After testing hybrid working models for a while now, businesses have a better idea about pros and cons associated with them. Many businesses do not wish to go back to the traditional ways of working, where employees were required to physically come to the office, five times a week. This is why, they are looking into hybrid working models that can help them sustain top talent in the long term.
Types of Hybrid Working Models
If done right, hybrid working models can improve enterprises flexibility, productivity, employees’ work-life balance and slash capital expenditures. Here, we have summarized four types of hybrid business models that are adopted by businesses.
1. Limited Flexibility with a Physical Office: In this type of working environment, businesses consider physical office as a nucleus where all major communications and collaboration happen. In these models, employees are required to physically come to their workplaces, with limited amount of flexibility to take leaves.
2. Generous Flexibility with a Physical Office: Here, employees have to physically go to the office, with the flexibility to work 1 to 3 days from home. In these working environments, digital tools are required to communicate, while deeper and more serious tasks are discussed in the office.
3. Digital Workplace with a Designated Office: In such settings, digital workplace is considered the nucleus of the office, having a technological core. Here mostly synchronous digital conversations take place and almost all the major tech stack is decoupled from the physical office.
4. Digital workplace with no Designated Office: Such working environments have distributed and oftentimes diverse workforce. They do not have a permanent physical office location and the workforce might be required to meet once a month, or even a year.
Depending on their demands and convenience, businesses opt for the best possible working model that suits their workforce.
Best-Practices to Make Hybrid Working Models Successful
With the help of the following tips, businesses can facilitate their hybrid working models and make them more successful.
Businesses should keep a transparent working environment and have an effective two-way communication with employees regarding any changes that might take place.
· They should be a lot more inclusive and reduce inequalities among all employees.
Successful hybrid models should keep all employees in a loop and give them more flexibility regarding their working hours.
Digital leaders should cultivate a digital culture and be more intentional to build a virtual community to make employees feel included.
In addition, digital leaders should look for obstacles that might hamper employees’ innovations and recognize collaboration barriers. They should also look for ways to overcome any such challenges.
· Lastly, employees should be given all the required tools and technologies to improve their Digital Employee Experience (DEX).
Hybrid working models have given numerous opportunities to a diverse range of workers. They have also proven to be extremely successful for businesses, as a good hybrid working model improve employee productivity and innovations, to a greater extent.
