Hybrid work became the buzzword for most of 2020 and 2021, but many businesses have not fully settled into the new working model just yet. Lack of adequate resources and preparation are to blame for this. But hybrid work is the way forward for companies globally, and so it is inevitable that businesses make the investment to arrange for this new model of working for all employees.
A hybrid work model provides employees the flexibility to conduct their official duties a) in the office for some portion of the business hours, and b) out of the office for the remaining time. While ‘office hours’ are routinely defined in a hybrid work model, they are seldom followed, especially when conducting business out-of-office. Nevertheless, hybrid working has elevated the level and extent to which quality work can be achieved. Remote working has proven to lower the stress levels among workers, and improve work-life balance for many. But the most rewarding aspect of this soon-to-be-commonplace working model is that employee productivity has increased greatly!
Many workers have re-engineered the way they approach work, and expressed a keen interest and positive attitude to complete jobs on time, thanks to hybrid working. For the average office goer spending long hours commuting to and from the office on a daily basis, hybrid work has come as a breadth of fresh air. Flexible working models such as this are beginning to improve the quality of life of employees, and also their attitude and association with the corporate world. But the transition to hybrid work is not simple and requires:
- Considerable investment in infrastructure, technology, and equipment
- Restructuring of known management models including the possible elimination of a few traditional hierarchies to fit into the delayered, flat organizational structure, especially in the case of non-IT firms
- A continuous learning environment to enable the easy adoption of the new way of working, including investment in training and mentorship programs
- Greater connectivity between people, processes, systems, and data
- Greater trust in employees to execute tasks responsibly
- A change in attitude and acceptance of the new way of working
A striking change between your traditional 9-5 office job and hybrid work is that teams are not physically together always. This begs the question whether hybrid work will affect communication, organizational culture, and productivity. Another point to consider is whether hybrid work is for everyone. Small businesses, in particular, like the idea of building a family environment and keeping their employees close. To combat these plausible challenges, it is important to build a conducive environment where hybrid work can become a sustainable business model. Businesses must develop new organizational capabilities and functionalities that support hybrid working.
regardless of the location and where employees work, the need to get things done on time is common for both hybrid and 9-5 workers. Whereas your typical office may be designed to meet the needs of every employee, the circumstances outside the office also need to be conditioned for maximum productivity.
To encourage workers to work and deliver results to the best of their ability, it is important that you equip them with the right tools. Technology is an enabler and has helped companies mobilize work from anywhere. Intelligent process automation solutions like the ones by Artsyl and similar advanced automation technologies are helping companies carry on mission-critical, heavy document-based work from behind a desk from anywhere. Greater visibility, tracking, and coordination of tasks are one of the main reasons why more and more companies are taking their workplace management efforts online. Remote workspace software like Confluence is helping companies conduct office work from the comfort of their home. Workplace collaboration tools like Asana and Slack are proving to enhance productivity of employees and ensure timely execution of tasks. Technology and advanced intelligent automation can help companies not just change the way they do work for the better but also accelerate business.
companies are all about teams and every team, no matter what the organizational structure, whether flat or hierarchical, needs a leader. Change cannot be effected without leaders setting good examples. In a hybrid workplace, where not all team members can physically gather in one place, it is the team leader’s responsibility to delegate, monitor, encourage, and demand collective responsibility from all. Regular communication with teams is also necessary to understand the requirements and challenges of every worker and make suitable accommodations for that.
for companies transitioning to hybrid work, it is important that they bring the corporate culture and environment to the virtual world as well. That means creating a platform for remote learning and development including training and mentorship programs. Continuous learning helps keep employees motivated. With more and more businesses shifting to the virtual world, it is important that employees feel they belong at the workplace. Creating an environment for skills development and learning will help with that.
every company is unique, and so every management has their way of conducting business. Hybrid work may have its own unforeseen challenges in the future. It becomes important then for management to be flexible enough to change the way they undertake responsibility and manage business. Weekly and monthly team meetings aside, managers need to set definite rules of engagement for everyone to follow. Corporate culture needs to be maintained and adhered to. Management could create opportunities to maintain ‘water cooler conversations’ even with hybrid work where not all team members are available at one time. There should be a revision of employee engagement programs and corporate initiatives to accommodate for the new way of working, and to strengthen hybrid teams and ensure their accountability at all times.
If you’re looking to introduce hybrid work at your workplace, you could start by modernizing your back-office, which takes up a lot of manpower and resources. Artsyl’s intelligent process automation platform streamlines mission-critical document-intensive work, and gives businesses a platform to coordinate and accomplish document processing from anywhere.
