The benefits of hybrid working

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working allows employees to combine the benefits of working remotely with time in the office. Typically, people work from home and then go to the office for a certain number of days per week. Three days a week has been a popular hybrid working model in the UK often with employees in the office from Tuesday to Thursday and working from home on Monday and Friday.

Employee satisfaction

Although some companies have mandated a “return to the office” policy after allowing greater working from home since the pandemic, the majority of workers in the UK favour some level of flexible working.

A recent study from recruitment agency Hays showed that nearly half of employees would consider leaving their job if their employer forced them to work from the office for five days a week. In the same survey it was revealed that roughly three quarters of UK organisations do offer hybrid working with time split between the office and home.

Although there has been a lot of press coverage about larger firms like Amazon cutting down on flexible working, it seems that employers are listening to their staff who favour the greater work life balance enabled by a combination of working from home and working in the office.

Greater employee satisfaction is driven by factors such as time and money saved on travel, the ability to better integrate home and work life and spend more time with family and a higher level of autonomy.

Greater productivity and hybrid working technology

Enhanced productivity is another benefit of flexible working in that people find they can devote their quieter time at home to get focused work done. Video meetings and other communications technology allows remote workers to stay in touch with colleagues and time in the office together still facilitates in person collaboration. Hot desking or desk booking software can also help people make the most of their time in office and capitalise on their time with colleagues.

Wider talent pool and reducing costs via hybrid working

The new hybrid working model adopted by many companies is not just a potential benefit to employees. When it comes to hiring, hybrid working can be a great incentive to attract job applicants, but it can also mean that roles are more open to a wider talent pool than a 5 day a week office job in a fixed location. Flexible working could open up roles to a much wider geographical area, different types of applicants and ultimately strengthen the depth of talent available to companies.

While employees potentially enjoy lower travel costs, hybrid working can also save money for firms. With fewer people in the office at one time, it may be possible to reduce the size of the building or at least reduce running costs. Again, technology can enable efficient use of limited space with hot desking allowing the optimum office footprint for the requirements on any given day. Some companies have also chosen to go fully remote with employees spread around the country.

Disadvantages of hybrid working

While there are many advantages to hybrid working, there of course can be some disadvantages and there is perhaps not a “one size fits all” solution to every type of company in many different sectors.

Balancing the needs of a business with the desire of many workers for greater work flexibility may require some compromise. Clear and agreed hybrid working policies are essential so everyone knows where they stand, and companies can make sure work is being done effectively.

Managing people who are not always in the same location can also be challenging, but everything is achievable with the right communication patterns in place and a level of trust between managers and staff.

Staff surveys are a good way to take the pulse of the workforce and understand their attitude to flexible working and managers need to keep on top of how any hybrid working policy impacts individuals, which can evolve over time.

It seems that hybrid working is here to stay and that for the majority of workers and companies it enables the work to be done while promoting a greater sense of work life balance. Technology also plays a role for syncing up teams and for maximising the best use of desk and meeting room space.