IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR HYBRID WORKING?
The state of Victoria was in lockdown for a total of 262 days and during this time businesses adapted, changed their ways of working and some even thrived and leaned into working from home. 'The 9-to-5 workday' was declared dead by large companies such as Salesforce and remote work was a necessary change that needed to happen due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that we are fully vaccinated and able to return to our offices the question for many businesses at the moment is, are we ready for hybrid working?
Remote working has been a hot topic over the past 18 months but moving out of the pandemic and into ‘the new normal’ many companies are opting to combine working from home with the traditional office routine to create a hybrid workforce, allowing employees to enjoy the benefits of being able to work from either location.
Whether your business has already made a decision on where to work or you are considering a permanent hybrid workforce, below are the main findings that we at Digital first have come across when moving to a hybrid work model.
Employees become more productive and motivated
Many people believe that a team who work from different locations become less engaged due to the physical distance however many businesses find that hybrid working can make teams become more productive due to employees knowing that physical in-person time with others they work with is not as frequent. Days when employees can work together tend to become a very focussed work period as employees really begin to see the value of that time and structure the workday to get the best work actioned.
Employee happiness increases
Instead of spending the whole work week in an office or spending the whole time working from the home which can be isolating, employees begin to see the benefits of working from both locations. Not having to commute to work every day gives the employee more time for themselves and also allows them to be around their home comforts which creates a happy balance between the two different work styles.
Business costs decrease
Not using an office space all of the time means that your business is saving money! Utility bills will be lower and other expenses alike which means that your business can put money towards other resources.
Workplace office culture will still thrive
Using collaboration tools to work with others from different locations is successful however there really is nothing quite like the energy and excitement that you can capture when physically being in a room with colleagues for a brainstorming session. The ‘aha!’ moments, the conversations around the water cooler that are idea developing and the focussed time together with others all being in the same room is so important to our businesses. Hybrid working allows your team to keep these moments alive and thriving with a part-time used workspace.
