What is hybrid working and how do you implement it?

Since last year, hybrid working has become the norm in many sectors. This article explains what hybrid working is, what its advantages and disadvantages are, and how to apply it within your organization or company. 

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working means that employees can choose whether they do their work in the office or remotely. That can be from home, or from another location such as a cafe or from abroad. In hybrid working, the focus is on the freedom employees have to choose between working in the office or remotely. In practice, this often comes down to two or three days in the office and the rest of the week remotely.

What are the benefits of hybrid working?

Hybrid working brings many benefits. These are the main advantages:

Increased productivity
Many employees are more productive when they work from home. Of course, this depends on their level of discipline and sense of responsibility, but in an open-plan office you are guaranteed to be distracted: colleagues asking something in between, people on the phone, or a conversation about colleagues’ weekend plans. Many home workers start early in the morning with their to-do list and have more focus than they do in the office. It also turns out that many home workers keep working longer because they have more time left in the day.

More job satisfaction
Hybrid working gives employees freedom and responsibility, and many people like that. They want to decide for themselves where and when they work, and how they structure their workday. It also gives them extra free time, because they can already start the washing machine during working hours and save a lot of travel time. No more traffic jams!

Lower business costs
Why rent a large building when part of the team works from home? By working hybrid, companies save not only on office rent, but also on other costs. Think about lunch, coffee, electricity and travel allowances. 

More efficient processes
Hybrid collaboration requires processes to be clearly documented and information to be easy to find digitally. In practice, it forces employees to share and structure information. This ensures that every stakeholder can quickly find the right information, and it saves time when onboarding new employees. As a result, processes become more efficient and crucial business information does not remain with just one person.

Less CO2 emissions
Hybrid working means fewer journeys, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions. In organizations with departments spread across multiple cities or even countries, this impact will be greatest. 

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What are the disadvantages of hybrid working?

Is there already a work culture based on personal freedom and responsibility, and is the digital infrastructure in good order? Then the transition to hybrid working will be easy. If not, keep the following disadvantages in mind:

Less control
When employees work from home, you have less visibility into how they are performing and you can also step in less quickly when someone gets stuck. A good manager stays in active contact with the team and offers enough online options to support employees.

Less social contact
Hybrid working means colleagues have less social contact than when they are full-time in the office. A quick chat at the coffee machine with someone from another department does not happen over a video call, especially if there is no clear reason to speak to that person. These kinds of conversations can lead to new inspiration or collaborations, which you miss out on during hybrid working. 

Remote workers are sometimes less well informed
A situation can arise in which important announcements do not reach remote workers, causing them to miss important information. Also during hybrid meetings, remote workers sometimes get fewer opportunities to speak, or people chat after the call without the online participants. You can prevent this by creating a clear agenda and making sure everyone gets a turn to contribute.

It is not always more sustainable
Hybrid working also requires an ergonomic home workspace, which means many remote workers buy new furniture and equipment. And despite the energy savings in the office, remote workers now actually use more electricity at home. Hybrid working is therefore not always more sustainable than working full-time in the office. 

How do you facilitate hybrid working within your organization?

Hybrid working has become an essential part of today’s work life. How big the step to hybrid working is within your organization depends on your current digital infrastructure and work culture. Valo often works with organizations that have already implemented hybrid working. Based on our experience, we offer the following tips for successful hybrid working:

Make sure you have the right communication tools and equipment
There is plenty of software for collaborating online. It is important to choose one tool for communication and video calls, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet. In addition, it is important for hybrid working that employees have the right equipment, such as portable devices with high-quality webcams and microphones.

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Pay attention to information management and cybersecurity
Make sure remote workers do not miss information by communicating important announcements online and structuring company information in a logical way. Everyone should be able to find the work agreements. Use a setup that allows people to collaborate on documents easily. Work in the cloud for example, and make agreements about folder structure and version control. 

Also pay extra attention to cybersecurity and the security of data. Make employees aware of how to handle confidential data outside the office, and provide tools that ensure data security. Make sure that only invited people have access to scheduled video meetings and that no one from outside can look in. 

Create clarity about workplace occupancy 
When a large part of your organization works hybrid, there is a good chance that you no longer have an office building with 100% occupancy. Let the team divide among themselves who is present when. In larger organizations, that is more difficult and you need a central booking system to manage occupancy. There is already plenty of software available that makes workplace management possible.

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Give extra attention to remote workers 
Provide a clear structure for video meetings and make sure everyone gets a turn to speak. It is nice if the conference room at the office has a webcam that shows everyone, so remote workers can see colleagues well. Read the article about online meetings for more tips.

Turn offline events into hybrid events
Make sure everyone can take part in the events within your company, whether it is the kickoff of the new year or a team-building event with a pub quiz. Organize a professional hybrid event for this, with plenty of options for interaction between online and offline audiences. By using polls and quizzes, having speakers dial in from other locations and hosting a Q&A session, you can turn a boring meeting into a lively TV show.

Need help with hybrid meetings or organizing a hybrid event?

Valo takes the hassle out of livestreaming and hybrid events. Get in touch today for tailored advice without obligation.