Mastering the hybrid work model

Hybrid working has become the favoured option for those whose jobs allow them to do it. As a global snapshot, in April-May 2023, 25.6% of employees had a hybrid work pattern, while 7.9% were working completely from home.

This way of working is popular with employees. According to the UK's CIPD, 69% of employees say the ability to work remotely is important to them when looking for a new role. And in a survey carried out by job site Monster, more than one in four US workers said they'd rather undergo a root canal procedure than work in their offices five days a week. Nearly two in five workers said they'd consider quitting a job that required just one day on site.

But on the other side of the coin, employers aren't fully convinced, with 90% planning to implement return-to-office policies by the end of 2024, according to a survey from Resumé Builder.

There's clearly an expectations gap to be bridged, and tech is helping to do it. Mixed and virtual reality are transforming hybrid and remote work, giving a real sense of being together and providing the personal touch and connectedness people need to flourish, whether they're attending a virtual meeting, working on a creative project or being trained in new skills.

There's more to it than tech though. While it's relatively easy to offer a hybrid work model, making it work for your business requires a lot of thought and planning, as well as additional support for employees who may find the decentralised, multi-space way of working difficult to navigate.

So how can organisations get the balance right and succeed?

What is the hybrid work model?

A hybrid work model offers the best of both worlds – a mix of on-site and remote working. For instance, an employee could work from home three days a week and spend two days in the office. Or there may be specific days where leaders expect staff members to attend in-person meetings. This kind of arrangement allows employees to retain the flexibility they've enjoyed when working from home, yet still have those vital face-to-face connections with colleagues that are so important for collaboration and well-being.

Let's take a look at the different types of the hybrid work model.

Why hybrid work?

For a while now, hybrid work has been growing in popularity thanks to faster Internet, cloud collaboration tools and a greater emphasis on promoting a healthy work-life balance. But it only really came into its own during the pandemic in the urgency for businesses everywhere to sever the ties of traditional working.

Working from home has many benefits that employees don't want to lose. So much so that it's becoming increasingly important for organisations to offer hybrid working to attract and retain talent.

What are the advantages of hybrid work?

A well-thought-out hybrid work model can be great for collaboration, productivity and employee satisfaction. Expand the boxes below to discover six reasons for adopting a hybrid model.

While the hybrid workplace model seems to strike the right balance, it's not without its flaws. Challenges of adopting a hybrid model include:

1. Difficulties in maintaining relationships

Being in a hybrid team is a bit like being in a long-distance relationship. It requires trust and regular contact to make it work. When people are working together all the time, it's relatively easy to collaborate, give feedback, get help, participate in meetings and build solid foundations within teams.

And when everyone is working remotely, people become familiar with virtual collaboration and know to stay in touch with regular check-ins and virtual chats. But when teams are split, a disconnect can develop between those in the office and those at home.

2. Lack of spontaneous interaction

Many people enjoy the random chats that happen in the workplace. Remote employees can feel they miss out on office culture, spontaneous communication and team activities. Being there in person makes it easier to interact with each other, have instant catch-ups and socialise after work. Many of the challenges hybrid teams face come down to ease of connection.

3. Having to engage hybrid teams in new ways

Keeping remote workers engaged can be hard work and time-consuming – which is why some leaders perhaps don't give it as much attention as they should. When people are working on-site it's relatively easy to notice body language and problem-solve when needed. It's much harder to pick up on people's emotions if you can't see them in person.

4. Imbalance in the way that off-site and on-site workers are treated

Rightly or wrongly, people sometimes feel that on-site workers get preferential treatment to remote workers. Leaders may view employees "seen" in the office as more dedicated and give them more support. Remote workers may feel overlooked for training and promotion opportunities because they're less visible than those in the office. For this reason, it's essential to foster equity in the hybrid workplace.

5. Harder for new recruits to learn from more experienced staff

This is one of the biggest challenges of hybrid working. New hires can find it very difficult to learn the ropes if they only spend limited time with colleagues in the office. Not only that, forming bonds with coworkers is much harder if they don't have any in-person interaction. This can lead to feelings of isolation and frustration.

6. Impact on culture

The sense of belonging in an organisation may not be as strong when people aren't in the same physical space all the time. Remote workers can feel less connected, out of the loop and like they can't contribute as much, ultimately feeling like they don't really fit in. All team members need to feel invested in the success of each other and the business.

The hybrid work environment

When you're managing a hybrid work environment, there are a few things to think about that you might not have had to consider before. One of the major ones is the physical space. If, for example, you have 150 employees in total, you won't need a building that can accommodate all of them at the same time.

Some employees might only work in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while others may come in for a weekend shift, so you can use a hot desking system instead. It's essential to get an accurate understanding of when people will be in the building so you find the right space for your needs.

Many organisations are now completely reimagining their physical work environment to function better with hybrid work, with modern offices becoming more of a flexible space for collaboration and team building rather than formal full-time workplaces.

Your setup could include having more social spaces so people can make the most of collaborating when they're on-site. Another idea is to have hubs where people can meet clients and meeting rooms fully equipped for physical and virtual meetings.

How to do hybrid work

Simply telling people they can split their time between home and the office and hoping it will all be fine won't cut it. You'll need to develop a solid hybrid workplace strategy. Here are some things to think about to help you get it right.

Transparency in hybrid work policies

Put policies in place that clearly outline what's expected of your workforce. If some staff are allowed to work remotely but others aren't, people need to know the rationale behind this decision to avoid conflict and resentment. Questions to answer include:

• How many days should people be on-site?

• What work is done better in person than virtually?

• Should certain members of staff be in the office at the same time for meetings and collaboration?

It's important to get feedback on new policies and make tweaks as you move forwards until you've found a hybrid model that works best for you.

Hybrid work schedule

Just like many businesses have schedules for different shift patterns, consider the same for your hybrid workers. This can avoid employees always being on-site with the same people or being in the office on their own when everyone else is working from home.

As well as showing where employees are working, schedules can help you see what people are working on, so everyone is in the loop. Alternatively, you could use shared calendars, so they know when people plan on being in the office.

Task allocation

Team leaders can optimise schedules based on what type of work is better suited to the office or home environment.

Asynchronous tasks are the ones you can complete without input from others, such as data entry or putting together a solo presentation. These are ideal for doing at home, where people can schedule large blocks of uninterrupted time. Synchronous tasks, on the other hand, are better suited to an office environment. These are jobs that require group collaboration, brainstorming, chat or creativity.

Trust

Trust is the bedrock of any hybrid workplace. Even after the success of home working during the pandemic, some managers still think that remote workers take advantage of their freedom and regularly slack off. Managers need to trust those working remotely to get their work done without micromanaging.

Learning to let go can create an altogether calmer working environment, especially for remote workers who often feel they have to put in more hours to prove they're working hard. That said, you do still need to check in with them regularly to make sure they're happy.

Communication

Communicating with remote workers is different from those on-site and may need more thought. You might need more frequent check-ins to see how people are coping with working from home and if they need any extra support, whether that's more IT, a better chair or mindfulness guidance.

It might be helpful to carry out regular pulse surveys and 'ask-me-anything' sessions that give you instant feedback on employee engagement and morale in a hybrid working environment. Show that you welcome honesty and expressions of vulnerability, and that everyone has a voice.

Inclusion

Give some careful thought to inclusivity and how teams can work together seamlessly in a hybrid setup. It's vital not to add to existing inequalities by sidelining those who mainly work remotely, for example, caregivers, working parents and people with disabilities. There is often an unconscious bias against home workers, so make sure that they're given the same opportunities and feel as valued as those who return to the office.

Managers should also pay particular attention to onboarding new recruits so they don't feel left out and unable to forge relationships with their coworkers. Initially, it might be a good idea for them to spend most of their time on-site sitting next to colleagues who can mentor them and answer any questions they might have, making sure that they feel included in your hybrid workplace.