“Success in a hybrid work environment requires employers to move beyond viewing remote or hybrid environments as a temporary or short-term strategy and to treat it as an opportunity.” - George Penn of Gartner
After surviving the pandemic's unfortunate consequences, almost all businesses and corporations are now embracing hybrid working. From a completely work-from-home setup to hybrid working, employees can now work both remote and onsite, depending on the schedules provided by their company.
Hybrid work is a design in which an employee who has worked from home returns to the office for at least one to two days per week; this cycle will continue for the rest of an employee's term or until everything returns to normal. Hybrid office models may also incorporate entirely remote workers and others who work on-premises every day
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Shifting to this type of work environment implies that people have become more adaptable to the changes brought by the pandemic. However, many businesses are skeptical of the idea due to concerns about its long-term consequences. Some of them regard this as an unsatisfactory compromise because it necessitates extensive communication and planning.
Hybrid Working, like any other work model, has advantages and disadvantages that must be considered. Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of hybrid working:
Advantages:
Improved space efficiency – Because fewer people are working on-site each day, employees will make more efficient use of the building's spaces and will also avoid overcrowding. Workplaces will not appear or feel empty with effective space management, and people will be able to identify areas for improvement. This can also result in significant cost savings for the company.
Engagement retention – Some of your employees prefer to work in a traditional office setting because it is more engaging for them than working from home. It can also motivate them to work more effectively because face-to-face interactions are more empowering than those conducted via technology.
Enhanced corporate culture – While some businesses believe that hybrid working will destroy the company's culture, allowing your employees to work in different work environments that meet their needs and objectives can have a positive impact.
Disadvantages:
Communication challenges – One of the technological issues here is that some employees struggle to use video conferencing systems. Communication among hybrid team members can be difficult or complicated because some are more comfortable working in their own spaces than others.
Coordination – Organizations were seen working collaboratively and efficiently especially today, but we cannot deny that coordination is one of the major problems now. Hybrid working requires extra effort to coordinate with your colleagues who are currently working in a remote environment. A company should foster an encouraging environment for both teams. It is only ethical for a company to progress while ensuring that no one is left behind.
Endangered creativity – Collective and individual creativity are the types of creativity that are under threat. People working remotely can do their brainstorming using video conferencing software, which is very useful but may limit the employees' receptiveness. Working alone, on the other hand, can help you generate ideas and insights, but it is still unclear whether working alone can help creative individuals.
When done correctly, hybrid work fosters an environment in which employees are creative, innovative, and know how to effectively communicate their ideas. Working from home and in an office, for example, are both beneficial to employees and employers because job tasks can be performed in either location. Of course, formal flexible working policies must always be implemented; these should be developed in accordance with the diverse preferences and needs of the employees. Resources and plans should be developed and secured early on. As a result, effective hybrid working may be the key to effectively meeting goals and objectives despite the overwhelming consequences of the pandemic.
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REFERENCES
Fowell, T. (n.d.). What are the pros and cons of hybrid work? Envoy. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://envoy.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-hybrid-work/
Haas, M. (2022, February 15). 5 Challenges of Hybrid Work — and How to Overcome Them. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/02/5-challenges-of-hybrid-work-and-how-to-overcome-them
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