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Hybrid work is a term tossed around by people who don’t want to be labeled as old fashioned. However, many of them have not thought about what hybrid work actually is.
Contrary to common belief, hybrid is not just about where you work. It’s a lot more about how you work. It includes the use of physical spaces, but also influence flexible schedules, collaboration practices, productivity metrics, how people lead teams, and how culture is built.
As a society, we’ve had more than 100 years of office-based work, and two of working from outside an office. Is that enough to truly understand what hybrid work is and how it impacts all of us?
What is hybrid work?
Hybrid work tries to blend different styles of work that determine where and when people work. The goal is to take the best of many different styles and overlay them to find a mix that works for individual teams. Most hybrid approaches try to give employees more flexibility over their schedule and location while still maintaining a physical office.
It is important to note that hybrid work is not a one-size-fits-all model and different teams can implement hybrid in ways that best suit their needs.
4 reasons everyone is flocking to hybrid work
There are four significant ways that leaders are looking at hybrid work right now.
1. Hybrid as a blend of two styles
Most people see hybrid work as a blend of styles. They were used to in-office work, and now have experienced some remote work life. They aren’t ready to give up the office, but also want to keep the good parts about working from home. So, they try to find “the best of both worlds”.
The trouble with this approach is that hybrid work is not a blend of two styles but a third style altogether. Not only do you maintain some options at different ends of the spectrum, but you also have to manage the overlap and make sure employees are treated equally no matter where they are.
There are at least four types of hybrid work models and each one requires a completely different approach. Most of them are based on if your work nucleus is in a physical or digital location.
2. Hybrid as a compromise
Once the pandemic waves began to subside, many managers became eager to get their people back in the office. That could be because they’re old school or have outdated ideas about productivity and presenteeism. Nevertheless, there are many managers and leaders, including large Silicon Valley corporations that want their workers back in the office (in some form).
Just because managers want people back in the office, that doesn’t mean all workers want to come back – over 70% of workers want flexible work options in the future. We all witnessed how working from home didn’t cause the end of the world and many companies have increased in profit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, the hybrid work model becomes a compromise between old school managers that want their people in the office and employees who don’t want to work in-person all the time. The logistics and flexibility within each hybrid framework will be up to workers and managers to negotiate. If this is you, make sure to check your purpose for returning back to the office.
3. Hybrid as a commitment to flexibility
If flexibility is part of your company’s core values or mission statements, the odds are you already have a hybrid work model or are gearing up to successfully transition into one.
Hybrid work is a great way to demonstrate to workers that you’re committed to flexibility and believe that flexibility leads to more productivity and innovation.
It’s important to remember that flexibility in hybrid work isn’t just where you work but also when you work. Work flexibility doesn’t mean working around the clock and putting bits of life in between. The hybrid work model encourages people to work efficiently and when they’re most productive. It prioritizes well-being and efficiency and works best in organizations where leaders want to see their people thrive!
4. Hybrid as a talent strategy
One of the most advantageous aspects of the hybrid work model is that it allows you to cast your talent pool net as wide as you want. A flexible working model means you can recruit people from all over the world to join your organization and reap the rewards of having a truly diverse team.
A growing hybrid team also means that you can scale your business and support customers in other cities and regions faster, seamlessly, and often without having to set up too much infrastructure.
Creating a hybrid workplace that gels is a journey. There will be trial and error and continuous opportunities to optimize. You just have to be ready to pivot, learn, and keep listening to your team to get the best results.
Photo by Cedric Fauntleroy
Hybrid work is a term tossed around by people who don’t want to be labeled as old fashioned. However, many of them have not thought about what hybrid work actually is.
Contrary to common belief, hybrid is not just about where you work. It’s a lot more about how you work. It includes the use of physical spaces, but also influence flexible schedules, collaboration practices, productivity metrics, how people lead teams, and how culture is built.
As a society, we’ve had more than 100 years of office-based work, and two of working from outside an office. Is that enough to truly understand what hybrid work is and how it impacts all of us?
What is hybrid work?
Hybrid work tries to blend different styles of work that determine where and when people work. The goal is to take the best of many different styles and overlay them to find a mix that works for individual teams. Most hybrid approaches try to give employees more flexibility over their schedule and location while still maintaining a physical office.
It is important to note that hybrid work is not a one-size-fits-all model and different teams can implement hybrid in ways that best suit their needs.
4 reasons everyone is flocking to hybrid work
There are four significant ways that leaders are looking at hybrid work right now.
1. Hybrid as a blend of two styles
Most people see hybrid work as a blend of styles. They were used to in-office work, and now have experienced some remote work life. They aren’t ready to give up the office, but also want to keep the good parts about working from home. So, they try to find “the best of both worlds”.
The trouble with this approach is that hybrid work is not a blend of two styles but a third style altogether. Not only do you maintain some options at different ends of the spectrum, but you also have to manage the overlap and make sure employees are treated equally no matter where they are.
There are at least four types of hybrid work models and each one requires a completely different approach. Most of them are based on if your work nucleus is in a physical or digital location.
2. Hybrid as a compromise
Once the pandemic waves began to subside, many managers became eager to get their people back in the office. That could be because they’re old school or have outdated ideas about productivity and presenteeism. Nevertheless, there are many managers and leaders, including large Silicon Valley corporations that want their workers back in the office (in some form).
Just because managers want people back in the office, that doesn’t mean all workers want to come back – over 70% of workers want flexible work options in the future. We all witnessed how working from home didn’t cause the end of the world and many companies have increased in profit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, the hybrid work model becomes a compromise between old school managers that want their people in the office and employees who don’t want to work in-person all the time. The logistics and flexibility within each hybrid framework will be up to workers and managers to negotiate. If this is you, make sure to check your purpose for returning back to the office.
3. Hybrid as a commitment to flexibility
If flexibility is part of your company’s core values or mission statements, the odds are you already have a hybrid work model or are gearing up to successfully transition into one.
Hybrid work is a great way to demonstrate to workers that you’re committed to flexibility and believe that flexibility leads to more productivity and innovation.
It’s important to remember that flexibility in hybrid work isn’t just where you work but also when you work. Work flexibility doesn’t mean working around the clock and putting bits of life in between. The hybrid work model encourages people to work efficiently and when they’re most productive. It prioritizes well-being and efficiency and works best in organizations where leaders want to see their people thrive!
4. Hybrid as a talent strategy
One of the most advantageous aspects of the hybrid work model is that it allows you to cast your talent pool net as wide as you want. A flexible working model means you can recruit people from all over the world to join your organization and reap the rewards of having a truly diverse team.
A growing hybrid team also means that you can scale your business and support customers in other cities and regions faster, seamlessly, and often without having to set up too much infrastructure.
Creating a hybrid workplace that gels is a journey. There will be trial and error and continuous opportunities to optimize. You just have to be ready to pivot, learn, and keep listening to your team to get the best results.
Photo by Cedric Fauntleroy
