What Does The Hybrid Work Model Refer To?

As businesses have shut down their offices for over a year now, many owners question whether remote working is more productive. On the other hand, some businesses are insisting on sticking to the traditional workplace methods. Either way, the hybrid working model post covid plays some part in each working strategy. 

The hybrid work model can be called an amalgamation of working in an office and working from home. Employees working on a hybrid policy can choose whether to work from home or their offices and decide which time they can be the most productive. It should be noted that there are no definite rules to applying the hybrid work model post covid to a workplace. Each organization has its policies to implement, which means that the hybrid idea can vary from business to business. However, there are a few concepts that nearly all hybrid workplaces have adopted. 

What Has Working During Covid Been Like?

Due to the pandemic situation in almost every country, home employment or work-from-home jobs are rising. Also sometimes referred to as 'remote working', work from home jobs typically involve a workplace set up in the employee's own home. It means that the organization has allowed workers to work from their residence place either full-time or when it is most convenient for them. As physical work activities have been suspended due to the pandemic situation, more and more workers find themselves working from their homes with the covid-19 hybrid work model.

How Productive is Working From Home?

One major obstacle faced by remote workers with covid-19 hybrid work is the inability to manage their own time and hybrid work from home schedule. When your job previously required you to set alarms and be dressed and ready by a certain time, you will find it difficult to have no time restrictions. For my peers who have a desk job, most of them admit that being able to set your hours can sound very appealing at first. However, over time, it becomes a struggle not to procrastinate and get work done. This happens because remote workers often sleep in, or waste time, knowing there are no real consequences. This can negatively impact their productivity.

The 'Remote First' Policy

In most hybrid working models post covid, businesses have kept a 'remote first' policy for their employees, which means remote working will be the company's default working style. Still, there may be exceptions for some workers. Most businesses will keep their offices open for employees to work from, but some workers may need to show their physical presence on some days. Therefore, this option will not offer the same flexibility to all workers. 

This work from anywhere method is relatively easy to follow, employees will be allowed to relocate their workspaces to their homes, but the offices will still be open should they choose to come back. The office spaces can be used to create workshops or training platforms, where they can be put to use in other ways to benefit the business. In this way, some operations will remain inside the office, and the employees that visit the office regularly will be able to work on them. The counterpart of this policy is called 'office first. 

As the name suggests, the 'office first policy that works with the hybrid working suggests a priority on office-based work. The company will still offer some employees remote work, but most of the team will be situated in the office spaces. The other subdivision of the hybrid working model after covid is referred to as 'office-occasional.

The 'Office-Occasional' Policy

If a company can not find uses for its office space other than for employees to work in, it will do its best to make employees work from the office rather than at home. In this situation, a hybrid workforce is set up incorporated with the office policy occasionally. In an office-occasional setup, employees are instructed to visit the office on a few selected days a week. The employees will have to perform their tasks in the office and collaborate on other projects these days.

This policy will vary from each organization, as not all businesses will need employees to work at the office. Therefore, businesses can ask their workers to visit the office on any two or three days of their choice. The policies can also be more rigid and inform employees to visit the office on four or five confirmed days. 

Is The Hybrid Working Model After Covid Productive?

Certain boundaries need to be set around each business's policies to ensure productivity if they implement the hybrid working model after covid.

Pros And Cons of The Hybrid Working Model After Covid?

A hybrid workplace can bring definite increases in productivity, as it is prioritized over everything else, and employees can work in any workplace they want. Additionally, tasks can be distributed evenly to office workers and remote workers, and a certain distinction is created. This culture change in the workplace makes the team easier to manage for the business owner. There is also a significant decrease in the business's running costs once more workers switch to remote working. There is a lesser need for office supplies, and the business may also save on rental expenses.

On the other hand, a hybrid work model can create unintentional hierarchies in the organization, where remote workers are not shown the same treatment as office workers. Working at home can also be an isolating experience for many people. Even if you are a complete introvert, you feel lonely after just a few weeks of remote working. Moreover, if employees are changing their locations regularly, they may be at the risk of cybercrimes. It becomes more of a hassle to compute and record all data made and back up the one that is being renewed. Not all employees can be made sure to tackle these issues of hybrid working model after covid, which can be a problem.