What is a Hybrid Workforce? Benefits, Best practices and Solutions

What is a Hybrid Workforce?

By definition, a hybrid workforce is split (usually unevenly) between employees working remotely, and employees working at the company headquarters or office locations. 

 

What are the Hybrid Work Categories?

When considering a hybrid workforce for your company, there are three primary models to consider:

• Work environment
• Scheduling
• Employee Division

These categories form the starting point to establishing a hybrid workforce.

— Work Environment

Employees have the option to either work from home or go into the office. Each worker chooses the type of work environment where they can do their best work. They have the flexibility to move between both locations. Office spaces are ideal for holding meetings with clients. They can also be used for holding face-to-face discussions with team members.

— Scheduling

Hybrid work models can be set up according to a schedule. Two common models are the split-week and week by week.

• The split-week model works by assigning specific days to in-office and remote work. One team or department can work in the office during the first half of the week and another can work in the office during the second half. 
• The week-by-week model works by assigning set weeks when specific employee departments or teams need to be in the office. These groups can spend the next few weeks (or whatever the schedule demands) working from home. 

— Employee Division

The employee division model works by formally designating one team the “on premises” team and another one the “remote” team. Certain jobs require employees to be on site, such as factory workers and power plant technicians. Administrative staff, sales representatives, customer service representatives, and IT experts may be able to do their work remotely.

 

Evolution of the Hybrid Workforce

The COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to rethink the way their employees work. The adoption of remote work continued to grow, and permanent hybrid work situations started to take hold. These work arrangements represent one aspect of the future of work.

The pandemic worked to further normalize remote work, and many companies considered for the first time a hybrid workforce option that combined the best of both worlds - remote work flexibility and in-person collaboration. During the height of the pandemic, many companies and their employees were forced to embrace remote work or not work.

 

LumApps for Hybrid Workforce:

 

Examples of a Hybrid Workforce

The following companies offer their employees a hybrid work option:

• Amazon allows its employees to work from home two days per week. The company intends to keep its US offices open, and this hybrid model provides stability for its brick-and-mortar locations.
• Cisco’s primary work arrangement is a hybrid one. Not all employees participate though; each team can decide whether it works best in a hybrid arrangement or an in-house one and proceeds accordingly. Cisco has offices across the US, with a head office in San Jose, CA.
• Some Deloitte employees can negotiate a hybrid arrangement with their manager. The company allows this on a case-by-case basis with managerial approval in its 80-plus American offices.
• Siemens’ hybrid policy is squarely focused on quality over quantity. The company doesn’t focus on the number of hours its employees must spend in the office; instead it is concerned at the results its employees produce.

According to career website Ladders, one-quarter of all professional jobs in the US and Canada will be remote by the end of 2023.

Companies have also been considering the best way to use their office spaces. Many of them will still retain their physical offices instead of operating on a completely remote basis. Businesses will still change their physical layout and how they use their space for collaboration. 

They might use their available space to have certain days set aside for in-person collaboration and meetings. The employer will direct employees to engage in remote work on other days. Management can reserve in-person team meetings for introducing new projects, brainstorming sessions, and team-building exercises. Remote days would be for performing tasks that employees can complete individually. The office space would need to be updated. Instead of a floor plan with several cubicles in the middle of the floor, these would need to be removed to make room for multiple collaborative meeting spaces for team members.

The Potential of a Hybrid Work Model

This white paper featuring research from McKinsey, ADP Research Institute, Microsoft and more.

What are the Benefits of a Hybrid Workforce?

A hybrid workforce offers benefits for the employer and the employee alike. Consider the following:

1. Employees can work from the location where they’re more productive

Some employees find the office distracting, with phones ringing and other employees having conversations near them. If they are working from home, they have more control over their environment and can get their heads down and focus on the task at hand. For other workers, their home is full of distractions, and going to the office is where they can find their focus to get work done. 

With a hybrid work arrangement, employees have flexibility in where they do their work instead of working in one location full time. They are available to collaborate with colleagues and can attend to personal matters during breaks when necessary. 

2. The workplace becomes more collaborative

It can become difficult for employees working from home to separate "work time" from "personal time". These workers may be at higher risk for burnout and "Zoom fatigue." Going into the office sometimes allows employees to get out and interact with their colleagues; it may head off feelings of isolation. Workers experience more social interaction and engagement by participating in a combination of office and remote work. 

3. Employees get an improved work/life balance

Burnout is a major issue among employees. According to Harvard Business Review, the stress caused by US workers attempting to juggle the stress of 40-hour work weeks (or more) in a high-stress job and their other daily life tasks cost $125-$190 billion in healthcare costs due to physical and psychological problems.

When employees are part of a hybrid team, they can use their at-home days to schedule personal appointments like doctor's visits or dental appointments. Workers can take their children to and from school. Estimates say that an employee who works remotely half the time saves "the equivalent of 11 workdays per year" in time they would be spending commuting.

4. Employers have the flexibility to recruit talent from anywhere

When employees are expected to work in a specific location, the human resources department is limited to local candidates (or ones who are willing to relocate). However, suppose the workforce is a hybrid one. In that case, human resources can expand the talent search worldwide to find the right person for available positions. 

5. Companies can save money on workspace costs

When a company adopts a hybrid work arrangement for its employees, it no longer needs to provide workspaces for each staff member full-time. Employees may only come into the office a few times per week or for certain tasks. The employer can tighten up its requirements for floor space, which will lead to savings in commercial real estate. 

6. Employee engagement and productivity increase

Employees with more flexibility in how they work are more engaged and satisfied in their work. They are also more productive. 

Workers are interested in continuing their hybrid work arrangements after the COVID-19 pandemic has finished. Suppose they are not offered the opportunity to continue. In that case, the majority will stay with their current employer, but they would not be happy to return to the office full-time. Close to half of employees would start looking for another job offering a more flexible work arrangement. 

 

How to Build a Hybrid Workforce Strategy?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to implement their hybrid workforce strategy quickly. As the pandemic is now releasing its grip on the world, companies can take the time to implement best practices when building a hybrid workforce strategy. 

1. Communicate with employees early on

Employees should be part of the process from the beginning. HR leaders, executives, and managers all have a role to play in communicating the advantages of a hybrid work arrangement to employees who have not been involved in one previously. 

2. Invest in the right technology and equipment

Assure employees they will have the productivity and communication tools they need for success in a remote working situation. They should be able to log into the company communication platform to access their files from anywhere. The company should also be prepared to provide its remote workers with monitors, comfortable desk chairs, and standing desks if required. 

3. Schedule check-ins with the team regularly

Since workers won't be in the office regularly (and some may not be coming into the office at all), it becomes crucial for managers to check in with team members regularly. During these virtual meetings, the manager can discuss:

• progress on the team members' projects, 
• any issues that are holding up progress, and
• address any other matters the team wishes to discuss related to prioritizing, equipment and resources, deadlines, etc. 

4. Request employee feedback about their experience

To create a positive and engaged culture within your hybrid workforce, ask your employees to complete anonymous employee satisfaction surveys. Employees are free to talk about their experiences without fear of reprisals if they know their responses are confidential. Management should take all answers seriously and look for ways to address less-than-positive feedback. More importantly, the management team should be seen as taking action to correct situations where employees are unhappy. 

5. Share continuing education opportunities with employees and managers

All employees, including those engaged in remote work, should be included in e-mails communicating opportunities for continuous learning opportunities. They should also be added to mailing lists for interesting content relevant to their work to keep them updated about their employment area changes.

The Potential of a Hybrid Work Model

This white paper featuring research from McKinsey, ADP Research Institute, Microsoft and more.

How to Manage a Hybrid Workforce?

Managing a hybrid workforce is different from working with an in-office one. Employees enjoy the flexibility of remote working. Their managers need to adjust to being off-site for at least part of the time. Here are some suggestions to make this work arrangement successful for everyone.

1. Rethink your meeting schedule

When organizations shift to remote working, it isn't as easy to schedule meetings. Managers must ensure employees are all available at their various locations simultaneously for a Zoom conference. Unless the meeting agenda is essential, it may be more efficient to wait until another time to schedule a team meeting. 

Necessary team meetings will likely be short and to the point. A meeting that would have taken an hour in the office (and included coffee and snacks) will now take about half the time. Long virtual meetings can lead to Zoom fatigue. 

It is inefficient to have someone update all attendees about routine matters during a Zoom meeting. Send an e-mail to all attendees before the scheduled time instead. This strategy is more efficient, and attendees can ask pointed questions if anything is unclear. 

2. Don't spy on employees to ensure they are being productive

Some companies invest in monitoring software to determine whether their employees are working at home. This strategy is generally a waste of the manager's time. 

Create a work culture where employees are appreciated for more than the number of keystrokes they make daily. Let workers know that they can advise their manager if they need to step away from their desk to look after a personal or family matter.

3. Introduce new hires to the hybrid company culture

When recruiting new employees, ask candidates how they feel about remote work as part of the interview process. Ensure that new employees feel comfortable working remotely. It's crucial to have an onboarding process that addresses remote and in-office work. 

Company training documents should reflect that the new employee is adjusting to working with a new team that uses different procedures. The onboarding process should address that the new hire can't necessarily walk down the hall with any questions or concerns. Remote work requires a different dynamic than working in an office. Team members need to reach out to each other with questions quickly, so they don't get off track; there is much less opportunity for feedback when working remotely. 

4. Share your future remote work plans with employees

Decide on a return-to-work strategy that employees can understand. Some companies may decide that all employees will be working from home due to the high cost of maintaining a post-pandemic physical office. Others will continue with a hybrid workforce permanently. 

Keeping remote employees waiting and not knowing whether their current work arrangement is permanent is stressful. The longer employees work from home, the more permanent it seems. They get used to working in a way that fosters a better work-life balance with less commuting and will find it challenging to give up this lifestyle.

→ Read more: 10 Solutions to Manage a Hybrid Team in a Hybrid Workplace model

 

How to Measure Performance of a Hybrid Workforce?

When setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure a hybrid team's productivity, select ones that will track and improve the employee's performance. The following KPIs will indicate which employees are performing well and whether any workers need some additional support. 

1. Communication

Depending on the employee's job and responsibilities, the manager may expect team members to respond in minutes. In other circumstances, a same-day response may be considered reasonable. The best way to evaluate communication within the team is to consider the average time the whole team takes to communicate internally and externally - then work on shortening that average. 

2. Self-discipline

Now that teams are working remotely, managers expect employees will get their work done independently. Managers aren't available to constantly check on a worker's process or confirm they are following company policies. Employees have more independence in doing their work and solving issues in their own way. 

To measure self-discipline, managers can consider the number of projects an employee can complete without asking for additional instructions. The manager can also look at how often an employee must be reminded about upcoming deadlines and whether an employee can remain calm even when frustrated. 

3. Use of Technology

A hybrid or fully remote workforce won't be successful unless everyone uses the technology appropriately. Suppose the company executives decide that everyone needs to check in daily using an attendance tool. In that case, that is a rule everyone needs to follow. The team doesn't need anyone who feels they don't need to follow the rules by refusing to use the same technology as the rest of the group.

4. Interest in Continued Learning

Employees should show an interest in e-learning to stay up-to-date in their current jobs. They should also be interested in learning events held by the company (online or in-person) to keep apprised of news and events in their industry. 

5. Employee Output

Operational efficiency is another KPI that managers can consider when measuring an employee's performance. The management can look at the number of productive hours the employee has put in over the evaluation period, their completion rate for projects, the number of customers serviced, etc. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to implement a hybrid workforce and become a real digital workplace. This model has proved successful in many cases and has encouraged businesses to consider making the arrangement permanent in more than a few instances. The technology exists for off-site workers to collaborate easily with their in-office colleagues and each other and complete their work from any location where they can get online. Now that companies know that geography doesn't have to be a barrier to teamwork, employees can enjoy a better work-life balance. The company receives the benefits of higher productivity and happier, more engaged employees. 

The Potential of a Hybrid Work Model

This white paper featuring research from McKinsey, ADP Research Institute, Microsoft and more.

Discover our latest content on Digital Workplace

• What is a Digital Workplace? Definition and Examples
• Connected Workplace: 10 Benefits for Employees & Companies
• 20 Advantages of Remote Working for Employees and Employers
• Engaging Remote Employees: 15 Strategies Enterprises Should Consider
• 10 Benefits of a Digital Workplace: Why Do Companies Need One?
• 5 Essential Steps for Your Digital Workplace Strategy
• Engaging Remote Employees: 15 Strategies Enterprises Should Consider
• How to Facilitate Home Office with a Digital Workplace?
• 13 Effective Ways to Create a More Connected Workplace
• How to Create Effective Digital Workplace Transformation?
• How to Drive Innovation With the Help of a Digital Workplace
• 10 Simple Ideas to Improve Team Building for Remote Workers
• Best 10+ Internal collaboration tools to boost your team’s productivity
• 8 Ways to Keep Remote Employees Motivated During Crisis
• 10 Solutions to Manage a Hybrid Team in a Hybrid Workplace Model
• 7 Traits of a Successful Digital Workplace
• What Does Digital Adoption Mean in the Modern Workplace?
• What is a Distributed Workforce and How to Manage it?
• What is a Hybrid Workforce? Benefits, Best Practices and Solutions
• What is a Modern Enterprise Portal and How to Get One?