Hybrid Work Models and How to Support Them

Many companies are using hybrid work models instead of expecting employees to go back to the office full-time. With a hybrid model, business leaders can realize the benefits of both in-office and remote work.

Here’s a look at the hybrid work model and what employers can do to support a more flexible workplace.

What Will Hybrid Work Look Like?

A hybrid work model refers to any model that involves a combination of in-office work time and work-from-home time. The specifics of your model will depend on several factors, such as office space, what your employees prefer, and how many staff members you need in the office.

Here are some questions to consider when creating your business’s hybrid model:

• Will employees come to the office on a set number of days, such as two days in the office and three at home?
• Are those days fixed, or can they change each week?
• Are there specific requirements for meetings, or will your company offer the flexibility of virtual meetings, giving your employees more agency over where they work?
• How will these changes impact scheduling if your organization cuts back on office space? Will employees have to follow a staggered schedule so that there are never too many people in the office?

5 Ways Employers Can Support Hybrid Workers

A hybrid work model doesn’t guarantee a productive, engaged, and efficient workforce. Employers need to take action to ensure all employees are supported.

1. Talk to your staff to find out what their preferences are. Just because global and national surveys say that a certain percentage of employees want two or three days of remote work doesn’t mean that’s what your employees want. Take an in-house survey to determine where your team stands on the remote work debate.
2. Set clear goals. Make clear what’s expected in terms of productivity, in-person and virtual participation, and check-ins.
3. Onboard new employees. While your existing team may be remote-work pros at this point, your new employees may need help adapting to a hybrid work model. Create a system for onboarding new employees. For example, put together training material on remote work best practices and cybersecurity essentials, meet with new employees every day for an initial period and invite feedback on your organization’s model.
4. Provide resources for remote employees to keep them engaged and ensure they have the proper setup at home. Ergonomic office furniture, suggestions on privacy and quiet time, and secure hardware can all help to boost productivity.
5. Support your employees with the right tools. With cloud communications technology, collaboration and productivity will be seamless whether employees are at home, in the office, or working in another location.

Here are some of the essential tools for hybrid work:

• Cloud-based phone system. With VoIP technology, calls are sent via the internet. Employees can make calls from anywhere they have an internet connection – they don’t have to be in the office to make and receive business calls.
• Unified communications. A UCaaS solution streamlines communication by housing all of your tools in one platform and integrating data. Video conferencing, phone, chat, and file sharing all happen from one place.
• Contact center software. If you have contact center agents, use a cloud-based contact center solution to empower them to work from wherever.

Find Your Hybrid Happy Medium

Hybrid work models are a balance between remote and in-office. When done well, they provide the structure and social interaction that comes with working in an office and the agility and independence of working from home. As your organization establishes a post-pandemic work model, be flexible with the details until you hit the perfect balance for your teams.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Intermedia.