With quarantine and social distancing becoming the new normal, even businesses have had to embrace big changes in their working dynamics. Let’s face it! Things are never going to remain the same or return to how they were at the start of the year.
Speaking of the businesses, tables turned overnight, and they had to consider and adopt remote working practices. Companies are looking forward to building a concrete hybrid working model in response to some of the permanent changes brought in by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Generation Z has very much dug their toes and has become the biggest fraction of the workforce. And, they seem to be more inclined towards a hybrid working approach.
It is safe to say that the future of the workplace environment is hybrid! The million-dollar question is whether a hybrid workspace environment will work as effectively as a traditional model of working from an office does?
Before we can explore this model to the fullest, let’s first delve deeper and understand the term.
What a Hybrid Workspace Environment Means
A hybrid model refers to a flexible workspace environment where some employees render their services from in-house offices, while some work remotely (work-from-home). A business or a company with a hybrid structure gives employees the freedom to decide whether they prefer working from the office or anywhere on a remote basis.
We are now coming to the question of whether such a structure will work or not has to do with workforce management.
Technology and Support
We live in an era where technology is evolving with each passing day and can bridge the gap between the manager and the remote employees. If a company makes productive use of technology, a hybrid working model can turn out to be a success.
The key to a productive hybrid workspace environment is equipping the employees with the right technological tools.
To execute the assigned tasks from home effectively, each member of the workforce would require technical support to streamline communication and the sharing of necessary documents and files.
To put things in perspective, the following are some tools that can help a company embrace a hybrid structure efficiently,
- Zoom and Meeting Owl to enable video conferences and meetings
- Slack, Trello, or Clickup to make team communication and management seamlessly happen
- Google Suite to share documents, files, or folders
These were just a few suggestions out of many options available. Once you have got the technology game going right, you will see things falling into place.
Increased Levels of Productivity
A hybrid work model would mean that the in-house office is not congested and has room to breathe if there is limited space. On the other hand, part of the workforce won’t have to go through an unpleasant commute journey. This means that they have more mental energy and capacity to give to the business. The employees come all fresh and motivated to their desks. The outcome is increased productivity as well as a significant boost to business.
Access to a Broader Pool of Talent
The credit for this sudden rise in hybrid work structures not only stays with the current pandemic situation but with millennials as well! The youth prefers a work-life balance and are always on the hunt for flexible, secure, and lucrative job opportunities. Similarly, a business, especially a budding one, is always searching for fresh, high-skilled talent.
Therefore, a hybrid workspace environment is not only beneficial for the candidates but businesses too. Young and competent minds mean a surge of new ideas and strategies, which means exponential business growth and enhanced reputation.
Decreased Expenses
This is one point that works in favor of both the businesses and the employees. Having a mixed workforce means less office space. This will eventually lead to decreased rental expenses and other overhead costs, such as utilities. On the other hand, the employees will get to save money that they may have to spend on fuel if traveling through a private car or on the fare if they commute through public transport. To sum up, a hybrid workplace environment can be a win-win situation for both.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, turning businesses into a hybrid work structure depends on how well you manage the teams, coupled with how much you are willing to invest in technology. These two factors can make or break the deal. Other than this, we leave the judgment for you to make considering the points mentioned above.
Contact Steven Goldstein @ ChicagoBroker.com Powered by Jameson Commercial at 312-840-9002 to discuss your current needs and how we can help you employ proven strategies to help you optimize your office space utilization.
