While many businesses might benefit from a remote workforce, others simply cannot afford to close their headquarters completely. Article from Deputy's Chloe Jacobs that delves further into the hybrid workplace paradigm.
The global shutdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak forced many of us to try out a completely new work structure. There is now legal protection for employees to perform their duties remotely.
Nonetheless, a fully remote workplace is impractical for several businesses due to their line of work. The compromise that resulted from this situation is the hybrid workplace model, which aims to bring the best features of both models into one.
This setup allows workers the flexibility to complete some of their work away from the office on occasion (mostly their homes). This resulted in a reorganization of office layouts in accordance with social distance standards, which took into account factors such as employee headcount and available floor space. Adjusted, more versatile work schedules have been implemented to meet the needs of both remote and in-office employees.
Sixty-four percent or more of respondents to a recent survey by Salesforce expressed enthusiasm for the possibility of periodically completing their job from locations other than their regular workplace. And another 37% plan to keep working full-time from home even after the pandemic has passed. While this may be a fantastic idea in theory, putting it into practise successfully will be challenging. Let's weigh the benefits and drawbacks of a blended work environment:
Several Benefits of a Mixed-Type Workplace
Productivity, not efficiency, is emphasised.
This new hybrid paradigm permits us to rethink how we evaluate productivity. Traditionally, companies aim to have as much of the employees present at the workplace, ensuring hours worked, increasing productivity. From a managerial perspective, initiatives would be evaluated based on the number of hours put into them.
Due to the remote nature of some employees' job,
it is now more necessary than ever to establish who is accountable for what, and how much, in a given day. Managers must shift their attention to boosting productivity by providing their teams with the tools they need and outlining projects with a transparent workflow.
Fortunately, remote work may be facilitated by workforce scheduling systems that allow companies to effortlessly manage shift rotations, impose breaks, and manage schedules remotely from any device, anywhere. Every member of the team is able to see who is doing what and how much progress has been made each day thanks to these technologies, not just the management.
Lower running costs
Since fewer people are working at a company, fewer desks are needed. Savings on rent aren't the only benefit of a hybrid approach; they also see less use of office supplies.
There isn't the "regular" need to restock things like snacks and water anymore. And because of the hybrid model, workers are saving time and money on their commutes, which is wonderful news for people who can't locate reasonably priced housing close to their workplace.
Rethinking the Meaning of Teamwork
Coworkers can now plan and execute projects without physically being together. With the development of asynchronous communication and video call software, meetings are now location-independent thanks to internal communication technologies. A company we know and trust, offers an intuitive intranet with features like targeted announcements, social postings, rapid updates, and sign-offs that foster collaboration even among geographically dispersed employees.
Worker prioritization
The hybrid work approach has helped people better balance their work and personal lives. Remote work requires managers to be accommodating and reliable. To help break up the monotony and routine at home, some companies have started providing employees with portable or customised work furnishings like standing desks, orthopedic chairs, etc.
The trend of regular one-on-one encounters between employers and workers to inquire about both professional and personal matters is spreading. Team members can update one another on progress toward important goals and share any challenges they've encountered.
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