What Is Hybrid Working and Is It Right for Your Business?

Monday May 10, 2021

The term “hybrid-working” has gained popularity recently, but what exactly does it mean, and could it be right for your business?

Hybrid working is a style of working which involves both workplace attendance and remote working. Like remote working, hybrid-working is not new, but has received heightened interest due to the pandemic.

Since working from home became, and for some continues to be, the default way of working, more employers have been able to see first-hand the benefits and setbacks of managing a remote workforce.

Employees have also had a trial run of working from home, and understandably, the opinion polls are mixed when it comes to their long-term preference.

Can hybrid-working offer the best of both worlds? Many employers are keen to try it.

To understand whether hybrid-working is right for your business, it’s important to consider what the positives and negatives may be.

On the upside, increased flexibility can lead to happier and more productive employees. Flexible working patterns are known to support a better work/life balance and can be particularly beneficial for those with difficult commutes or caring responsibilities.

Another plus for the hybrid-working model is that it can widen a potential talent pool and thus increase the diversity of candidates. The best person for the job may not live locally, or want to work remotely all the time, in which case a hybrid model could be a workable solution.

The negatives? Some companies have found that their creativity and problem solving has stalled with Zoom. You could be paying for an office space that isn’t fully utilised, although if you can, downsizing may be a solution. You could also experience new challenges in communication between teams. When conversations happen in the office, how is everyone else kept in the loop?

If you’re undecided, why not give it a trial run? A phased transition back to work could be the perfect opportunity to do so. And of course, If you need some help to do it, The HR Dept is here!

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