The hybrid work model has gained a lot of space in companies, especially after the pandemic. In this content, we bring the definition of the model, advantages, disadvantages and the main steps to implement hybrid work in your company.
Hybrid work
Hybrid work is defined as a mixed work model, in which the possibility of working in the company in person and also remotely is mixed. This model is flexible and its rules vary according to the company, usually with the variation of face-to-face and remote days in the week and even in relation to work activities.
This model has been around for a few years, but it gained even more strength in the market after the pandemic caused by Covid-19, being a much desired option by employees and companies. According to a survey carried out by Microsoft, about 58% of Brazilian professionals interviewed consider a job change to the hybrid modality, if the company they are in does not offer this choice. In relation to companies, the adoption of the hybrid model as a way of working for this year is defined in 48% of the companies interviewed, according to the 18th edition of the Robert Half Confidence Index (ICRH).
Advantages and disadvantages
For a good evaluation of this work model, the ideal is to evaluate all the scenarios, taking into account the advantages and also the disadvantages. Check out this survey below:
Benefits
Flexibility
A great advantage of hybrid work is the flexibility offered, being able to alternate days of face-to-face and remote work. This allows organization in the scale and work schedule compared to face-to-face, and also scope in choosing the place to work when being remote, such as home office or coworkings. The definition of days and scales varies according to company rules, but the average is between two and three face-to-face days a week, according to the ICRH edition.
Productivity and socialization
This work model includes two different modalities and, therefore, offers a very favorable scenario, taking advantage of the best of each one: with remote work, the employee’s productivity is usually greater, as it avoids noise and increases concentration, while presence allows socialization and exchange of experiences in a more natural way.
Balance between personal and professional life
Through the scale of trips to the office, the employee saves time with travel, which allows better use of this period with other tasks, whether professional or personal.
In addition, maintaining a level of socialization at work also contributes to this balance during the day-to-day journey, making the routine lighter.
Employee satisfaction
As it is a preference among employees in general and also due to the advantages presented above, employee satisfaction also increases. After all, the model enables features that they did not have before when compared to the fully face-to-face and remote models.
Space management and cost reduction
For companies, in addition to the advantages related to productivity and employee satisfaction, another advantage is related to the management of the workspace, which allows better use of environments, favoring productivity and also reducing costs. This advantage becomes clearer when you see that it is possible to have a smaller space to allocate the same number of employees as before with the face-to-face model, optimizing building costs and resources.
Disadvantages
Data security
When working remotely or in cases of commuting to work on face-to-face days, data security on work equipment becomes more vulnerable. This susceptibility occurs due to network connections and also the possibility of theft and robbery.
Internal communication
Internal communication is already a challenge for companies, and when considering the hybrid work model in which there are two categories of work, this challenge is even greater. The disadvantage of failures in internal communication is related to the problems and the impact that this can cause, such as loss of information, wrong directions and even demotivation of the teams of collaborators.
Space conflicts
With the scale of employees going to the workplace in person, in case of failures, conflicts can occur between the number of employees and the spaces available, causing employees without places to work or poor use of spaces, as is the case. when a meeting room is reserved and the place is not used. This all results in wasted time and investment.
How to implement hybrid work
The first step in implementing hybrid work in the company is planning. At this point, understanding the needs and adaptations is a fundamental process to proceed with the adoption of the model. Therefore, we have separated some tips for your company to implement this work model in a planned way:
Business culture and needs
Even before making the decision to choose a work model, whatever it may be, the starting point is to understand the company’s culture and needs. In the case of the hybrid, as it is a flexible working model, the company also needs to have this attitude, allowing employees to perform their duties remotely in the best possible way, as in the case of face-to-face.
Another point is about the company’s needs, which usually vary a lot, especially according to the segment in which it operates. With the advancement of technology, many professions working in person have managed to move to a remote model, but this varies according to each sector and segment of the company.
Resource assessment
For the implementation of this model, it is necessary to raise the resources to carry out such activities, such as device security, equipment that will be available in the office, document and team connectivity, collaboration tools, among others.
Many of these points your company may already have, but it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness in relation to the model and also what would be necessary to maintain or hire. Make a list of these necessary items and remember to consider new situations inherent to the hybrid model to also consider in your list.
Employee preference
A very important point is to assess the preference of your company’s employees in relation to the work model they would like. Meeting this preference represents better job satisfaction and, as a result, increased productivity and reduced turnover. Conduct a survey of all company employees and consider the results for decision making.
Rule definition
When adopting hybrid work, the definition of rules is essential for the model to work well. These rules consist of defining the days of the week that will be in person and the scale of people – this division can be done by departments, projects or squads, for example. In addition, it is also necessary to define how this scale will be made: will the choice of days be made by the company or by the employee? Will there be fixed days or will there be flexibility?
With these answers in hand, the next step is to organize the scale and, if necessary, the forms of scheduling so that conflicts do not occur in the company.
Thus, the adoption of the hybrid work model presents many advantages, both for employees and for the company. It also has challenges, which are reversible and controllable, but must be mapped during the process. With a well-planned plan and as long as it is in accordance with the company’s principles and the wishes of the employees, the model can be very beneficial for everyone.
