Learn how employee communications and HR can strengthen your organization’s cybersecurity. Follow these six proven strategies and stay ahead of the game!
Let’s go back to March 2020, when the world faced one of the worst pandemics. The introduction of the novel coronavirus has led to a severe global economic downturn. And this impact on company performance called for changing the approach to tackle serious challenges concerning the traditional method of working. That is when the employers changed the way and reinforced the company culture from an HRM perspective making them address the advantages of work-from-home or remote working patterns.
Fast-forwarding nearly three years later, how does the company culture look like today? In this article, we will cover the pros and cons of a hybrid work environment followed by some tips for its successful implementation.
Advantages
The hybrid work model has been a win-win situation for both– employers and employees. Let’s dive deeper into some of the benefits of this perfect life-balancing work culture.
1. Cost Efficient
The hybrid work model has helped businesses to cut costs as only a few employees work from the site. Thus, companies can save money on the majority of the operating expenses like lower office maintenance, commuting cost, electricity, meals, etc. Even though companies have to incur some expenses with respect to remote work (tools and types of equipment), the cost is still very less as compared to that of full-time employees.
To back this, a research report by WorkInSync stated that a company with 100 employees needs to spend approximately $50,000 per month, and with hybrid or remote working in place, this cost can be cut down to around $15,000 per month. That’s a massive cost-cutting, isn’t it?
2. Increase Productivity and Efficiency
No one can deny the fact that working from home or any other location is followed by a refreshing change. This helps employees increase focus and concentration on particular tasks. The hybrid work model gives the leverage of working at the office when it comes to team projects that require a collaborative approach while also working individually from home. This results in increased productivity while also making the employees more relaxed and efficient. A research report by Owl Labs concluded that hybrid employees were 22 percent happier than on-site employees.
3. Redefines Collaboration and Communication
Changing work culture calls for changing the preexisting methodologies; making businesses adopt new technologies to engage employees and other project stakeholders. Discussions, brainstorming, and meetings can be easily done using digital tools in an efficient way. It helps employees to save time and travels to the office for meetings and can work on any idea from anywhere and anytime ensuring better collaboration and efficiency.
4. Better Work-life Balance
Working on-site requires employees to travel to and from work, which can be exhausting. With the hybrid model in place, they occasionally need to visit the office, helping them spend more time with friends and family. It also reduces stress and prevents burnout, especially for employees who work on tight deadlines.
A LinkedIn study reflected that about 86 percent of professionals surveyed report that hybrid working has positively impacted their work-life balance.
Disadvantages
1. Increased Employee Isolation
One of the main concerns HRs have encountered in this culture is that the rapport between employees has gone missing. There are chances when employees feel demotivated and lonely as there is a lack of face-to-face communication. Such a culture can also trigger meeting fatigue and also cut down on company outings which is the best-fit approach for team bonding.
2. The threat of Cyber Risk
As the use of different remote communication tools is in place; the risk to cyber security is on a constant rise. And working from home or remote work entails less data security. In this work model, personal devices are more vulnerable due to a lack of security measures and protocols. Moreover, personal wifi connections are more prone to cyber risk. Hence, taking accurate security measures and protocols is a prerequisite for making remote work a smooth experience.
So even though there are a couple of disadvantages, the hybrid work model is gaining popularity. Hence, let us look at some of the most critical tips for implementing a hybrid work strategy in 2023.
- Define the goal and set clear objectives: It is very important to be clear about the deadlines and set expectations for carrying out the tasks. Providing clarity and bringing everyone on the same page will help reduce potential challenges or address them at an earlier stage.
- Scheduling a fixed time for meetings: Coordinating between the entire team and getting them to discuss together at a fixed time can be a challenge in a hybrid work model. But having a fixed schedule for weekly meetings will help get updates and remove bottlenecks in the work.
- Providing best tools: Hybrid and remote work have everything to do with technology. Providing employees with the best remote tools will ensure work productivity and efficiency.
- Being flexible with employees: When it comes to remote working there are several issues that employees encounter. There can be technological issues, distractions because of kids and pets, and many more. Hence, being flexible is a must for better productivity and collaboration among employees.
Wrapping Up
Like any other model hybrid work culture has its own set of challenges but more importantly, it has a bundle of advantages. Learning to manage hybrid employees will help businesses improve their productivity and efficiency. Parallelly, it will also help employees gain a sense of job satisfaction which is a must. Additionally, with multiple digital tools in place communication has become more smooth and more effective. Hence, we can’t deny the fact that hybrid work culture is becoming the future of work!
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