What are the pros and cons to businesses continuing to have a hybrid working policy?
Introduction
Hybrid working arrangements, which combine remote and in-person work, can provide employees with flexibility, and enhance their work-life balance. This way of working has become increasingly popular in recent years, offering both advantages and challenges. It is crucial for businesses to consider the unique needs of their organisation, industry practices, and individual employee preferences when assessing the suitability of a hybrid work model for the organisation. Balancing the benefits and potential challenges of hybrid working arrangements is vital in making an informed decision.
The pros of hybrid working
The greatest advantage of hybrid working is the increased flexibility for employees to work in ways that are most effective to them and improving their work life balance in the process.
The increased flexibility for employees leads to a more balanced workload, with higher work-life satisfaction, as it takes into account that everyone has their own time and pace at which they work best. As employees are able to adapt their working hours around their personal commitments, this may lead to them be more productive and focused on their work.
Engaged employees may also produce better business outcomes and can lead to an increase in profitability. Flexible working is now a priority for many employees, therefore by offering employees to craft their own schedules, businesses can improve retention and enhance overall performance.
While accommodating work preferences, this arrangement can also significantly reduce commuting time and expenses for employees who previously had to commute five days a week. If employees are no longer required to commute to the office every day, this will allow them to have valuable time back, which may lead to them being more recharged and refreshed, whilst also allowing them to engage with employees on their days in the office.
The hybrid model has also proved to be beneficial for employees with childcare responsibilities, as working from home can allow them to start working earlier or finish later to make up for time spent collecting their children from school or nursery. Therefore, allowing employees to work flexibly alongside hybrid working can help boost productivity of employees, whilst also creating a beneficial company culture in which employees are satisfied.
Hybrid working may also have massive cost saving implications for businesses. As workplaces have not been utilised at maximum capacity since the pandemic, many companies have decided to downsize their office space, hence saving on rental costs, electricity and heating bills as well as saving on office supplies, stationery and cleaning. The reduced overheads can then lead to more spending on things like software, salaries and new technology which can help with job retention.
The cons of hybrid working
However, hybrid working can also present challenges for businesses.
Hybrid working may come with the effect of making employees feeling less connected to the organisation's culture. One major concern is the potential for a disconnect among team members, leading to impaired communication and collaboration. Maintaining a cohesive company culture and ensuring effective teamwork can be more complex when employees are not physically present in the same location. Employees can feel isolated and divided from their colleagues due to the reduced face to face interaction, which may lead to concerns about how employers support the mental health and wellbeing of their employees from a distance.
Further, the blurred lines between work and personal life due to the element of home working may result in a difficulty for employees in setting boundaries and unplugging from work, hence potentially leading to burnout.
Although video meetings have now become common as part of the hybrid working model, some qualities of face-to-face meetings can get lost in virtual communication. In-person meetings can prompt more free flowing conversations, therefore making it easier to spontaneously develop ideas through discussion. It can also be easier to boost morale of employees and improve teamwork in person rather than virtually. Likewise, cross-departmental communication will occur more informally when employees are in the office full time, as this can often be outside of planned formal meetings. It is often easier to engage in conversation with other teams in person rather than having to schedule a meeting for it, which can help with the learning and development of junior employees in particular.
Onboarding can also be particularly challenging in a hybrid working arrangement, as new hires may have limited in-person interaction with their supervisors and colleagues, which can prove harder for them to establish work relationships, ask questions, and request support in understanding their role as well as the culture of the company. There may be a lack of social integration whilst new recruits work from home, as they may miss out on informal social interactions and team gatherings. New recruits may also struggle to navigate the various communication tools used by the business, as well as facing difficulty accessing resources whilst they are working remotely.
How to use technology to your advantage
An important consideration for businesses when operating on the hybrid working model is how to ensure they are making optimal use of technology to enhance the ways of working. To utilise technology for hybrid working, it is important to leverage collaboration tools such as video conferencing over Zoom or Microsoft Teams and incorporate instant messaging platforms such as Microsoft Teams. Project management tools to keep track of deadlines, and cloud storage to store documents for easy access, may also be useful in ensuring employees working remotely have suitable sources for work.
Establishing clear communication practices may be crucial to counter any lack of communication that can be a common issue with this way of working. Encouraging virtual collaboration, such as regular meetings, and the use of video, may help employees feel more included whilst working remotely. Ensuring remote access to resources may also be extremely useful, particularly for new recruits, to ensure that despite not being in the office, fulfilling their role is not hindered by not having complete access to necessary sources.
A risk that comes with hybrid working is the use of sensitive data being used by employees virtually. Businesses therefore should consider implementing cybersecurity measures, such as two factor authentication, to enhance protection of sensitive data, as well as providing training on best practices for cybersecurity.
Businesses should ensure continuous adaptation to stay up to date with emerging technologies, and adapt their own technology accordingly to meet evolving business needs as part of the hybrid working model.
Conclusion
In conclusion, hybrid working offers increased flexibility and cost savings but poses challenges relating to communication and teamwork. Striking the right balance and implementing effective policies whilst utilising technology are imperative for businesses looking to develop the benefits of the hybrid working model while mitigating the associated drawbacks.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
