Are you still in a traditional office setting? "The hybrid work model" has landed.

Figure 1

“Hybrid work represents the biggest shift to how we work in our generation…it will require a new operating model, spanning people, places, and processes.”

– Satya Nadella, CEO & Chairman, Microsoft

What is “HYBRID WORK MODEL”?

Hybrid work is a flexible working model where employees work partly at the physical workplace and partly remotely – at home or from another workplace.

It allows employees to choose how and where they work, and gives employees the autonomy to plan their workweek in a way that works for them and with company policies.

Organizations that use a hybrid work model can provide their employees with a better work-life balance. It is a good strategy to increase job satisfaction and reduce LTO. As a result, it helps to operate more efficiently. It can build a sustainable development in the organization.

One Accenture study found that 83% of respondents said they felt a hybrid work model was the best going forward.

Difference between hybrid work from home and hybrid work. Although these terms are very similar, there are different working models:

 

OVERVIEW OF HYBRID WORKPLACES

Hybrid works:

Employees split their work week between being in the office and working remotely. This is flexible work.

Hybrid work from home:

Some employees work remotely while others work in the office. A Work From Home designee will work remotely most of the time, while a Work From Office employee will be in the office most of the time (Qualtrics, 2022)

Figure 2

The hybrid model isn't right for every workplace or every industry, it's best for workers who are computer-based and don't need to be on-site. This hybrid model cannot be used for health services, production sectors and security services, which are considered essential services. (Fowell. T., Kitkham. A, 2022)

The move to remote and hybrid work was already underway long before the pandemic, but it has gained momentum in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic. Since then, this flexible way of working has become more popular.

Figure 3

Modern HR technologies are easing the transition to hybrid work by enabling data collection, management and analysis from all teams, regardless of location. (SAP, 2023)

Ø 4 types of hybrid work schedules

Hybrid work is a flexible work model. Choosing the best hybrid work schedule for your business is important. With each schedule comes different benefits and challenges. Here is a brief explanation of the 4 types of work schedules.

ü Voluntary Hybrid: Employees can choose the day(s) to come to the office

ü Hybrid split-week: Your company assigns specific days by team or function to on-site and remote work

ü Hybrid Manager-Scheduling: Managers choose which day their team comes to the office

Hybrid mixture: A combination of all three options

Clip: 2

 Hybrid Work Can Become Toxic

But this hybrid model identifies five attributes of a toxic culture: disrespectful, non-inclusive, unethical, austere, and abusive. These qualities are undeniably negative.

A hybrid environment by definition means that employees experience their work in very different contexts—some face-to-face, others remotely. As a result, hybrid workspaces are not uniform. Some people may experience a toxic hybrid environment while others may not. The management should understand this.

How Hybrid Work Can Lead to Toxicity

1. Remoteness changes dynamics

2. Hybridity is fundamentally imbalanced

3. Hybridity can reduce cohesion and trust

4. Hybridity makes it hard to resolve issues (Mortensen, 2023).

Conclusion:

The hybrid working model discussed in this section highlights a particularly advantageous situation. This is an ideal platform for international relations as well as global knowledge exchange along with globalization. Through the hybrid work model, a company can even involve foreign experts in the composition.

References:

(1).Clip(1). https://youtu.be/uwutHtN-ks0 Accessed on 15th August 2023.

(2).Clip(2). https://youtu.be/OCnboNWVHV4 Accessed on 15th August 2023.

(3).Fig(1). https://domrisk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/hybrid-work.jpg Accessed on 15th August 2023.

(4).Fig(2). https://i0.wp.com/youralbert.com/newsite/wp- content/uploads/2022/08/hybrid.2.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1 Accessed on 15th August 2023.

(5).Fig(3). https://nkd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mckinsey-reimagine-work-employee-survey-Janaury-2021-.png Accessed on 15th August 2023.

(6).Fowell. T., Kitkham. A. (2022). What is hybrid work and why do employees want it?.  Envoy. Available at: https://envoy.com/blog/what-is-a-hybrid-work-model/ Accessed on 15^th August 2023.

(7).Hybrid work: definition, tips and strategies. (2022). EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT. Qualtrics. Available at: https://www.qualtrics.com/au/experience-management/employee/hybrid-work/?rid=ip&prevsite=en&newsite=au&geo=LK&geomatch=au  Accessed on 15^th August 2023.

(8).Mortensen. M. (2023). Why Hybrid Work Can Become Toxic, Harvard Business Review [Online]. Available at: https://hbr.org/2023/07/why-hybrid-work-can-become-toxic Accessed on 15th August 2023.

(9).What is a hybrid workplace model?. (2023). SAP. Available at: https://www.sap.com/products/hcm/what-is-a-hybrid-workplace-model.html Accessed on 15th August 2023.