Within four short years, the idea of a 'traditional workplace' has completely transformed.
At the start of 2020, remote work was a trend gradually gaining traction, with earlier adopters actively seeking the types of benefits we explore in this article. For the vast remainder of companies, an unintended and extended trail of remote work was just around the corner.
Fast forward to 2024, and even though many organisations have embraced a hybrid working model, many leaders I speak to are unsure of how to get the ‘balance’ right for their business, team and customers.
The Australian’s 2024 CEO Survey revealed that three days in the office is the ‘new’ working week. Feedback indicated it is common for leaders to want to see employees at work on a regular cycle as this is critical for fostering teamwork, ensuring productivity, allowing for greater opportunities to learn and increasing collaboration and connection.
However, getting the balance right to support your business and your team is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Employees value the flexibility hybrid work offers, so taking a more rigorous approach to wanting your team back in the office may see you coming off second-best in the war for talent.
Different industries have differing requirements. And different teams in the same organisation have different ways of working. Similarly, individual employees have different motivators and drivers, which calls for an employee-centric approach in the broader consideration of remote and hybrid working.
Although the expectation of remote and hybrid working is the norm for employees, it is not an automatic entitlement. I am commonly faced with questions from business leaders about challenges they face with individual employees who need to improve their work outputs when they work remotely.
This blog will look at both the benefits of hybrid working and also explore some of the challenges – with solutions to negate these.
So, let’s now look at the benefits of hybrid working.
1. Flexibility and work-life balance
One of the key advantages of hybrid working is the flexibility it offers employees. Individuals can choose when and where they work, creating a better balance between work and personal life. This flexibility can increase job satisfaction and improve mental well-being, as employees have more control over their time and how and when they do their best work.
An example is that employees may be able to attend a fitness class before starting work for the day. Or they may be able to drop children at school or childcare before commencing work.
2. Increased productivity
Contrary to initial concerns about remote work negatively impacting productivity, many organisations have found that employees are often more productive when working remotely or in a hybrid model.
Reduced commute times, fewer workplace distractions, and a personalised work environment contribute to heightened focus and efficiency. Again, this is not a one-size-fits-all, as employees work in different ways and are motivated to work by different factors, so understanding what drives each individual will be important to get this balance right.
3. Talent attraction and retention
Offering a hybrid working model can be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining top talent. As the workforce increasingly values flexibility, companies that embrace hybrid working gain a competitive edge in the talent market. From our experience, it is always a question candidates ask during the recruitment process. Moreover, employees are more likely to stay with organisations that prioritise work-life balance, flexibility and well-being.
4. Access to wider talent pools and fostering diversity and inclusion
Hybrid working can contribute to greater diversity and inclusion within organisations. By eliminating geographical constraints, you can tap into broader and more diverse talent pools, bringing together individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This fosters a richer and more innovative work environment.
5. Cost effectiveness
Both employers and employees can benefit from cost savings associated with hybrid working. Reduced office space requirements, utilities, and other overhead costs contribute to organizational savings. The old need to have a 1:1 relationship of desks to employees is irrelevant in hybrid models, so a review of your team and their mobility will likely require you to need fewer desks. However, this may be countered with the need to create spaces for greater collaboration, thinking and creativity.
Similarly, employees save on commuting expenses and gain back valuable time that would have been spent travelling to and from the office.
While hybrid working can offer numerous benefits, it can also present unique obstacles impacting productivity, communication, and team cohesion. We will now explore some common challenges associated with hybrid working and share practical strategies to counter these challenges for a more seamless and effective work environment.
6. Communication
One of the primary challenges of hybrid working is the potential for communication gaps. The risk of miscommunication increases with team members working from different locations and possibly different time zones. Important information may be shared in an untimely manner, misinterpreted or even lost, leading to misunderstandings, hindered collaboration and delayed outcomes.
Establishing clear communication protocols and leveraging collaboration tools can help bridge potential communication gaps. Regular team meetings, virtual check-ins, and unified communication platforms can enhance transparency and encourage timely dialogue to help ensure that everyone is ‘on the same page’.
Also, utilising the time that the team are working in the office to come together to share important information and updates assists with consistent communication and also reinforces the value of being together.
7. Team cohesion and culture
Maintaining a strong sense of team cohesion and culture can be challenging when members are not physically present in the same location at the same time. Team-building activities and spontaneous interactions that often occur in an office setting may be compromised, thus may affect overall team dynamics and culture.
To counter this, and one of the best ‘arguments’ for having the team attend the office, is to use these office days to promote and embed team culture. Days worked from home can be spent on tasks that can done more autonomously and allow space for deep thinking. Days in the office can have a focus on coming together, collaborating and building a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Furthermore, using technology, you can encourage connection with a remote team via activities such as virtual coffee breaks and other virtual social activities.
8. Accountability and performance
Despite remote work being widespread, I often hear about managers’ challenges to getting the most from their team or at least having more visibility of what they are doing daily. Keeping team members accountable and achieving the right outcomes can be a mental barrier to fully embracing remote working.
Providing clear guidelines regarding key roles and responsibilities in the form of a job description will set expectations for your team, regardless of whether they work from the office or home. Establishing key deliverables/ KPIs/ goals (whatever you want to call them!) ensures your team are focused on the right work and spending their time where it counts. Using virtual and in-person catch-ups to provide support, coaching, and feedback will ensure that regardless of where your team is working, they will be focused on the right results. Plus, they will feel supported and engaged.
9. Work/life balance
Hybrid working can blur the lines between professional and personal life, making it challenging for everyone to establish clear boundaries. Despite offering flexibility, the absence of physical separation between home and office when working remotely may lead to longer working hours and increased stress.
The best and most powerful impact you can have is to role model effective work practices. Taking lunch, not sending emails after hours (and expecting an after-hours response) and setting clear boundaries for yourself can help employees better manage their own work/ life balance. A practice I incorporate into my working day is to ‘walk’ to my home office.
Walking around the block to arrive at my home office allows me to leave the morning chaos behind and get into a work mindset. Equally, doing the same at the end of the day and also packing up my laptop and closing the home office means I switch my energy back into my personal commitments (and gives me time to think about yet another decision, the ‘what to have for dinner’ dilemma!) after a focused and productive day’s work.
Hybrid working is here to stay. While it does have its share of challenges, you can successfully navigate them by implementing thoughtful strategies and fostering a culture that prioritises effective communication, teamwork, and employee well-being. By addressing these challenges head-on, you can harness the benefits of hybrid working while ensuring a harmonious and productive work environment.
