As the pandemic winds down and employees head back to the office, major changes can be seen on the professional landscape. The hybrid work model is one of these changes. This model can be thought of as a blended workforce, between remote and on-site workers, creating a hybrid work environment. The term ‘remote’ refers to an employee that works in a non-traditional environment, such as at home.
The hybrid work model is the new favored work model because of its ability to form to different companies’ needs. More than half of the workforce, people who worked from home during the pandemic, want to continue working from home. Employers have seen and understand that many of these jobs can be done from home, saving the company money on expensive office costs. Employers can be seen fully embracing a hybrid work arrangement even post-COVID.
The advantages of the hybrid work model are clear. Wouldn’t you enjoy it if your company told you that the only day you had to work in-office was on Monday? The cherry on top for employers is that your job can be done completely from home, with no added challenges.
The first advantage of the hybrid work model is employee satisfaction. With everyone searching for that perfect work-life balance, the hybrid work model offers complete flexibility. No need to wake up early, get dressed up for a grueling commute, only to come home to rush-hour traffic. Remote working allows employees to work digitally anywhere, as long as there is a strong WiFi connection.
Adding hours back into the day is motivation to keep workers content. Without taking the time to get into the office, workers can instead: sleep in, make breakfast, or just enjoy time away from work. Simply put, each individual has a different mindset toward what their ideal workplace looks like and the hybrid model gives them the opportunity to set it for themselves.
On the flip side of things, the hybrid work model allows employers to not worry about employees’ personal schedules. Employees can create their schedules with their own needs in mind. No longer will doctors appointments have to be scheduled on off hours. The ability for employees to manage their personal and work related duties in their own way creates an environment of boosted focus when working.
The second major advantage of the hybrid work model is increased productivity. When COVID-19 sent almost all employees to work from home, communication was lacking. Then came Zoom. Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Slack allow meetings to be done in a more productive manner and create asynchronous communication, where employees can message each other on their own time. Remote work has closed many communication barriers that were present in office life.
Many employers worry that the lack of structure in a non-office workplace will halt productivity. Employees however, argue that choosing where and how they work has allowed an increase in their productivity.
Productivity in a remote setting can be increased with ‘deep days’, or working without meetings/distractions. These deep days allow employees to completely focus on what singular tasks they need to get done. When combined with in office days, trouble with distracted employees not being productive, can be a thing of the past.
While hybrid working was a concept forced onto employers due to COVID-19, the benefits are apparent enough to not go back to a traditional setting. In the traditional setting, employees would watch the clock, waiting for their time to leave. But in this new remote setting employees can work when they feel best, allowing them to achieve their highest potential. Employers have noticed considerable shifts in employee satisfaction which has direct correlation to an increase of productivity.
