained favor in recent years. Remote employment was propelled worldwide by technological advancements and public health regulations implemented in 2020.
A corporation may benefit from remote work if it has access to a global talent pool. And employers profit from a remote work model since it allows them to hire office personnel without regard to their location. Plus, you may recruit the best people based on their skills without worrying about being from another country or location.
Employees who work for a small organization have the freedom to work from wherever they want. Those with limited mobility, such as military spouses frequently on the road, new working mothers, and people with reduced mobility, can benefit from remote work.
In addition to that:
- Reduced communication time for employers, allowing them to reclaim time for more productive work or personal growth.
- Employer expenses connected to the management of physical office space are reduced.
- There are fewer distractions during work hours than previously due to the social aspect of collaborative working.
- Reduced negative environmental impacts caused by people commuting to work.
There is just one downside though – when it comes down to it, many people can focus better in social situations. Isolation is a major source of stress for many people who work from home. As a result, burnout, depression, and other mental health issues are more likely to strike them.
The security of your company’s and customers’ data is more vulnerable since remote workers use personal devices that aren’t as secure as those in the office.
What Makes the Hybrid Work Model So Popular?
One of the essential benefits you can provide your employees is a better work-life balance. The use of a mixed work paradigm allows employees to have greater flexibility in terms of the time and place they choose to work in. As a result, employees now have more freedom to schedule their work around their personal life.
One of the main advantages of the hybrid work model is that it allows you to provide your staff with more flexibility. Additionally, this increases employee job satisfaction.
The hybrid workplace model increases employee performance, satisfaction, decreases staff turnover and tends to attract a committed workforce to assist your company in reaching its goals. Here’s how:
Employees have the opportunity to advance their careers
Training, education, and career development possibilities are no more a good perk. According to the LinkedIn Workplace Learning report, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their professional development.
When firms invest in employee development, both the leaders and the company have the potential to grow and invest in the future. Companies work hard to build a pool of talented, hardworking employees eager to move up the ladder. Employees can learn about their strengths and shortcomings and how to resolve differences in the future by using this method.
Seminars, online programs, tutorials, and certifications are all ways employees gain new skills that they can use in their current and future jobs. Leadership training programs, which prepare them to take on work management and leadership roles and affect company culture, have been one of the most significant investments. When your employees develop, your firm develops as well.
How to Boost Employee Satisfaction in a Hybrid Workplace?
1. Keep an eye on meetings
In a recent New York Times article, hybrid workers lamented the difficulties of meetings. People in the office would have private chats with one another. Those working from home may be overlooked or have a bad internet connection. The overall impression was poor. However, Jim Keane, president, and CEO of Steelcase Inc. proposed that firms invest in a monitor for each remote worker in a post for Harvard Business Review.
Keep the monitor on a rolling cart so that in-office workers can wheel their coworkers into a meeting room for an impromptu meeting, exactly as they used to. Otherwise, a screen in a conference room displays a slew of remote workers in small boxes. It’s not as efficient as having a single face on a single display. You can also set rules for meeting formats, such as all online or face-to-face.
2. Obtain the most effective tools and online solutions
No one enjoys the feeling of being inept. That is, however, how remote employees may feel if you do not appropriately prepare them for work.
Employees would feel more at ease if they had the right tools to accomplish their duties well. You should ensure that your team has access to the greatest tools and internet solutions to operate efficiently, regardless of where they are located.
Because your in-house team will work in person, you’ll need a mechanism to collaborate with distant employees as well. Your staff will communicate with their bosses (and each other) and gain access to critical information with the best solutions.
Consider using project management software for collaborative projects. Employees can use these apps to share files and edit tasks and projects in real time. Your digital presence is the most important in a remote or hybrid work model, from making your electronic signature for e-mails to taking updates on daily tasks via project management software.
3. Don’t undermine flexible working hours
The ongoing pandemic pushed organizations to opt for flexible work hours. Since employees are left with no option other than to strike a balance between family duties and office work, it becomes necessary for the organization to adopt flexible work timings.
There is an added advantage when you empower your workforce with flexible work hours as it showcases that you care for your employees. It sends a message to your entire team that the management cares for their workforce and understands that it’s difficult to create a work-life balance when working from home.
A major advantage of allowing your employees to work at their own convenient time improves their productivity since they won’t be in a hurry. They can work at the time when they are most productive and focused.
Some companies have also blended the work hour model by allowing some of their employees to come in for a few hours and work from home for the remaining part. Many even favor this model since it allows them to experience a change of scenery and use required office resources.
The pandemic has shown us that an inevitably relaxed working atmosphere is the need of the hour. If you take care of your employees, they will return the favor likewise. The organization’s overall growth would depend on how efficiently it can adapt to this new work culture. The flexible and supportive methodology allows everyone to enjoy a balanced life even during difficult times.
4. Maintain safety measures
Any physical return to work must meet all health and safety criteria. Contacting local health or work safety authorities can answer questions such as the maximum number of employees permitted in a workplace, cleaning and hygiene practices, employee communication, social distancing requirements, and risk assessment.
As seen in the last month, some industries and organizations require employees to be completely vaccinated before returning to work.
5. Make certain that everyone is heard
The quality of communication defines the effectiveness of any workplace model to a large degree. In other words, to reap the benefits of the hybrid work environments, it’s vital to have a good communication strategy in place and simplify information sharing across the entire organization.
Don’t forget that isolation from colleagues is a major problem among remote employees, and they may often feel like their opinions are not taken into account. So, it won’t harm to make regular meetings with them a priority. Such meetings will help all your staff members to express themselves and remain on the same page about everything that’s going on with your business and the team.
Final Thoughts
Remember that employee feedback will give you better insights into what model to follow than anything else. It is better to use hybrid work models if the number of people who wish to work from home and in the office is approximately equal. Otherwise, following the majority’s lead will be the greatest way to secure your company’s success in the ‘new normal.
This post is contributed to actiTIME by Surya Ranjan Pandita, a content marketer who is always on the lookout for new optimization strategies and loves to create actionable content. Feel free to ping him on Facebook.
