The future of work is changing, and hybrid working is going to be a big part of that future.
Hybrid working has become a hot new buzzword in the world of work over the past few years, but not everybody understands what it means. If you work an office job, there’s a good chance you may have even been offered the chance to move to a hybrid work model. With this new model of working poised to become the norm, it’s important to get to grasps with what it really means - and all the numerous benefits that come with it.
What is meant by hybrid working?
A hybrid work model is a new way of working that combines remote work and home office with in-person office time.
This model was first popularised by large and famously innovative companies like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. However, all that has changed in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. When companies both big and small all around the world had to shut their offices in order to comply with social distancing regulations, the perhaps inevitable shift to home office came suddenly and all at once. Many people were not prepared for such a drastic change to their working life, and it was truly a privilege if having a sufficient office at home was even a possibility.
However, as the most extreme social distancing measures of the pandemic now fade to memory, the impact of the switch to remote working is still being felt by many. Rather than rush back into the office, many employers have taken this moment of rupture as an opportunity to reflect on the structure of the working day. We are seeing a trend towards a more fluid approach to work, with the hybrid work model lying at the centre of that.
More and more companies are embracing the idea of combining remote work and home office. Technology has made it possible to collaborate with colleagues from all over the world, without having to be in the same place at the same time. It’s also given employees more freedom to choose when they want to work, where they want to work, and how they want to work.
But what benefits can workers expect, should they switch over to a hybrid working model?
Greater flexibility
In a time where technology is rapidly changing the way we work, it is important to have the ability to change with it. A hybrid work gives employees the flexibility to work remotely and on-site. This type of work provides the opportunity for employees to have more control over their day-to-day tasks and gives employers a dynamic workforce that can be used in different ways.
Employers should be aware that working from home or from a remote location may not be as easy as it seems. The employer should provide guidelines for what is expected of their employees and how they will be evaluated. As this model becomes ever more popular, more and more content management systems - such as JIRA and Monday.com - and team management softwares - such as Slack - are being optimised to make coordinating a hybrid work model as easy as possible.
Improves productivity and efficiency
With the rise of remote work, many employees have realised just how much time they were wasting by sitting in a physical office from 9 to 5. One of the most common realisations heard in the wake of the switch to home office was the sheer amount of dead time that can pass in an office. Moving to hybrid working allows team members to decide for themselves whether their presence in the office is going to contribute actual value to the team. On days where this is true, they have the option to be present in-person and collaborate with the team, and then to stay at home on days where they feel they would be more productive working in a solo environment.
Not only does this improve overall productivity by doing away with dead time, it places a greater responsibility on employees to be self aware about the way they work. A hybrid work model encourages communication and self reflection at work, by asking the team to evaluate how their efforts would best be spent. A hybrid working model is the perfect antidote to the monotony and mindlessness that was once associated with turning up to the office every single day of the week.
Saves time (and the environment!)
The commute to work has, without a doubt, been the bane of many employees' lives since the very concept was invented. The thought of hauling yourself out of bed in the early hours of the morning, just to sit on a bus or a train and make it on time to the office is one element of in-person working that few people missed with the onset of remote work.
Hybrid working models cut down on the time needed for commuting, and also help to cut back on the Co2 emissions created by all those unnecessary car journeys to the office!
As a new era of work is fast approaching, don’t get left behind. Explore the possibility of a hybrid working model with your team, and see what works best for you!
