Hybrid Workplace, and the Trend
What is a Hybrid Workplace? 1
The workplace we were familiar with a year ago is no longer there. A new model has taken its place, still being defined, and developed even as it is being put into action.
This so-called distributed workforce paradigm, which combines working from home with working in the office, is no longer in the distant future. It's here, and it's here to stay, with the new acronym, "Hybrid workplace".
It's up to us to make sure we have the correct teams in place and that the support, structure, and viability of those teams contribute to increased engagement and, ultimately, higher productivity and profitability.
Leaders worldwide have altered their management approaches to enable remote and hybrid teams since COVID-19 shattered the typical 9-to-5 workweek. As we near the end of the second pandemic year 2021, it's evident that there will be no going back to pre-pandemic norms: 90% of HR leaders expect remote work to continue for at least part of the time.
The Hybrid Workplace Trend 2
Reddit announced a significant shift in its business model in October 2020. Reddit opted to permanently transition to a hybrid workplace style months into the COVID-19 epidemic, with the majority of the social media giant's workers already compelled to work from home. Employees now can work from home, in the office, or a combination of the two. What began as a large-scale trial of alternate working arrangements is gradually becoming more permanent.
Microsoft now allows employees to work from home for at least half of their workweek. Twitter was one of the first big internet companies to include remote working into its corporate culture earlier that year. It declared that staff would be able to work from home or remotely indefinitely, with the option to come into the office as often as they desired. Coinbase, a bitcoin trading firm, quickly followed suit, creating a "remote-first" working style that allows the company to operate without a central location. Half of Facebook's employees will be able to work from home permanently.
The concept of Hybrid working prioritizes the employee's experience. During the pandemic, employees needed to feel safe. Therefore, working from home was vital. Now, as businesses reopen, the office space is there. However, remote working from home or any convenient place is still an available option, putting employees' preferences and experience first. Remote working does not mean that offices are shutting down, and people are working only from home canceling physical workplaces.
As the name suggests, hybrid working allows the flexibility of both worlds: home and office, providing flexibility for those who need it. It also provides offices in a broader sense of need: collaboration, social space, and learning, thus providing the need for belonging. Hybrid working is not only affecting where and when we work, but it's also changing the primary form of the office to meet new demands. Employees seek workplaces that are adaptable to their needs.
They like less formal settings and prefer to work in the office section that best matches the task at hand. They also want to be able to operate efficiently regardless of where they are in the world. The hybrid workplace boosts employees' happiness, cuts down on cost, and allows flexibility for employees who need it as those who cannot leave their homes for long hours.
1 Forbes, 26 May 2021, Neal Stanton, How to Lead and Win in the Hybrid Workplace, Accessed 20 September 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/26/how-to-lead-and-win-in-the-hybrid-workplace/?sh=515319973c3b >
ThoughtExchange, 8 September 2021, Catherine Daly, Hybrid Leadership in a remote and Hybrid Environment, Accessed 10 September 2021, https://www.thoughtexchange.com/blog/hybrid-leadership-in-a-remote-and-hybrid-environment/
2 WeWork, 6 April 2021, Steve Hogarty, Advantages and disadvantages of the Hybrid Workplace Model, Accessed 10 September 2021, https://www.wework.com/ideas/workspace-solutions/flexible-products/hybrid-workplace-advantages-disadvantages
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