The global pandemic has brought about a change that has challenged the core foundation of how we have been working. For a large segment of working people worldwide, the typical 9-5 office hours with an hour and a half commute was no longer the norm.

The concept of centralized office space to work in has fundamentally changed during this turbulent moment in human history. However, people would still resist the advantages of remote or hybrid work (mixed work arrangements) for very good reasons.

Yet these arguments often ignore the importance of a balanced strategy to get both right. Many employees and business owners are drawn to the hybrid working model as they prepare to return to the workplace in some form.

What does hybrid work or mixed work design mean?

A hybrid work model is a location-flexible arrangement that allows employees to combine on-site and off-site work, as long as employees and their business owners agree. After the pandemic, various hybrid formats emerged that offer employees unprecedented flexibility.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for hybrid working conditions. Because of this, companies can let some employees work entirely remotely, others work in an office, and offer others a mixed work arrangement that combines remote and in-office work. A hybrid working model is preferable to employees and employers because it offers different advantages regardless of the approach.

Hybrid work benefits for employers

On the way to a new world of work, the hybrid working model offers competitive advantages for those companies that can implement it.

• Reduced real estate and office maintenance costs: First, companies willing to embrace hybrid working could reap significant financial benefits. Businesses that don’t need to provide every employee with a workspace in an office can save money by downsizing their office space. Office rents and maintenance costs can be extravagant, especially in affluent metropolitan areas. The rent is lower for less space, and you also need fewer staff to maintain the office space.
• Improved work performance: Organizations are likely to benefit from the improved mental health of their employees through hybrid working. Happy and balanced employees are more likely to perform better.

  It’s no secret that many studies during the pandemic have found that employee performance increases when they work remotely, by offering companies flexible working options that can keep their employees happy and benefit from improved performance.

• Better retention rates: One of the most common concerns is that the hybrid working model is hurting employee retention. Organizations fear that by not coming to the physical office on a daily basis, their employees are missing out on the opportunity to form strong connections with their peers and connect with corporate purpose.

  When recruiters come knocking, those people are less likely to stay with their existing company than they would have been under the previous office-based system. Companies that refuse to offer enticing hybrid forms of work are losing employees to companies that are willing to give them what they want.

  It is probably correct to conclude that increased retention rates and a greater ability to attract top talent are two potential benefits of hybrid working.

• A larger pool of talent: Hybrid work companies can be employed from a much wider range of locations, which ties in with the previous point about higher retention rates and the ability to attract top talent.

  For example, an Atlanta-based company would have needed to hire employees from the Atlanta area as part of an office-based strategy. However, in a hybrid model, the same company can hiring much more broadly, resulting in a significant increase in the number of candidates from which to select the right one for the position.

• Possibility to expand the workforce without paying additional space costs: Hybrid working enables companies to minimize their office size and increase their number of employees without incurring additional space-related costs.
• Improved visibility into employee performance: Analyzing and optimizing employee performance is critical to the overall success of any business as it allows employers to identify the strengths, weaknesses and potential gaps that need to be addressed. Companies with hybrid workforces tend to use more shared technologies and collaboration tools (e.g. Office 365, Asana, Jira, GSuite, CloudDesk, Zoom).

  Businesses also use employee monitoring software to track employees’ work activities on various tasks using these platforms and get a better picture of what everyone is up to.

Hybrid work benefits for employees

One of the key benefits of a hybrid work model is that it allows employees to be more flexible, something most people have become accustomed to during the pandemic. Additionally, higher productivity and employee satisfaction, greater collaboration, and better employee mental health outcomes are other benefits of a hybrid work model.

• Improved employee satisfaction: People who have used hybrid working believe it gives them more flexibility in where and how they work and the ability to spend less time traveling. Taken together, these adjustments have benefited the work-life balance of many hybrid employees and made them happier overall.
• Increased productivity: Employees who work in a blended work style tend to feel more empowered to use their strengths, leading to greater productivity.

  Employees can work from either home or the office depending on work-related requirements; Some employees may work from home, while others need a quiet and distraction-free workspace in an office. This flexibility increases employee performance and engagement, which is critical to high performance.

  Most companies that use remote employee monitoring software to track employees’ work activities have also reported increased productivity with hybrid teams.

• Other opportunities for continuous self-development: Another key aspect of hybrid work that is often underestimated is that it allows remote teams to continuously learn outside of their typical work environment. Suppose employees work part of their work week from their office.

  When this happens, they can work from home the rest of their time and invest time in personal development goals, resulting in improved job performance and growth opportunities.

• Costs saved: In the past, employees had to spend a lot of money on their daily commute to work. Over a year, this can add up to thousands of dollars in travel expenses alone. Hybrid working reduces commuting costs for virtual workers by allowing them to work from home more often, and essentially acts as a tax-free boost to additional cash income.
• Improvements in collaboration and relationships: A hybrid approach to work, in contrast to remote work, offers the opportunity for face-to-face communication and collaboration, which has a positive effect on team building and thus improved collaboration among employees.

  The ability for employees to connect face-to-face helps improve collaboration across multiple departments, teams, and workgroups, and enhances virtual working relationships. This is especially true in our current environment where many employees are communicating and collaborating with their colleagues via screens rather than face-to-face.

  When working remotely, any face-to-face conversation, which may only occur during set meeting times, can lead to opportunities for mentoring, knowledge-sharing, or the development of critical professional relationships.

• Improved mental health outcomes: Working from home has proven to be beneficial for the mental health of many people. Additionally, employees could explore other ways to improve their health and fitness while working remotely.

  Hybrid workers also have the opportunity to work from home, leading to better work-life balance as they have more time to themselves. As a result, higher chances for better work-life balance and mental health.

The future of work is undoubtedly hybrid

A hybrid working formula is the best choice for companies that want to meet the increasing demand for independence, flexibility and personal communication. Mixed work has several benefits, including increased employee productivity and satisfaction, better employee mental health outcomes, and many more benefits.

To create a successful hybrid work model, empower your employees with the right technology and access to everything they need to get their jobs done seamlessly, anywhere.

Author’s bio: Sabila is a Digital Marketing Analyst who works with CloudDesk to help companies successfully manage their virtual team. She is passionate about helping people understand how remote work works through her easily digestible content. In her free time, she enjoys reading and cooking.