An Analysis of Hybrid Work Models
Is your company ready for a hybrid work model? Can hybrid work models really thrive?
The question is worth asking, considering that more than three-quarters of Canadians support the hybrid workplace model – but four in five are concerned that the leadership in their organization isn’t prepared or equipped for it, according to a survey by KPMG.
Between interest in a new, more flexible workplace and fear that such organizational changes would jeopardize their professional lives, employees are stuck in a situation of unknowns.
It is up to managers to plan for the organizational shifts ahead and to reassure employees.
Can hybrid work models truly thrive, and if so, how can we implement them?
Benefits of Hybrid Work
The sheer number of employees supporting the hybrid work model proves that hybrid work holds many benefits. At its core, hybrid work represents the trust you give your employees and a feeling of recognition of their engagement in the company. By giving them a choice, you show that you see their work, and that you care about their personal preferences and contexts.
Flexibility
A more relaxed dress code, going grocery shopping during lunch breaks… If hybrid work represents only one thing, it’s flexibility. Going back to a rigid schedule of full office weeks would feel like a setback to a good amount of employees, understandably so: the pandemic has proven that telecommuting is applicable and more than often efficient.
It has also shown the limits of remote work for some. One thing is certain: when going back to the office, even if only a couple of days a week, employees are going to want their workplace to be more flexible, both in terms of office space and schedule.
Balance
A word immediately comes to mind when thinking about hybrid work: balance. Many employees discovered these past months the joys of conciliating work and family time, of being more present at home, and saving precious time on commuting.
Some of them have also missed their colleagues, felt left out of professional conversations and projects or craved the simple routine of getting dressed up in the morning and going out to work. Hybrid work offers precisely a solution to this wish for a more balanced workplace.
As more and more people are shifting from a live-to-work to a work-to-live mindset, hybrid work seems to be the only option for maintaining employee motivation and engagement at their best.
Empowerment
Letting your employees choose what is best for them: this shouldn’t be a groundbreaking concept, and yet! It might be challenging to trust your employees and keep track of their work remotely. However, more than often, an empowered employee will feel encouraged to do their best, and their productivity will skyrocket. Feeling trusted goes a long way in making them feel engaged in the company, and in their job.
A presence in the office also undeniably helps maintain workplace morale and culture, and promotes valuable exchanges between colleagues.
A happier employee who feels empowered will juggle between remote and office work smoothly, creating a beneficial workflow for the whole organization.
The Future of Organizational Structures
Hybrid work will undoubtedly shape the future of organizational structures, representing the perfect balance between the benefits of remote work without completely cutting off the office’s advantages.
“Hybrid work will become a must for a new generation who wants to travel, enjoy family time and daily optimization of time. The hybrid model makes them adapt quickly to remote work at home, saving precious time on the road while allowing the employee to drop by the office to greet colleagues or attend an important meeting. The sense of belonging and team spirit are not lost, and this model will allow organizations to attract employees who live further away in an increasingly complex hiring environment. For me, the hybrid model will definitely be a must for the company of tomorrow.” – Sylvain Roy, CEO and founder of Folks and Go RH
However, just like any major managerial shift, the implementation of hybrid work will involve many challenges.
The Challenges of Hybrid Work
“A major challenge is the need to adopt a new management posture. Hybrid work brings its benefits but also a whole new level of management complexity. Managers must adapt accordingly to maintain team morale and motivation. For the employee, this new work model also requires the increasing use of tools to stay connected.” – Yasmine Zakem, Human Resources and Communications Consultant at Go RH
Logistics and Ergonomics
With the mandatory telecommuting imposed by the pandemic, many employees have suffered from a lack of material necessities to work efficiently, and some of them still don’t have an ergonomic home office. Important questions to be asked in cases of hybrid work are as follows: is the employee comfortable enough at home? Do they have the necessary equipment, a dedicated space, a sense of quietness, no personal issues hindering their daily work?
If we want remote work to remain efficient in the long run, we need to be attentive to space and equipment issues and solve them as quickly as possible.
Virtual Communication
Logistical issues can directly impact an employee’s ability to communicate virtually and, in turn, their daily contact with their team. Remote work should not mean decrease in information and informal communication.
After more than a year spent telecommuting, it is time to identify issues that some workers might have with communication software and train them to use these essential tools. This will prevent loss of motivation and feelings of isolation.
Psychological Challenges
Hyperconnectivity, chronic stress, overwork, and health issues linked to an increased sitting time are all issues that will have to be addressed by managers when setting up their hybrid plan.
Telecommuting can be very demanding in terms of motivation and time management, and the hybrid model should not be an excuse to neglect your employees. They deserve time for mental and psychological rest, good communication with their colleagues, and should be encouraged to take breaks to move around their homes or take short walks.
In addition to this, there will be discrepancies between employees who want to work remotely full-time and those who will rush back to the office and skip telecommuting altogether.
Managers and the HR department must set up a clear hybrid work plan and be ready to tackle these challenges.
The implementation of hybrid work presents more challenges than one might expect. It is obvious that HR processes will have to be optimized if managers want to have the necessary time to set up an efficient hybrid workplace model.
The Need to Optimize Your HR Processes
Organizational and Administrative Concerns
An important question to consider is the future of onboarding. What will the arrival of new employees look like with hybrid work? How do I set up a successful onboarding program for remote employees?
And what about their training throughout their career? As we’ve seen, many employees worry about the lack of ongoing training generated by telecommuting and despair at the consequent stagnation of their careers.
To these legitimate worries, shared by employers and workers alike, must be added more difficult questions to ask, such as: How can I make sure that my employees are completing their hours? Are they really working as much and as well as they used to?
Our answer to these questions is as follows: focus on what matters and what only you can achieve. There are tools to help you take care of the rest.
Focus on What Matters
Employees need, now more than ever, their managers and the HR department to be efficient and prepared for this changing work model. With all the organizational shifts required when setting up hybrid work, will they even have the necessary time to plan ahead and convince employees that they are indeed up to the task?
Setting up a hybrid work model requires a great deal of organization, and you might be discouraged, as an HR manager, if you have to take on this challenge all by yourself. There is an obvious need to optimize HR processes in your company if you want to make this work.
Some tools can help manage administrative tasks while you focus on more strategic issues related to implementing hybrid work in your company, such as HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems). This software takes care of all the administrative aspects of Human Resources management, which makes them valuable time savers.
This is precisely why the dematerialization of HR processes through the use of HRIS is the best way to ensure an excellent shift to hybrid work for all, employees and HR staff alike.
Onboarding and Employee Profiles
If, like many employers – and employees –, you worry about what onboardings will look like in hybrid work models, an HRIS can help you dematerialize these processes and make sure that you are not missing an important step. It makes perfect sense to manage onboardings virtually now that they will increasingly take place from a distance.
An HRIS will also help you keep an eye on your employees’ information and stay updated on any changes, even remotely.
Managing Careers and Ongoing Training
Employees’ concerns over the progress of their career and the lack of ongoing training due to telecommuting are growing with the implementation of hybrid work. Working remotely should not be an excuse to neglect their professional evolution.
Don’t worry! Once again, Human Resources Information Systems come to the rescue and help you manage training and careers, updating you when a course of training must be renewed, for instance. All this information is found in a single platform for peak productivity and performance!
Dematerializing and Centralizing HR processes
Centralizing your processes through an HRIS can save you time daily while avoiding risks of human error and double data entry.
The dematerialization of HR processes offered by HRIS means that you won’t have to stifle your remote employees with paper forms and constant reminders to fill them. At Folks, we make our HRIS platform visually attractive and user-friendly so that employees and managers alike enjoy using it daily! Feel free to contact us to learn more about our intuitive, flexible HR solutions!
Hybrid work definitely represents an interesting organizational and managerial shift bound to expand in the coming years, but the only way for this working model to be sustainable is with a combination of handy tools and good HR practices.
Authored By Morgane Lança
Morgane Lança is the HR Content Manager at Folks, a Quebec-based company offering HR software solutions for SMBs in Canada. She loves research and content analysis. When she is not reading, she is writing, and she particularly enjoys English literature, sci-fi and fantasy.