Considering hybrid working in your organisation? Discover how the approach can supercharge your team

As a career coach, I meet with many different people from many organisations, facing many different kinds of challenges from onboarding to offboarding and everywhere in between. Through the last two years, one of those challenges has been managing the way that employees work – whether it’s in the office, remote work or a hybrid model, organisations are navigating a new way of working and there’s still plenty to figure out along the way. 

Before 2020, many employees may never have needed to work remotely, but the experience has opened up many opportunities to increase their work/life balance, stay productive and have a little more control over their work day. Hybrid work models have become a highly-desired feature as individuals conduct their job search. It’s clear to see how the model benefits employees, but employers have much to gain too.

What is hybrid work? 

The heart of hybrid work is all about finding a balance between working in the office and working remotely and can be driven by a variety of factors like flexibility, safety or space limitations. While ‘hybrid work’ is one concept, it can look very different between different organisations, with many embracing different percentages of remote work with different systems for making it happen.

The benefits of hybrid work for organisations 

The ‘Great Resignation’ has seen a lot of movement as people seek a career change. Job seekers have plenty of things on their list when it comes to finding a new role but for many, hybrid working models are at the top. It’s in every organisation’s best interest to understand what they stand to gain by offering hybrid working as an option: 

• Increased productivity

  Hybrid work gives employees more autonomy to work in the way that works best for them. 40% of people believe they can be productive and healthy from anywhere (whether fully remote, in the office or in a hybrid model). Time in the office is not alway synonymous with productive work and hybrid models allow both employees and organisations to find the balance that works best for them.

   

• Employee satisfaction
  

  Retaining employees is important and job satisfaction is a huge factor in this retention. The flexibility of hybrid work allows employees to manage their work and life together, finding a balance that suits better than a traditional 9-5 office might. On average, companies see a 12% reduction in turnover when their employees can work remotely.

   

• Improved collaboration

  Collaboration, whether within teams or cross-department, can be hindered by a total remote approach to work. Hybrid work gives teams the flexibility to come into the office while still enjoying the flexibility of remote work, giving them an opportunity to meet face-to-face and collaborate with ease throughout the week. 83% of companies say collaboration on new projects has been as good or better than it was before the pandemic.

• Wider talent pools

  Whether it’s parent/carer commitments, disability, or location – there are many reasons why a jobseeker might struggle to come into the office reliably each day. Embracing a hybrid working model allows organisations to widen their talent pools, selecting new employees who can work from anywhere, at times that suit them, regardless of their availability to make it into the office. 

How to showcase your hybrid working model

As more job seekers look for working models that suit their lifestyle, it’s important to present your options to them accurately throughout the interview and onboarding process. Remember to clearly explain: 

• The expectations of working in a hybrid model – percentages, availability, etc. 
• How you have built workflows and communication frameworks to support all workers, regardless of where they’re working 
• The set-up of the office – whether it’s hot-desking, dedicated desks or another arrangement

There are many questions your candidates will ask you as they investigate whether you are the right fit for them, anticipating these questions and ensuring you have the information available to them will mean you secure the employees who will benefit your organisation, hopefully for years to come.