Hybrid Work Model Examples

A hybrid work model is a plan put in place by an organization that incorporates a mixture of in-office and remote work in their employees’s schedules. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a wide range of hybrid arrangements have emerged, granting employees flexibility that was seldom offered before.

In a 2021 Gartner poll, 82% of company leaders said they plan to allow employees to work from home part of the time. There is no one-size-fits-all hybrid model. Each company develops a system based on its needs and the needs of its individual employees.

In this way, what works for big corporations may not work for smaller organizations. Furthermore, even if businesses are operating in the same industry, they may require separate models based on their different company cultures.

With the world finally able to return to the office, many employers want their staff back on-site full time while many employees still wish to work from a remote environment. In many cases, the hybrid model offers an opportunity for these leaders and staff to meet somewhere in the middle.

Advantages of hybrid working:

• Improved employee well-being
• Increased mobility
• Higher levels of job satisfaction
• Improved worker productivity
• Improved employee retention rates
• Larger employee talent pool
• Ability to grow headcount without added space costs
• Better for the environment
• Higher employment rates
• Improved company culture
• Reduced exposure to illness

Disadvantages of hybrid working

• Increased employee isolation
• Diminished client experience
• Heightened cyber risks
• Dependence on technology
• Difficulty maintaining productive routines
• Increased risk of employee burnout
• Misalignment between in-office and remote employees
• Imbalance during meetings
• Inconsistent communication and transparency
• Difficulting collaborating on projects

Hybrid work model examples

Semi-remote

In this particular hybrid work model, part of the workforce operates on-site while the other part works remotely. This is a straightforward method of hybrid working as every employee is sticking to a consistent work schedule and it’s clear which workers are going to be on-site on any given day.

However, this model does not give every worker the flexibility of some hybrid work models and the sense of improved well-being they offer. It will be up to a business to determine if this is a method that would appeal to their workers.

Office first

The office-first hybrid model requires employees to work from the office most of the time while allowing a fraction of time to work remotely. Organizations that operate on this model are usually those that believe distance between teams has a negative impact on communication and collaboration.

Their goal is not to go remote but rather to provide this flexibility as an added employee perk. In this situation it is important to be clear who is eligible for remote work, along with when and how staff can apply to do it.

Remote first

In contrast to the office-first model, a remote-first scenario allows for teams to be distributed and operate across remote locations. Making working from home the norm comes with many benefits for employers including the opportunity to hire from a much larger talent pool as there are no geographical constraints in place.

A remote-first approach means that although the majority of employees can work from any location, the company will keep its office space and use it for a small number of employees who place a high value on working in-office either part or full-time.

Flexible

This is the most common type of hybrid working implemented by businesses. This model allows every employee to spend part of their week in the office and part of their week working remotely. How many days are spent in the office and how many at home will vary from company to company but generally employees will spend at least two days on-site.

How to effectively implement a hybrid working model

Create clear policy and procedures

When it comes to implementing a hybrid working policy or updating one already in place, it is important to create policies and procedures that enable staff to easily make the transition. Some important steps for businesses to follow include:

• Clearly state the type of hybrid model that will be implemented and how it will work
• Make it clear who is eligible to apply for hybrid working and how they can do so
• Carefully review how hybrid working works in line with your current company policies and update accordingly

Supply employees with the right technology and equipment

A hybrid work environment means that employees will need access to the same tools and systems both at home and in the office to ensure the highest level of productivity. Access to laptops, logins and software in both locations will also allow for employees to have a seamless transition from remote to on-site work or vice versa

Along with access to these tools and systems, staff will also require the use of collaboration tools such as Zoom, Google Docs and Slack, all of which allow them to connect and work together in real time.

Redefine the role of physical office space.

For those organizations seeking to implement a hybrid working model, they must reimagine the role the office plays in creating safe, productive, and enjoyable jobs and lives for employees.

This means leaders will have to think in-depth about the actual meaning, role and significance of physical office spaces in their employees’ day-to-day experiences. This will often involve boldly questioning long-held assumptions about how work should be done and where it should be done.

Key Takeaway

Although the hybrid workplace model has been around for a few years, it has become vastly more popular in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is because many organizations discovered that their operations continued effectively despite an unforeseen and sudden switch to an almost fully remote working model. It became clear that operating from the physical office was not always essential.

There are a number of different hybrid models that businesses can choose to incorporate into their workplace environment. It’s important to remember that although these methods are often easily confused, each one has vastly different implications.

It is up to each individual company looking to make the switch to a hybrid model to determine which one will suit their specific set of needs the best.