2020 shocked everyone’s systems. Society is shaking off the past year, adapting to a new normal. Some employers have already transitioned back into in-person, but many are still formulating post-Covid work plans.
Employers and employees alike are monitoring and managing expectations. There’s a lot of anxiety attached to jumping back to in-person work after so long. Extending hybrid offices and considering full-time remote opportunities grows popular. Many companies are listening to the benefits of a post-Covid hybrid office.
Hybrid office
Hybrid models split time between employees working remotely from home and collaboratively in-person in a physical office. Collaborative initiatives include:
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Presentations
Team-building exercises
Introducing projects
This format allows employees to focus on individual projects from home. But in-person opportunities are still available for both communication, work and social purposes.
Hybrid benefits
A variety of valid reasons exists as to why a hybrid model is popular among employees. According to an Envoy survey:
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66 percent worried about their health.
61 percent concerned Covid-policies will end too early.
48 percent favored hybrid employment
47 percent will seek new employment if hybrid model not offered.
56 percent believed hybrid models will positively impact performance.
Employers are assessing the data and listening to employee concerns. Many have adopted hybrid models including:
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Adobe
Citi
DoorDash
Ford Motor Company
Nationwide Insurance
Spotify
Covid threw everyone for a loop and left most industries scrambling to figure out a remote office environment. Eighteen months later, most companies have adapted. As society figures out how to structure a post-Covid world, most experts believe the hybrid office is the future.
While the hybrid model increases in popularity and viability, it might not be the right model for all companies. As employees continue to transition post-Covid, it’s important to determine if a hybrid model works, and if so, how it will be implemented. Some key elements to keep in mind will be:
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Why does a specific person or group need to perform work in-person?
How necessary is it for an individual to collaborate with coworkers?
How instrumental is rapid communication for a given employee?
Are employees having to create rather than perform daily tasks?
If a hybrid model works for a company, it will be important to identify the following:
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Guidelines for when in-person collaboration is necessary.
Determine specific days designated for all employees to work from home.
Create teams and schedule in-person meetings in advance.
Ultimately, it’s important employers and employees communicate, regardless how an office looks post-Covid. Everyone must be on the same page with a clear understanding of the transition process.
Employers need to communicate concisely and frequently as the transition happens, with or without a hybrid model. And employees need the opportunity to be honest with managers and communicate specific concerns about the transition.
As the data continues to reveal itself, many businesses embrace the hybrid model. It boosts employee morale, which increases productivity, and it significantly reduces business overhead. As your company transitions to a post-Covid office and strategizes your marketing business solutions, consider how a hybrid model can work for your company.
Outlook Business Solutions can help you determine which work environment will be best for your company and unique circumstances. We provide marketing business solutions to help our clients better market their brand and products. Contact us today to learn more about our marketing business solutions and how they can help your company!