Don't Let Your Hybrid Work Model Be the Worst of Both Worlds
Hybrid work appears to be the perfect blend of the pre- and post-COVID workspace, yet questions remain on whether hybrid work is actually a boon or a bane for productivity. Can employees successfully maintain two full offices, or is the context switch of splitting time between home and a central office inadvertently hindering performance?
The Benefits of Hybrid Work
Loss of productivity and erosion of culture remain common rationalizations among organizations trying to push their employees back into the office full-time, said Nancy Settle-Murphy, hybrid work expert and owner of Guided Insights. Yet she called such arguments "specious."
"Few of the companies who are claiming that productivity has slowed since COVID seem to have valid benchmark data that compares pre-COVID productivity to the current state," she said.
In fact, in its quarterly pulse surveys of over 10,000 desk workers and managers across the globe the Future Forum found those with flexible work arrangements report higher levels of productivity, with those who have schedule flexibility reporting 39% higher productivity than those without. Amy Dufrane, CEO of the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) notes hybrid work may maximize an employee’s work-life integration, which means companies can benefit from a fresher, less frustrated employee who is better balanced with work and personal commitments.
This could be due to the increased freedom and flexibility a hybrid model provides. With some days in the office and some days at home, employees have more control over their work environments. "For many people, especially those who have cramped living spaces, have slow internet speeds, feel isolated without in-person social connections, working in the office can be preferable. This underscores the need to give workers a choice about where they work, rather than mandating a one-size-fits-all," said Settle-Murphy.
Cisco’s 2022 Global Hybrid Work study identified five areas of well-being (financial, physical, emotional, social and mental) and reported increases in each of these areas as a result of hybrid work. Eighty-two percent of respondents claimed hybrid work made them happier and more motivated in their role, while 55% claimed hybrid work reduced their stress levels. However, not all organizations who are able to embrace a hybrid model are willing to do so.
Accenture’s 2021 Future of Work Study study revealed that 66% of CEOs recognize the need for a better work model (one that’s ideally hybrid) but are reluctant to sever ties to the old way of conducting business. Furthermore, only 26% feel they have a future-ready strategy for tackling the changes needed to adopt to today’s work environment.
On this point, Settle-Murphy noted that: “One of the most challenging aspects of hybrid work for employees and managers alike is making the best use of office time by planning intentional gatherings, meetings, information exchanges, training and other activities where people can make or renew connections, build trust and learn from each other. This takes more planning and coordination when people work in the office only on certain days.”
Related Article: Gallup: Now Isn't the Time to Abandon Flexible Work
Potential Downsides
Hybrid work has its potential downsides, however. Doing it well requires more coordination and planning than the fully in office or fully remote model.
"Hybrid requires careful planning and coordination to ensure face-to-face time has real value. No one wants to schlepp into the office just to take more Teams calls. To make hybrid work employers need to make the office a place of meaningful connection,” said Sharon O’Dea, founder of the Digital Workplace Experience Study (DWCX). Planning and coordination are essential. Companies often call employees into the office a few days a week without intention, which means employees arrive only to find they are doing the same work in a central office that they could be doing at home.
Learning Opportunities
Settle-Murphy agreed, saying, "One of the most challenging aspects of hybrid work for employees and managers alike is making the best use of office time by planning intentional gatherings, meetings, information exchanges, training and other activities where people can make or renew connections, build trust and learn from each other."
Hybrid work can also be inconvenient, despite the fact that it’s designed for more flexibility. Those who have grown used to working from home may struggle to get back into the habit of the occasional commute, and in some cases, those who moved away from the office (thinking remote was permanent) may now have to make a longer, more troublesome trip to work.
Another issue with having more than one office is employees may feel like they’re always on the clock — there is no designated work-free zone. "Working at home, the boundaries between home and work can disappear, with work bleeding into personal time and people left feeling like they’re living at work. The places a strain on employee wellbeing, as well as increased pressure on managers to help their teams manage workload and prevent burnout," said O'Dea.
In addition, some employees may lack permanent desk space in their central office as a result of office downsizing. That lack of a dedicated area for work can make it challenging to maintain focus, as well as the added challenge of operating and supporting two full office setups (one at home and on-site). Unless you bring your laptop to work, you may need to transfer or send files/documents from one computer to another while you toggle between remote and in-office work.
Related Article: We Need to Expand Our Definition of Hybrid Work
How to Move Forward With Conflicting Data
As it stands, the hybrid model appears ideal in theory, but it rests entirely on how it's put into practice. CEOs and business leaders shouldn’t shy away from the idea of a fully hybrid schedule — instead, they must learn to embrace change and evolve with the demands of today’s business world to make it both efficient and satisfactory.
“To make a success of hybrid, organizations need to comprehensively rethink the way work is done, embracing asynchronous communication and flexibility, designing and planning both physical and digital workplaces to embrace and realize the benefits of these new ways of working. If we fail to do this, we risk hybrid merely offering the worst of both worlds,” O’Dea added.
More experimentation seems to be needed to master the hybrid ideal, which will look different in every organization. Working out the kinks to a successful hybrid model will continue to catalyze productivity — all while keeping employees happy and prioritizing their mental health to boot.
About the Author
Sarah Butkovic is an Editorial Producer for Simpler Media group, editing articles and researching and recruiting new community members to create fresh content for SMG. She received her B.A. in English and Journalism from Dominican University and recently received her M.A. in English from Loyola University Chicago.
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