Many employees have now settled into their remote and hybrid work structures as enterprises adopt a more flexible workplace. However, the Future of Work is about work optimization, and there are several hybrid work models to offer employees. Depending on the organization, its workforce makeup, and the nature of the roles, various hybrid models can benefit different scenarios.
What enterprises can’t lose sight of is the Future of Work progress over the previous three years. Much has been gleaned from an enterprise and employee perspective about what drives productivity, wellness, and retention. Unfortunately, some enterprises are reverting to full or near-full in-person guidelines. Disney CEO Bob Iger is the latest high-profile executive to require workers to return to the office four days per week, citing more effective collaboration and creative output.
However, some organizations are shifting their stance for other reasons.
The Gray Area of Hybrid Work
Enterprises place trust in their employees that when working away from the office, they’re focused on projects and available to their team members and managers. It is not much to ask when given the privilege to achieve work/life balance and mental well-being. However, there are several reported incidents where workers have abused the benefit of hybrid work.
Even during the first two years of the pandemic, employees were being terminated for working more than one full-time job. With less oversight and employees scattered around the world, some couldn’t resist the opportunity to increase their income at the expense of their employers. There are few details offered about how these schemes came to light, but it’s likely the virtual water cooler played a role.
There is also the story of a woman who worked remotely four days per week, with a mandatory Monday in-person check-in. While appearing every Monday for on-site collaborative meetings and face-to-face dialogue, she took pride in the ability to jet off one week per month to places unknown. During that week, she made an appearance on Monday before catching her flight that evening to a new destination. While work was on the agenda, it was also a mini vacation to make the most of her week abroad. Apparently, there were no sudden requests to appear in the office beyond the mandatory Monday, nor communication issues with her employer.
It’s fair to say (and I hope so) that these examples are few and far between. They do not represent typical remote and hybrid employees.
Optimize Your Hybrid Work Model
This brings us back to the work optimization issue, however. When considering or evaluating the effectiveness of a hybrid work model, there are a few things to consider. Steve Todd, AVP, Global Head of Workplace for Nasdaq, provides insights into various hybrid model options — all with the goal of maintaining workflow and scheduling consistency.
At-will hybrid model. This model could be the most flexible for employees because it empowers them and puts trust in their decision-making. Essentially, workers decide when they want to come into the office. Depending on their preferences, some employees may work on-site when all-staff or team meetings are held. Others may commit to one or two days per week to maintain face-to-face interaction.
This model assumes that a physical office exists, and that appropriate space is available for most employees. Organizations could risk space issues for days when nearly all employees are on-site. Overall, however, the at-will model caters to the employee and what schedule works best for the individual. It emphasizes building morale and enhancing productivity.
Office-first hybrid model. Todd says that like the at-will model, the office-first approach places much of the on-site scheduling on the employee, but with requirements to work in-person a certain number of days per week.
Todd writes, “The office-first model works best for organizations whose productivity is dependent on collaboration. It allows teams to get their jobs done while also allowing some room for flexibility and individual work.”
This model becomes problematic for employees that live far away from the office. Commuting to work once or twice per week affects productivity. And any organization where collaboration is critical will not benefit from an office-first model — or a hybrid model in general.
Split-week hybrid model. This hybrid approach offers room for experimentation depending on the outcome. An enterprise assigns teams to work on-site for half the week. Often, it is teams that routinely collaborate that are assigned the same on-site/remote schedule. Todd says two major benefits of this hybrid model are team dynamics and effective face-to-face meetings. Teams can discuss project milestones and challenges in person, then work on the finer individual details remotely.
However, a major drawback to the split week is a lack of inter-team collaboration. If a team outside the core group is needed for a project, there is a scheduling misalignment. One of the outcomes of the pandemic is the increase in cross-functional collaboration. Teams that did not frequently interact contributed to virtual meetings for informational and strategic purposes and to increase transparency.
There is room for experimentation with the split-week model. Team dynamics or a project focus may shift requiring an adjustment in scheduling. Seek feedback from employees about the effectiveness of their schedules and areas for improvement.
Week-to-week hybrid model. Organizations considering downsizing to a smaller office could benefit from a week-to-week hybrid approach. According to Todd, “This type of hybrid work model is most advantageous for companies with a large number of employees. With this setup, you can drastically reduce the office space necessary for your operations and cut down on overhead costs.”
Conversely, a smaller space to accommodate fewer people can be problematic for large-scale in-person events or meetings. The overhead cost savings are attractive but be cautious of staffing constraints it can impose.
Hybrid work models are evolving as enterprises increase their flexibility and focus on work optimization rather than antiquated staffing protocols. Involving employees in the organization’s work model decision-making promotes morale and trust. The Future of Work is about options and experimentation for the betterment of the workforce.
