Challenges and Advantages of Hybrid Work Setup You Should Know
Over the last two years, most of the work went remote, and now, hybrid. But hybrid work has both advantages and limitations, and it is essential to weigh both of them. In this article, Patty Yan, EMEA product marketing manager, RingCentral, discusses the pros and cons of hybrid work.
The 40-hour office workweek is a thing of the past. Over the past few years, the world has seen a huge shift towards remote and hybrid work models.
Technology like VoIP, unified communications, and other SaaS solutions means that work can be carried out from anywhere, so employees no longer have to drag themselves out of bed every day of the week to commute to the office.
Whether you’re a B2B marketer or a web designer, employees in all kinds of roles can thrive in a hybrid environment.
But a hybrid workplace isn’t without its challenges. If you’re considering adopting a hybrid work model for your business, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons to see if it’s a good fit for your business.
Advantages of a Hybrid Work Setup
About 83% of more than 9,000 workers surveyed in a recent Accenture survey agreed that they felt a hybrid work model would be optimal moving forward. So what are the top advantages of a hybrid workplace?
1.Reduced costs
One of the most obvious advantages of a hybrid workforce model is that it reduces operational costs. When employees aren’t working from the office every day, it means businesses can reduce occupancy levels to minimize the cost of rent, office supplies, energy bills, and other business expenses. Businesses can also create and use online learning content to train employees, reducing the need to send them on expensive training courses.
A hybrid workplace also reduces the cost of commuting for employees. When they don’t have to travel to the office every day, colleagues can save on expensive transportation costs.
2.Better work-life balance
Having the freedom to work from anywhere at least a few days a week, whether it’s home, a co-working space, or the coffeehouse down the road, can have an extremely positive impact on employees’ work-life balance and overall job satisfaction.
Employees have more control over their schedules and don’t have to spend hours of their day on public transport. This means they can wake up later and get home earlier, so they can spend more time with their loved ones.
Commute time can also be used to enjoy other activities like going to the gym, reading, or meeting up with friends. This can have a huge impact on employee mental health and general wellbeing, leading to higher employee satisfaction rates and fewer early-morning traffic rants.
See More: The Next-Gen Office Will Lean on Hybrid Workforce: Here’s How To Develop It
It’s no wonder that 98% of those surveyed in the Buffer State of Remote Report agreed they’d like to work remotely, at least partially, for the rest of their career.
Image Source: Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2020 report
3. Increased productivity
In a recent survey, 78% of roughly 2,000 workers agreed that they’d be more productive if they could choose to work on-site or remotely when they wanted. In a hybrid workplace, employees can use their time more productively. Reasons for this include being able to avoid office distractions, choosing when they feel most productive, and avoiding commuting during peak traffic times.
Hybrid work also reduces the number of in-person meetings employees need to attend. Meeting online is much more convenient and conducive to productivity, as employees won’t have to travel to the office or spend time waiting for latecomers. When hosting online meetings, hosts are more likely to stick to their agenda as there’s less opportunity for distraction or people speaking over one another.
To ensure employees can remain productive no matter where they’re working from, businesses need to implement the right communication software and productivity tools into their tech stack. For instance, you’ll need to ensure workers are connected with team messaging, online conference software, task management apps, and file sharing.
4. Access to a wider talent pool
Hybrid working enables businesses to access a wider talent pool and expand their hiring criteria. This way, they can attract talent from further afield and open themselves to hiring employees who require more flexibility around their schedules.
Hybrid work opens up your company to potential applicants who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to fulfill the role if it was office-based five days a week. Location is no longer a big obstacle when seeking out the best talent.
5. Reduced carbon footprint
We’re always being urged by scientists and environmentalists to change the way we’re traveling and consuming for the good of the environment.
The hybrid work model reduces the number of days per week employees drive or take public transport to work. Moreover, the tools that most hybrid companies use will allow them to conduct meetings with clients and employees overseas, further reducing travel costs and carbon emissions.
Challenges of a Hybrid Work Setup
So those are the advantages, but what are the challenges your business will need to overcome to facilitate a hybrid working environment?
1.Team-building and lack of workplace culture
In a hybrid environment, it can be challenging to implement team-building exercises and activities to build a workplace culture. As employees aren’t interacting in the office every day, it can be difficult for them to form and maintain relationships with their colleagues.
It also means that employees who work in the office are more likely to form groups, making remote or hybrid workers feel left out.
Luckily, there are manyways to facilitate team building in a hybrid workplace. Using video calling software for meetings will allow employees to chat face-to-face, just as if they were in the same room.
You can also implement practices to facilitate virtual water cooler chats like creating messaging channels or meeting rooms people can go to on their lunch breaks. It’s also a good idea to host regular in-person or virtual events to give employees a chance to bond and get to know each other.
Whether it’s managing a remote DevOps team or your customer service reps working remotely a few days a week, it’s an employer’s duty to ensure they implement the right tools to ensure your team feels like a team.
2. Increased feelings of isolation
When employees are working remotely, it often means spending a lot of time alone in their home office or living room. This can lead to feelings of isolation as they don’t get to engage in workplace camaraderie with their colleagues during their lunch breaks. It’s also harder to bounce ideas off colleagues, and communication becomes much less spontaneous as calls have to be organized.
However, team messaging tools and the virtual water cooler idea mentioned above can help reduce feelings of isolation by providing employees a space to meet when they just need to have a chat or share a hilarious meme they’ve just found.
3. Increased risk of cyber attacks
Cyber attacks become a more pressing concern when employees are working from home or in public spaces.
Businesses need to secure their company and employee data with regular software updates, ad hoc testing, password management systems, and multi-factor authentication systems and have a recovery plan in place in case a data breach occurs.
It’s also a good idea to train hybrid workers on the importance of understanding security risks and how to prevent them.
4. Communication silos between teams and departments
When employees are working remotely just a few days a week, it can result in communication silos between departments and disparities as it’s more difficult for them to communicate and collaborate. Although this becomes a challenge when companies aren’t prepared to facilitate remote workers, it’s easily solved.
Implement a unified communications platform that integrates all your business communications and productivity tools in a single platform. Doing this also ensures that customer data is accessible and visible across your organization.
For instance, a business phone system with features like call tracking software and CRM integrations will help break down silos between marketing, sales, and customer service teams as employees can access all the information they need about a lead or customer, no matter where in the world they are.
5. Increased risk of burnout
Hybrid or remote work is more susceptible to creating a culture of burnout. Remote workers are more prone to working longer hours and taking shorter breaks than office workers. It can be difficult to gauge the appropriate time to take a break when everyone else around you isn’t turning off their monitors and leaving their desks. This often leads them to overcompensate and work more hours than they would in the office.
To avoid this, managers should set expectations around break times and working overtime and ensure there’s a time of day when all employees log out of Slack or turn their work email notifications off. Employees should be adept at prioritizing their tasks and practicing good communication to ensure everyone is on top of their responsibilities.
See More: Did Collaboration Interoperability Suddenly Become Cool?
Is a Hybrid Work Environment Right for Your Business?
Organizations of all shapes and sizes are waking up to the huge advantages of a hybrid workplace model. Not only does it offer employees a better work-life balance, but it also benefits companies with cost reductions and increased productivity levels.
However, as you’ve read, some key challenges piggyback these advantages. A hybrid model isn’t ideal for every business, but with the right software tools and strategies in place, it can lead to more satisfied employees and better business results.
What are some of the challenges you have faced when implementing a hybrid work model. How are you overcoming these challenges? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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