Pros and Cons of Hybrid Workforce
The Disadvantages of Hybrid Workforce
1. Potential Burnout
In a mixed workplace arrangement, a culture of overworking might develop. In comparison to their in-office counterparts, remote workers may work longer hours and take fewer breaks. They are concerned that their in-office colleagues will think they are slacking since they are out of sight, so they overcompensate by staying late or making themselves available outside of regular working hours.
2. Less Diversity
A possible impact on the diversity in the workplace, due to the option of working from home. The daily number of women who attended the meetings at the office was less than what was before the hybrid working system. In addition, it also impacted the representation of women in leadership positions.
3. Culture Suffering
Employees missed the daily chit-chat around coffee and those small interactions that made up the culture and enhanced team spirit. When people meet, they talk, they exchange greetings, information, personal and business stuff. Those daily exchanges force people to get out of their cocoons and meet their colleagues, whether in hallways, meetings, or by the coffee machine.
4. Emotions of Guilt
Those who worked from home in a hybrid system might suffer feelings of guilt as they worked in the comfort of their own homes while their colleagues worked at the office. Moreover, they might exert loads of effort to be seen to compensate for not being "insight." worked at
The Advantages of Hybrid Workforce
1. Increased Productivity
Flexible workers can make greater use of their time in a hybrid workplace. They have the option of avoiding commuting during peak hours. They can concentrate on their work without being distracted by the usual office noises and distractions. They can work whenever it is most productive for them, whether in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. Employees perform better when they are happier, more rested, and less worried.
2. Hire Global Talents
The hybrid working model allows many global organizations to hire and outsource remote talents and skills that have been expensive and hard to bring in during the pre-pandemic era.
3. Competitive Advantage
A competitive advantage to organizations that can adopt a hybrid system that is very attractive to employees allows for the needed work-life balance
4. High Levels of Performance
Post-pandemic, a research paper by Microsoft on the impact of the pandemic on the performance of companies across Europe revealed that 82 percent of leaders said their companies were at least as productive as they were before the pandemic. This research makes lots of sense as flexible employees get to choose their most productive time during the day.
5. Lowered Cost
The hybrid working system also allows for low costs, whether employees are saving commuting costs or businesses are saving office space and desk costs. There's no need for rows upon rows of assigned desks in a hybrid office. Instead, a successful hybrid office combines various flexible spaces designed to support employees across multiple tasks.
1Forbes, June 2021, Laura Lebleu, The Pros and Cons of the coming Hybrid Workplace, Accessed 15 September 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/servicenow/2021/06/11/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-coming-hybrid-workplace/?sh=16dab4747845
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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