4 types of hybrid work models and their benefits

A spy novelist by the name of John le Carre preferred writing his renowned books in trains. Maya Angelou, a writing titan, could only ever craft her novels in rented hotel rooms. It is strange how these globally acclaimed authors were accustomed to working in these particular environments, isn’t it? 

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced the concept of working from home worldwide. After the physical interaction ban was lifted, organizations across the globe had to choose whether to continue with the working from home model or to return to their physical offices. Some companies selected another alternative altogether, the hybrid-work model. 

What is the hybrid work model?

The hybrid work model is a flexible work model that allows employees to choose when and how  they want to work. A survey conducted by Envoy in April this year disclosed that 77% of companies that participated in the survey have adopted the hybrid work model where employees were granted full autonomy over their preferred work environment i.e., the “at will” work model.  

Evidently, companies globally are attempting to integrate this work model in their enterprises. This year, in March, Microsoft shared a report that stated that 66% of industry leaders are toying with the idea of redesigning their offices to incorporate the hybrid work model. Here are some major industry players that have already adopted this model:

1)     Twitter: Employees can choose whether they want to work from home or the office.

2)     Apple: In May, Apple announced that its workers would spend two days of the week working from home.

3)     Spotify: They have offices available, but workers can work from anywhere. In the event that an employee is not within a Spotify region, the company pays co-working space fees on their behalf.

4)     Microsoft: For 50% of the week, staff can work from anywhere. There is also a chance that employees can work at home full time provided they come to this agreement with management.

5)     Slack: Workers can work at home full time. The company encourages employees to select working hours that are convenient for them. 

If major players in the industry are adopting this work model then it must have significant advantages, right? Let us examine a number of them.

Advantages of the hybrid work model

Now, one of the key reasons why the hybrid work model is attracting companies is because of the low costs involved as employees do not have to be at the office throughout. There is also the fact that a majority of the workers had gotten accustomed to remote work and transitioning back to the office fully can be met with backlash. For instance, in June, Apple employees expressed their negative feelings regarding Apple’s hybrid work model policy that required them to be at the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. As a result of this policy, some employees opted to quit.

Now, can you imagine if they had been asked to return to the office full time? 

The benefits of the hybrid work model include:

• Motivated employees: If an employee is choosing where and even how they will be most productive, chances are they will be highly motivated to accomplish their tasks. The amount of flexibility offered by the hybrid-work model allows employees to capitalize on their strengths and this, in turn, increases overall company productivity.
• Reduction of operating costs: The hybrid-work model reduces costs tied to office supplies, office space, transport, office amenities etc. As a company, you will be able to direct these financial resources somewhere else.
• Improved collaboration: Flexible work environments allow employees to break away from their isolated work environments at home.  Getting face-to-face time with fellow employees a few times a week  and even employers can improve teamwork throughout the organization.
• Improves the mental health of employees : There are employees who feel isolated when they work at home and they are those who find working from the office to be stressful i.e., commuting, hitting deadlines within the required office time etc. Having a flexible work model caters to such employees who battle with mental health issues stemming from  either working at home or working from the office. 

Now that we have seen the different advantages of the hybrid work model, let’s examine the different types of this approach.

Types of hybrid-work models

Office-first

This type of hybrid-work model allows employees to choose a few days where they will be working remotely. For the majority of the week, workers are expected to work from the office.

 Remote-first

Yes you’ve guessed it! The priority here is given to working remotely. Occasionally, employees will be summoned to a physical location (offices/co-working spaces) so that they can participate in team building activities, projects that require collaboration and training sessions. 

 Flexible 

Companies that adhere to the flexible work model give their employees the freedom to decide which location they want to work in based on their needs. For instance, if members of a project feel that they need to brainstorm ideas regarding a certain project, they may decide to meet physically where they can be assured of no external interruptions such as low internet connectivity and power outage. 

Also, there are situations where employees need to focus on their tasks with minimal distractions. The ideal environment for such a situation would be at home, a library or a cafe, depending on the preferences of a given employee.

Fixed

Here, companies come up with policies that govern the hybrid-work model. This means that there are clearly identified days where employees are expected to work from home and in the office. 

HR professionals are tasked with ensuring that company culture is maintained regardless of which model is adopted by a given company. As a HR professional, which of the above mentioned hybrid-work models could work best for your organization? 

How ElevateHR can boost productivity in your organization

As the business realm evolves, companies are being forced to adapt to current market trends. An example of a large adjustment that many organizations across the globe have had to make is having hybrid work models. In order to successfully do this, companies have learned things such as how to conduct effective meetings, manage employees  and which softwares best streamline their ideas, projects, information and other key organization processes.

A key department that's involved in all the above is the HR department.  HR is an essential cog in company ships as they ensure that employee productivity remains optimal throughout the year. This is something that requires HR professionals to invest a lot of their time in ensuring employee productivity alongside all their other tasks. So how can one effectively plan and automate most HR tasks so that they get time to attend to other crucial business matters? ElevateHR  is here to make your work significantly easier. 

ElevateHR is a cloud-based HR platform that serves the African market. This platform enables its users to effectively accomplish HR tasks such as; payroll processing, salary advancements, generation of statutory reports, onboarding of employees, and the analysis of payroll performances. 

As you strive to ensure employee productivity and cultivate a healthy + positive company culture for your company, consider acquiring the services of Elevate HR as we will help you seamlessly accomplish HR tasks that will, in turn, boost your productivity. You can request a FREE demo of the automated payroll system here and we will be in touch to help you work seamlessly!