As the pandemic eased, it was more or less assumed workers would return to the office. But employees themselves balked. They had grown accustomed to remote work. And having figured out how to make it work for themselves and their family’s needs, the more people worked from home, the more they came to appreciate the benefits of controlling their own schedule.
So returning to the office full time to work as they did before the pandemic? Whoa, not so fast. A significant majority of those who could now go to a workplace outside their home say they’d rather not. At least not all the time.
Meanwhile, employers – even those who discounted remote work before the pandemic – came to appreciate its benefits for certain types of employees. Since every employer knows how difficult it is to find and retain great employees, the hybrid work model was born as a compromise that could accommodate employee desires to work from home as well as company desires to get folks back into the office.
Of course, many employees have jobs that cannot be done from home. But for those who can work remotely, the hybrid model appears to be here to stay. Done right, both employees and their employers can benefit.
Hybrid is the essence of flexibility
There is no one-size solution. Businesses transitioning to a hybrid workforce model can structure the details in whatever way best suits their operations and employee preferences. Some workers may come back to the office full-time, some may continue as fully remote, others may do both. Most hybrid employees spend a set number of days at home or in the office each week, though in some cases the employee can decide for themselves where to work on any given day.
The point is that hybrid gives everyone involved maximum control over their personal schedule as long as the company’s specified requirements are met. So how that looks can vary considerably from one organization to another.
Team members can finally get together for lunch!
You might have laughed when you read that, or at least smiled to yourself. But this is no joke. Video conferencing and communication platforms enable teams to work together from anywhere, but people have missed the camaraderie that can come only from in-person interactions. The proverbial business lunch is a proven way to relax and let off steam, build stronger relationships with co-workers and, yes, get real work done over a tasty meal.
But there’s a lot more at stake than socializing over sushi or a burger.
Working face-to-face means colleagues can confer at other informal but valuable times without having to jump on a video call (after waiting to see when everyone is available). They can get a quick question answered in the hallway or bounce ideas off one another while grabbing a beverage at the water cooler – or more likely these days, the Keurig machine. Spontaneity and timeliness further the creative process and fuel the sense that “things are happening here.”
Ongoing informal interactions strengthen company culture in ways that periodic remote meetings cannot.
Mentorships are more effective
Like the creative process, mentorships thrive when both structured and unstructured meetings are possible. Seemingly small issues or questions can be a big deal, and mentors and mentees are more apt to talk to one another as things come up if they’re physically nearby. Mentees can get real-time help with problem solving and benefit from their colleagues’ informal “breakroom wisdom.”
The truth is, these conversations benefit every employee from the newest to the most veteran, because they stimulate continuous learning and professional development, building stronger team members and more effective leaders.
Change of scenery is good for you
Changing things up boosts physical and mental health. Working remotely, you can get up and move around the house, etc. Hybrid work enables you to freshen your environment from day to day, and that can promote a fresh outlook. In office, employees are more likely to take breaks, be called away to impromptu meetings or be invited to lunch.
It’s a balancing act
Every company is different. So while the hybrid workforce model may be here to stay, each organization will have to find its own balance between the benefits of remote work and the benefits of being together at work. In a recently-released report, Gallup stated, “Ultimately, how this new hybrid era unfolds will depend on the types of hybrid experiences employers create and how managers adapt.”
And they followed that with a warning: “Failing to offer flexible work arrangements is a significant risk to an organization's hiring, employee engagement, performance, wellbeing and retention strategies.”