The New Hybrid Workplace Model:
Definition, Positives and Negatives

Over the past year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies all around the world were disrupted and suddenly had to pivot, focussing their efforts on shifting fully virtual. This meant that to keep things running somewhat smoothly in such a disruptive year, remote working would become the new norm for most.

So the question that’s on everyone's mind right now is, how will the way people work change now that states are starting to open back up and the vaccination plan has started to roll out? With so much uncertainty still hanging in the air for the rest of this year, it’s difficult to predict what the future holds. However, the latest innovation known as the Hybrid Workplace Model seems to be an idea that has recently started disrupting the workforce. Seeing as though this hybrid model is all about disruption, workplace optimization, and employee satisfaction, all the things we value here at Inspace, it’s only fitting that we do a little deep dive into what a hybrid workplace model looks like.

What is the Hybrid Workplace Model?
The hybrid workplace model is designed to bridge the gap between remote and office work. Meaning that it’s neither fully in-office nor fully remote work giving employees the ability to split their working hours for the week as they see the best fit.
The reason for the development of the hybrid style of working is very much influenced by how people are responding to going back to work post-pandemic. For example, according to a study by Gartner around 80% of business leaders will continue to allow their employees to work from home at least part-time after the reopening of COVID-19. That being said, employers need to strategize and find the right balance between employee satisfaction and productivity.

3 Positives of Having a Hybrid Workplace

Helps Cut Costs
Switching to becoming a hybrid workplace can help companies cut costs by having a more flexible workspace that allows them to improve the efficiency of space in the office that’s actually being used.

Increases Productivity
People are now working in a way that suits them, the traditional 9-5 workday is no longer what society defines as the “best” way to work. Giving your employees the ability to work as they feel they are most productive, will surely increase employee satisfaction and productivity.

Provides Equal Opportunities
Entirely working from home is not the best option for everyone, depending on the person’s situation, they might prefer to go back to the office because that’s where they are most productive in their work. Or they might want to remain working from home because of health vulnerability reasons. The hybrid model allows companies to level the playing field by having a ratio of the employees in the office and the others working remotely.

3 Negatives of Having a Hybrid Workplace

Increases employee isolation
With some employees at home and the others at the office, some might feel isolated and unmotivated. A feeling of missing out on organic interactions if they are unable to be in the office.

Difficulty regulating the performance of employees
Employers need to rethink how they assess the performance of employees so that there are not any unfair outcomes. It’s important not to form certain negative or biased opinions towards the employees that are not coming into the office as frequently as others.

Loss of client experience
We’ve all been on zoom calls for a year now, and there is just something about those face-to-face client interactions that give businesses that certain level of customer specialization. In cases where customers are used to the in-person interaction, hybrid workplace models disrupt a part of the customer experience.

How do you implement a Hybrid Workplace Model?

Implementing a hybrid workplace model is more challenging than it may seem, employers need to establish best practices and create a strategic plan on how to effectively put this model in place. A way in which companies are adapting to the model is by investing in great technology such as Inspace that can streamline processes. According to an article by Forbes, hybrid workplaces need the following 3 things to succeed; open communication, trust, and empathy.

Here at inspace, we are at the forefront of helping offices transition into flexible and innovative workplaces and we’d love to help what works best for you. Contact us here to start your journey.