The past three years have shown employers and their employees a new way work can be done and many companies have embraced hybrid working as part of the norm. But it is here to stay? Many workers, starting with younger generations and slowing making its way to the mature workforce, have embraced working from home and prefer and expect a hybrid working. Hybrid working means something different for each company and although it does not suit all roles, it’s important that employers are open to the idea if they want to attract and retain a varied, skilled and flexible workforce.
Hybrid Working in 2023
Before Covid, The National Remote Working Survey carried out by NUI Galway reports that 58% of respondents had never worked remotely. However, in a post-Covid environment, 76% said working from home made their jobs easier and 96% that it made their lives easier. This shows that staff value the opportunity to balance their time in the office with their time at home. Social Justice Ireland reported that if employees future remote working preferences were not facilitated, 30% of all respondents indicated that they will change job, even if it meant a pay cut. Research conducted by IBEC in 2021 found that 62% of companies were planning a hybrid model, Where the opportunity to work some or all of the time at home was available to all employees.
Benefits of Hybrid Work
What began as a way to minimise contact between employees has become a part of our everyday. Working remotely gives employees autonomy over their days, structuring their workday so they can fit in exercise, cooking, cleaning and family time at lunch while being completely present during working hours. It reduces the hours of commute giving some employees back up to 10 hours per week reducing their one-hour each way commute to zero. Employees can visit the doctor, dentist, bank, supermarket etc. at convenient times, reducing stress and allowing better self-care. Hybrid work, as opposed to fully remote work, also encourages team days in the office and in-person meetings.
Drawbacks of Hybrid Working
Hybrid work is still evolving but it is clear that it doesn’t suit all industries, sectors or roles. Finding a balance between those who can working from home and keeping those who can’t happy, can be tough, especially for small to medium sized businesses. After enjoying peace and quiet at home, some people may find it hard to adjust back to the busy office environment and their focus and concentration may suffer, Regular weekly connection and a sense of belonging is central to good teamwork and ensuring everyone is in the office on the same day can be difficult. Remote working is detrimental for young and entry level employees who miss out on valuable connections and mentorships afforded to in-office teams.
It’s a dilemma. Workers want the flexibility of remote work yet miss interacting with colleagues. Employers appreciate the importance of
Employers appreciate the importance of offering remote work to attract talent but identify significant disadvantages to such working arrangements. Team building is being prioritised. “Companies are arranging team lunches and other activities on days that teams are on-site to strengthen relationships and networks within the workplace,” says Hellen. “Office space is also being redesigned to support these on-site team activities.”
Create a Hybrid Environment
For all people, provide solutions for diverse needs and environments. Support productivity and wellness anywhere with tools like customizable keyboards, docking stations, mice, headsets and webcams. n all spaces, drive better collaboration, support equity, and build a culture at home, in the office and in between with intuitive videoconferencing solutions. To start investing in the future of work, enterprises should work with employees to establish a mutually beneficial hybrid schedule to support the backbone of any workday: routine. When employees feel better, they have a tendency to do better. Be prepared to equip them with solutions that meet their evolving needs—from wireless connectivity to ergonomic well-being and beyond.
“A lot of the current adjustment is happening at team level because what makes sense for one team may not make sense for another, while the big challenge at an organisational level is how to be fair to all when balancing different working arrangements.”
Change your workplace to embrace hybrid working
We initially struggled with “desk wars” and those wanting to hang on to the past, thinking that everyone needed a dedicated and assigned spot. This evolved once we reconsidered that the benefit of the workplace has fundamentally changed.
meeting and collaboration spaces as the primary benefit of coming into the office. These spaces are all video-enabled to ensure no one is left out—keeping in mind that since we are truly a global company, not everyone can just pop into the office for in-person collaborative gatherings.
Urges employers to see it as an opportunity. “First we had the great reshuffling as we adjusted to working from home,” she says. “Then there was the great resignation as many quit their jobs. Now, we’re embarking on the great evaluation. It’s a chance for us to re-evaluate our work cultures and to take time to decide how we want to work in future. This conversation between employers and employees needs to begin now. If it doesn’t, we will have lost a great opportunity.”
Right to work from home law
Especially when considering the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 which makes the right to request remote working available to all employees.
Conclusion
Regardless of the drawbacks, hybrid is here to stay. It’s just a question of what it’s going to look like when the dust settles and companies have weighed up the respective benefits of office first, remote first or hybrid first, which comes with its own sub-set of options around flexitime, core hours and fixed or anchor office days.
