The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work in the present, and likely the future as well. While many had some experience working from home, most organizations were not ready for the immediate long-term changes associated with operating with a remote staff. When we return to the office post-pandemic, we should expect the workplace to look different than it did before. Expect fewer in person meetings, work spaces spread out to allow for more social distancing, and perhaps employees alternating days in the office. But, that’s just the beginning. There’s so much more to the hybrid approach.
At Wellforce, we have assisted dozens of organizations to adopt a hybrid working approach, and the first question is always the same: “What does ‘hybrid working’ mean? Isn’t that just remote work?” Over the next few weeks in this series we will explain what hybrid workforce, hybrid infrastructure, hybrid security, and hybrid workstation are and how they can help you prepare for the future of work. We will not be recommending specific products or solutions, but rather helping you to understand how each component of the hybrid working model work together to help you decide for yourself and your business.
So, what is hybrid working? At the most basic level, a hybrid working model involves a combination of remote, semi-remote, and office-based employees. If properly implemented and supported, the hybrid working model can cut costs by requiring less physical office space, improve productivity and efficiency by reducing “time wastes” like daily commutes, and sets you on a course to help “future proof” your operations by adopting new technologies. See the graphic below for more information:
According to Rick Kershaw, Chief People Officer at Peakon, not everyone works the same, and remote working isn’t for everyone, but allowing employee options and autonomy over some of those choices is beneficial. “The rise of the hybrid working model is down to the fact that in the post-pandemic world, many people want to be back in the office, but not all the time.” Communication and trust are key, he says, for the hybrid model to work. If employees feel supported, heard, and trusted, and they understand what they’re working towards, they are much more likely to succeed.
As we can finally see light at the end of the tunnel (fingers crossed), organizations will be determining what the best and safest way to return is, and Wellforce can help. Please visit our Resources page and check out our blogs for more discussion on hybrid working, and be on the look out for more hybrid content.
