The hybrid work model: the nexus between office and telework

Faced with the fickleness of coronavirus levels of contagion, companies are adapting their work models to maintain the safety of their employees without losing the performance of the workspaces which are available to them.

In a situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in which restrictions come and go, we find different opinions regarding the working modalities implemented by companies. Some maintain telework or simply are not ready to return to the office after COVID-19, while others maintain their activity in offices, only on a smaller scale.

With team members split between traditional office and home work, companies are starting to combine both and are learning to adapt a hybrid work model.

While working remotely is not something new, the interesting aspect is the number of people working from home right now. However, that won’t last forever, and this is where the hybrid model comes into play. This model means that the office is evenly divided between telework and office work, with employees teams of both modalities, keeping the company culture with its employees wherever they are.

But what are the pros and cons of this work model?

Pros

 – A hybrid model fits all employees. It allows some employees to enjoy the office and others to enjoy their work remotely from home.

– Advantages for mobility. This model makes it easy for many people with low mobility at any level to continue to be part of the business team. Whether for lack of transportation or injury, access is maintained for any employee, both at home and in the office.

– A hybrid model streamlines work processes, both for workers who prefer to have a fixed work schedule in which to develop their tasks and for those who choose to work from home, which allows them to often adapt their schedules.

– The hybrid model of work represents a cost saving for companies, since they do not need workspaces with a large amount of furniture or large dimensions.

– If a team can be partially housed in a single space, personal interaction improves and facilitates better maintenance of the distances required as safe to cope with the coronavirus.

 Cons

– Employees who work remotely may feel excluded from the day-to-day of the company and the events that can be organized.

– Resource management is more difficult to adapt to the needs of those who work remotely to meet programming and task assignment, as well as material management.

– When the most important members of the company typically work in the office, telework employees may feel they lack the visibility they need.

To address these negative points and add them to the advantages of the hybrid work model, Gran Via Business & Meeting Center recommends three ideas to get the best performance of this type of work, as they have been doing for a long time now in their workspace facilities.

– Leverage the available technology in the workspace,using at full capacity the connection facilities that can be established between employees of both teams, such as video calls or remote access to data server computers of the company.

– Get the most out of the available facilities and organize regular events with employees of both models. This way, the organization of an event in the same workplace where offices are located will liven up the stay of those who work in person and will reinforce the feeling of team membership of the teleworkers.

– Make the most of the investment in office space, through a flexible office model that allows to adapt to the needs according to the moment, and with furniture and facilities suitable to meet all the mentioned requirements.