As countries were easing their Covid-19 restrictions in mid 2021, businesses are calling their employees back to the office – and finding a rising preference among their workforce: employees no longer want to work in their cubicles all the time. While they miss face-to-face interactions with coworkers, employees are also reluctant to leave the comfort of work-from-anywhere (WFA) implemented during the heightened pandemic. Has the era of hybrid working come?

Why Hybrid? Why Not Remote?

Not fully adopting the conventional work-from-office (WFO) arrangement does not mean your company needs to go all-remote. Although possible, implementing full-time remote working may not be as desirable as it used to be, since people quench for social interactions that can best be obtained through coming to the office in person. The solution? Hybrid working. For some days within a week or month, employees may be required to go to the office, such as to have a team meeting or simply have lunch with peers. For some other days, employees may opt to work remotely from wherever they want if they need to. By accommodating these two options, employees will not miss out on the ‘genuine feelings’ of having a place they call ‘office’, while still being able to finish their work well when they do not feel like commuting to work. 

Here are more solid reasons on why more employees prefer hybrid working these days.

Better Work-Life Balance

Finding balance is easier when you have a flexible work environment. According to recent Slack research, one of the main reasons employees are drawn to the hybrid work style is flexibility. Employees who have greater control over their work routines have more time to take care of personal matters, such as running errands, picking up children from daycare, or being home for a cash-on-delivery shipment. Those with a hybrid work style have greater freedom to complete tasks when they are most productive. Hybrid arrangement does not only benefit the individuals, but also the organization in general. According to one survey, 77% of higher-growth companies had greater productivity levels. 66% believe it will support them in increasing sales.

Read Also: How to Build a Sustainable Business

Less Exposure to Illness

The new variant of COVID-19 named Omicron was on the rise around Southeast Asia at the time this article was written. Although the majority of the population has been vaccinated full-dose, they can still get infected as new variants keep forming, so people need to be extra alert these days. This is why implementing hybrid working can help lessen the exposure to illness, including COVID-19, influenza, and many more. The possibility of a sick employee infecting others is reduced when there are fewer employees in the office during the hybrid working model. 

Lower Operational Cost

As less employees are working in the office, you can reduce operational cost. For example, if your office typically operates with 6 air conditioners when all employees are working on site, you can actually use only 3 air conditioners during the hybrid working period. You can also subscribe to only one wi-fi access instead of two if you have less people accessing the internet from the office. You can also opt for a smaller office building or space if hybrid working setup will be a permanent thing at your company. 

How to Make Hybrid Working Works

There are two forms of hybrid work; when employees work on-site and remotely for a portion of the week, they do it either on the day of their choosing or as scheduled by the HR.  Employees who are reentering the workforce demand a flexible working style that allows for both onsite and remote work. According to Barco research, they want to work from home 1.5 days per week and in the office 3.5 days per week on days of their choosing. 

Here are some tips on how to make hybrid working setup convenient:

1. Determine which job positions that still require on-site visit at the office and identify risky employees who may need additional flexibility.
2. Learn about employees’ working choices, and encourage them to voice their wants, preferences, and expectations.
3. Evaluate meeting services and collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Trello, and so on to decide which one suits your company best, then stick to one.
4. If the HR finds it difficult to note which employees will work from the office and which will work remotely, delegate this to each department head. Let them decide and regulate their teams’ timetables.

Collaboration and coordination may be the most important productivity drivers, in which case key interactions may need to be face-to-face. However, focus may be easier to get from home, so hybrid working can be the best key to balance. 

Hybrid working allows corporate leaders to transform work culture, remodel the workplace, and fully engage in functionality and technology while remaining in sync with employee demands. This adaptability helps employees attain a better work-life balance, resulting in enhanced job satisfaction, productivity, and efficiency. 

Read Also: Fostering a Culture of Belonging in a Hybrid Setting: Q&A with Dr Natalie Baumgartner from Achievers