The number of remote jobs has significantly increased in recent years. Despite employees actively choosing to work from home, many companies have not fully embraced remote work. Instead, these companies have implemented a hybrid-remote setup.
In this article, we’ll discuss what hybrid-remote means and how hybrid differs from a fully remote work schedule.
What Is Hybrid-Remote Work?
Hybrid-remote work is a work structure where employees have a schedule for working remotely and in the office. Employees can choose where to work based on their tasks’ demands. This arrangement offers flexibility, allowing employees to work where they are most productive.
Hybrid-remote means workers have a better work-life balance, as it offers the benefits of two work structures.
Employees can work in the office when they need to attend meetings or collaborate with their teammates, while they can dedicate remote work days to when they need to focus on a task.
While this setup prioritizes employees, companies that implement it also benefit. For example, it reduces utility bills because companies do not need to accommodate employees five days a week.
Employees can focus on their tasks and produce better output, which benefits companies in terms of their reputation with clients.
What Is the Difference Between Hybrid & Remote Work?
The main difference between hybrid and remote work is the location of the employees’ work. Remote work allows employees to work from anywhere, while hybrid work requires them to report to the office according to a set schedule.
In a hybrid-remote setting, the company or the employees choose when they work onsite. If you decide on the work arrangement, the employees’ onsite work schedule will depend on the hybrid-remote model you will implement.
Want an in-depth comparison between hybrid vs. remote work? Take a look at this comparison article.
What Are the Types of Hybrid-Remote Work Schedules?
Various types of hybrid-remote work arrangements cater to employees’ needs. These arrangements allow employees to choose the best schedule, resulting in a better work-life balance.
These are the six types of hybrid-remote work:
1. Flexible Hybrid Work
In a flexible hybrid work model, employees can choose when to work onsite and at home. This model gives workers autonomy, allowing them more control over their schedules. This results in employees feeling more trusted by their employers, leading to increased engagement.
This work schedule also increases productivity, as employees do not have to expend energy commuting to the office daily. However, it can also present challenges in terms of communication within an organizational culture, as employees are not used to working together.
2. Office-Centric Hybrid Work
As the name suggests, this work setup requires workers to be in the office most of the time. Companies that need frequent team collaboration and meetings usually employ the office-centric approach.
An office-centric hybrid work is ideal for those who want to maintain and develop a strong connection with their team. However, it also means employees must spend more time and money commuting.
3. Remote-First Hybrid Work
This working model is ideal for employees who prefer working at a flexible location most of the time. In this setup, workers primarily rely on communication tools to connect with their teams. Companies only set a specific day on which they will work in the office, usually during meetings or events.
This work arrangement benefits both employees and the company. Companies can reduce overhead costs, as they do not need to provide equipment and office space to employees. Employees can freely choose where to work as long as they finish their tasks on time.
However, remote-first hybrid work can result in disconnection between employees, as they can only communicate virtually.
4. Alternate Week Hybrid Work
Employees using this work model alternate between working offsite and onsite. This means working remotely for one week and in the office the following week.
Unlike other work schedules that allow employees to choose when they work remotely, employers decide on the schedule in the alternate-week hybrid work setup.
While this arrangement maintains employee connection, it can also be unproductive for some employees. This is especially true for employees who have tasks they can do independently.
5. Fixed Hybrid Work
In this work arrangement, the employer is responsible for scheduling when employees will work remotely and onsite. The schedule applies to each team or department, allowing the company to maximize its office space.
A fixed hybrid work schedule allows employers to schedule in-person meetings or team collaborations. However, some employees may find themselves less productive because they do not have control over their work schedule.
Why Is Hybrid-Remote Work on the Rise?
Hybrid work has always existed in various industries. However, it became more prominent after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now that industries are back to their normal operations, many have completely embraced this work arrangement due to its convenience. However, it’s not just the employers who experience the convenience of the hybrid-remote work schedule; employees also benefit from it.
These are the reasons why the hybrid-remote work setup is becoming more popular:
1. It Improves Productivity
In a hybrid-remote model, employees can choose to work when they are most productive and where they feel comfortable. The ability to select the time and location they will work from allows them to concentrate more on tasks, thus making them more productive.
For instance, employees can choose to communicate virtually or work in the office if they are working on something that requires their team leader’s assistance.
2. Encourages Better Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance can be challenging to achieve when you’re working 9 to 5. However, when your employees can control their work schedule, they can make themselves available when they need to tend to a personal matter.
For instance, employees can work in the morning when their kids are in school and have a break when they need to pick them up. Then, they can finish their shift when they no longer have errands.
Hybrid-remote work also means employees don’t have to commute daily, giving them more time for personal activities.
Get more tips on how to achieve work-life balance on Business News Daily.
3. Gives Access to More Talent
Companies that need more talent can benefit from the hybrid-remote model as they can hire people from around the globe. For employers, this means more chances to get people with specialized skills. For workers, a hybrid-remote work setup means better odds of getting hired.
Companies that opt for the hybrid-remote work setup can access diverse perspectives. This can help them develop new plans when working on a project, thus giving them a competitive edge.
4. Increases Employee Satisfaction
Nature, a science journal, has conducted a study among 1,612 workers from the Chinese company Trip.com. The study found that hybrid-remote work reduced employee quit rates by 33%.
Another study by Cisco also revealed that workers experience better well-being when they can choose where to work.
Employees with autonomy over their schedules, work-life balance, and working environment experience less burnout. As a result, they experience less conflict between their professional and personal lives, leading to increased job satisfaction.
5. Saves Costs
Employers that adopt a hybrid work setup only facilitate a limited number of employees. This means fewer people will use office equipment and utility bills, thus lowering overhead costs.
Going hybrid-remote can also lead to less tax. Companies only need a small, work-friendly space for in-person workers, which decreases the taxable property value.
Hybrid-remote means less indirect expenses, such as office cleaning services and equipment maintenance.
Explore more reasons why hybrid-remote work is becoming prominent in this article by Meta.
Factors to Consider Before Adopting a Hybrid-Remote Setup
Many huge companies like Slack, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe are now implementing hybrid-remote work. While this may encourage you to do the same, there are things you need to consider when switching to a different work arrangement.
Here are the factors you must consider when adopting a hybrid-remote work setting:
1. How It Will Affect Your Employees
If you have always been in an in-person work setting, your employees might not be able to shift to hybrid quickly. Some may not have a stable internet connection or a good computer set at home. Worse, they may not have a quiet, peaceful space to turn into an office.
Give your employees time to prepare before going hybrid. It would also be significantly helpful if you could provide work computers so they won’t have to invest in one.
Once your employees are already working hybrid, check how they cope with the change. Offer them support if you spot any signs of burnout.
2. Employee Performance
While hybrid work can increase employee productivity, you still need to consider the types of tasks your employees handle. Can they do the tasks independently, or is collaboration required? Do managers need to check on the tasks frequently?
If workers are handling tasks they can do independently, going hybrid might not affect their performance. However, they might benefit more onsite if they continually work on projects that need collaboration and checking.
3. The Systems & Tools You Will Use
When going hybrid, your employees must have an excellent communication tool for asynchronous collaboration. There are many communication tools you can choose from depending on the size of your workforce.
You can check this article for a list of the best communication tools for remote work.
You may also opt to use a time tracker for employees working out of the office. By tracking their task progress and productivity, you can determine what hybrid-remote work type suits your employees.
If you are looking for time-tracking tools, Portfolink has a list of the best ones for remote teams.
4. Onsite Activities
True enough, workers can do a lot when they do their tasks alone. However, not all your company’s tasks can be performed remotely. Confidential tasks should only be done on office computers to prevent data leaks.
Before implementing a hybrid-remote setup, discuss it with your managers and department leaders. Make a list of tasks that employees must complete in the office. It is also ideal to ask for input from your employees to ensure that you can devise a fool-proof hybrid-remote work game plan.
Forbes has an article highlighting that some tasks cannot be done remotely.
5. Ability to Lead People Remotely
Working remotely requires different skills than those you already have. Communicating virtually can pose challenges, as talking to a team via chat or calls requires active listening skills.
Similarly, you need to become proficient in the new tools and systems you will use when working remotely with your team.
Considering the need for new skills, providing leaders and managers with additional skill training is essential. This way, they can learn how to support their team even when they only see each other virtually.
6. Cloud Security
One of the most important factors to consider when going hybrid is the safety of your company data.
When employees are working remotely, they need to send files back and forth through online communication tools. While this may seem harmless, viruses and malware can quickly get into computers and steal data.
For this reason, going hybrid-remote means revising your IT infrastructure to prevent data leaks and breaches. Investing in a suitable cloud security protocol for further protection is also ideal.
An article by the University of Washington Human Resources outlines how to determine a company’s eligibility for hybrid work.
Tips for Implementing Hybrid-Remote Work
Once you have weighed whether or not you will transition to hybrid-remote work, you must implement next. However, note that this is something new for you and your employees. For this reason, you may experience some bumps along the way.
These are some of the practical tips for implementing hybrid-remote work:
1. Establish Goals, Policies, & Expectations
Apart from clear communication, hybrid-remote work heavily relies on well-defined policies. So, you need to set your goals and communicate them with your employees so they know what is expected from them.
Establish guidelines for when employees will work onsite and asynchronously. A consistent schedule will prevent confusion and maintain productivity.
2. Trust That Your Employees Can Work Independently
It’s hard to manage and check employee output when they are working remotely. Unlike working in the office, where you can swing by your employees’ desks anytime, hybrid-remote work means you can only check their work at a given time.
You may be tempted to call or chat with your employees constantly. However, this can make them feel micromanaged and untrusted.
Once you have set clear goals and expectations, trust your employees to meet them. Have faith in your employees’ ability to work efficiently without constant supervision. Rather than constantly checking their progress, schedule specific times to review their output.
Find out why micromanaging your employees is a bad idea and how leaders can do a self-check on PortfoLink.
3. Ask for & Provide Feedback
Managing an entire workforce remotely is difficult when you’ve always done it face-to-face. To make things easier, regularly ask your employees how they are doing in terms of working remotely.
This can help you figure out how they are coping with their work arrangement and make adjustments when necessary.
Another essential thing to do when you switch to hybrid-remote work is to provide employee feedback. Did their productivity decline? Are they easy to communicate with? Providing them with answers to such questions will help them discover the areas in which they must improve.
4. Invest in Tools
Collaborating across distances is more manageable when employees are using high-quality tools. So, when choosing to go hybrid, you should spend money on tools.
Apart from communication tools, you should also invest in collaboration systems where employees can collectively work. Asana, Basecamp, and Trello are excellent systems you can use.
Need more tools? PortfoLink has a list of virtual team tools for remote workers.
If possible, investing in your employees’ office equipment is also beneficial. This guarantees they are working using good computers, thus making them more productive.
Find more tips for implementing hybrid-remote work on Forbes.
What Are the Disadvantages of a Hybrid-Remote Work?
Both companies and employees may experience the disadvantages of a hybrid-remote arrangement. Knowing these cons before going hybrid can help you counter them even before they happen.
Disadvantages of Hybrid-Remote Work for Employers
These are the disadvantages of hybrid work for employers:
- Collaboration Challenges.
When employees work remotely, you can spontaneously call them for a brainstorming or problem-solving session. This means every meeting, even the quick ones, should be scheduled ahead of time. - Investment in Tech & Infrastructure.
The tools and infrastructure you need to facilitate hybrid work can be expensive, especially for large teams. - Monitoring Issues.
You cannot quickly check what your employees are doing when you are away. - Decline in Team Cohesion.
Maintaining solid relationships between employees may be challenging when they don’t interact often.
Disadvantages of Hybrid-Remote Work for Employees
These are the disadvantages employees may face when working hybrid:
- Isolation.
Less face-to-face interactions can lead to feelings of isolation. While it may benefit some, others may find themselves unproductive when working hybrid. - Connectivity Challenges.
Employees may experience internet downtimes and power interruptions when working from home, resulting in work delays and failure to meet deadlines. - Distractions.
Since no one is physically checking in on employees, they can become distracted by non-work activities such as household chores, errands, and social media. - Miscommunication.
Getting instructions through calls or on-screen can lead to misunderstandings, as employees won’t get real-time responses when clarifying something with their teammates.
Understanding What Hybrid-Remote Work Is
Hybrid-remote work is more than a rotating schedule between offsite and onsite work. Instead, it is the responsibility of both employers and employees to be hands-on.
For employers, going hybrid means developing skills needed to effectively manage and support their workforce remotely. For employees, this means being honest and efficient enough to still handle their tasks even without face-to-face management.
Hybrid remote work can improve productivity and reduce overhead costs if implemented well. Before going hybrid, you should ensure that you and all your employees are well-prepared for the shift.
Be prepared to provide feedback and support throughout the transition so your team members can do their jobs seamlessly.
