Building a Hybrid Work Place

In 2020, many companies went from denying that a remote work environment was possible to it becoming the only viable option.  Overnight, countless people traded their daily commute for a video conference in their kitchen.  Mostly it was successful with many finding themselves thriving.  This challenged the common belief that that remote work would stifle productivity and employee engagement.  Even roles we would not have envisioned as supporting remote workers were able to transition with the key factor being time and choice.

Attention then shifted to how to bring people back into the office.  But many employees weren’t exactly begging to come back, at least not in the same way as before. The pandemic had forever changed the modern business and there was no turning back.  Organisations found themselves trying to appease employees while balancing business with productivity goals.  This paved the way for the Hybrid Work Place. 

The Hybrid Work Place combines remote with office-based work. Hybrid work includes increased freedom and autonomy around when and where we work.  It allows the opportunity to fit work around their lives rather than around fixed hours. For many it’s an ideal scenario as it combines autonomy with sociability and structure.

A Hybrid Work Places may differ in approach but typically include the flexibility to come and go as you please.  A hybrid approach aims to provide a balance of productive work with reduced stress and less commuting. It does however impose some new challenges like:

• Booking desks and meeting spaces
• A need for many more video enabled spaces

A Boston Consulting Group study revealed that 75% of employees who have transitioned to remote work are at least as productive as they were in the office.  About half also report that they are as productive on collaborative tasks that would normally have been in meeting rooms. A recent survey of Google employees, 62% want to return to their offices at some point, but not every day.

A hybrid Work Place prioritizes the employee and encourages a stronger work-life balance for them. It additionally can help ease anxiety employees may have relating to returning to a public workspace.  Companies offering the option of a Hybrid Work Place will have a larger talent pool to work with as they will no longer be confined to hiring in specific geographies.

A Hybrid Work Place can also be cheaper with less reliance on expensive corporate office space so in the long run companies can save on real estate and maintenance costs. There will however be a cost to transition to new spaces which will take time and effort to put into effect.

A Hybrid Work Place will build a crisis resilient culture by preparing people for the potential of future lockdowns.  With many already working from home, the Work Place can easily adapt back to a fully remote environment if necessary. Finally, a Hybrid Work Place can reduce the spread of contagious viruses, as employees can choose to work from home if they are feeling unwell but able to work. 

The hybrid Work Place model isn’t without its flaws. Not everyone has quality internet access, designated home workspaces or distraction free environments.  Ensuring workers have the right devices like noise cancelling headsets, web cameras at the persons eyeline so that video calls are natural rather than looking up your nose and external monitors and docks to enable better productivity and ergonomics.

Remote workers who cannot work in the office can be disadvantaged. Even with video meetings there are potential side discussions that they may miss out on. 

There is also concern that those more visible in the office will be viewed as providing greater output so we will need to ensure that remote employees don’t feel passed up for opportunities because they were less visible.  This could be especially problematic if leadership is present in the office so it will contain a perceived power base.

Equally important are challenges with collaboration and communication. There is some risk that those remote may feel excluded in crucial conversations. If not properly monitored, a Hybrid Work Place can create a divide. 

The challenges associated with connecting and communicating with employees aren’t new.  These problems were solved a long time ago with intranets (SharePoint) and information tools (Yammer). People depend on their intranet to increase access to knowledge, get timely communication and to drive consistency. Intranets play a key role in the success of a Hybrid Work Place by providing a central repository for dynamic information.

Because you won’t know where people will be, all meetings will be scheduled as online with many also including a meeting space. To enable productive communications with all participants, every meeting space will need to be video enabled.

Not every team member will want to or be able to return to an office. It is essential to ensure that anyone working remotely is provided the same opportunities for success and access to information as those in an office. A Hybrid Work Place requires a new approach with the management of two distinct employee experiences.  Success is about investing an equal amount of effort into at-home and in-office team members.  Social functions (physical and virtual), online townhall meetings, and online collaboration platforms (Microsoft Teams) help keep people connected and aligned. Success will come from carefully and clear communication to all employees who must understand their expectations as well as what they can expect from their leadership. 

The pandemic has empowered us to re-imagine the Work Place, and the opportunities to optimize it.  The Hybrid Work Place is the solution for the future of work. The Hybrid Work Place will be a happier, healthier, and more productive place than any office was before.