The Future of Work Is Hybrid; Executives Need to Stop Fighting It

• Why are workers demanding a hybrid work model?
• What are the benefits of hybrid offices for both employees and employers?
• Why are some business leaders resisting the adoption of hybrid arrangements?

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The Great Resignation, hybrid office, the digital workplace, four-day work weeks, and distributed teams; all of these terms have been ushered into the limelight over the last several months as the way we knew the workplace was permanently altered.

Even prior to the pandemic, companies started reconsidering what it meant to contribute and excel in the workplace, with many realizing coming into the office 40 hours a week wasn’t a prerequisite. 

But as the story often goes with any significant changes, organizations set in their ways only became open to the idea of a bit more flexibility after an unprecedented global health crisis forced people to stay at home.

However, this transition was just the beginning.

Aside from the fact that remote working became a bare necessity to keep workers safe, the past 18 months has also led to a shift in power from employers to employees.

And the message they are sending is loud and clear:

“Provide a hybrid office, or we’ll find an employer that does.”

While many leaders are finally coming to terms that the office will never return to pre-pandemic normalcy, others are still dragging their feet in an effort to regain power.

But the numbers don’t lie: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently revealed that 4.3 million Americans, or 2.9% of the U.S. workforce, quit their jobs in August alone.

This could mean bad news for companies stuck in their old ways of operating.

Why The Hybrid Office?

Fluidity is the name of the game in modern workplace practices, which makes the hybrid work model seem ideal.

The meaning of a hybrid office is an alternative work environment for professionals between their homes and their employers’ main office. 

But why exactly have hybrid offices become among the most preferred work arrangements for employees, and what does one look like?

For starters, it serves as an oasis away from the distractions of home, while still offering a sense of safety compared to traditional offices.

Hybrid offices have nearly everything that a main headquarters usually has, but with the ability to:

• Accommodate lower capacities and offer private work areas
• Easily host collaborative meetings
• Incorporate remote working tools, such as meeting rooms outfitted with virtual conferencing technology
• Offer a workspace across many geographical regions, including cities and suburbs
• Provide a more affordable alternative to traditional offices
• Reduce the daily commute, thus boosting productivity
• Give small businesses a chance to expand their reach and broaden their networking.

Since companies have embraced the idea of hybrid models, coworking and flexible office operators have been able to reposition themselves as the perfect hybrid office solution for businesses making this pivot.

Not only does a hybrid office provide a peace of mind during the pandemic in terms of both health and finances, it has allowed professionals to finally achieve a work-life balance that they have longed for.

And the fear of losing this distinction is causing levels of anxiety to spike among workers.

A recent survey from Limemade showed that nearly all of the 4,553 office worker respondents across 17 industries had some form of anxiety about returning to the office.

Even more, 71% of these workers said that losing flexible work arrangements was one of their biggest sources of anxiety.

Agility and fluidity have become highly desirable in the workplace, and a hybrid office provides organizations large and small the ability to achieve these traits.

Are Hybrid Offices Sustainable?

Even at the beginning of the pandemic, companies questioned whether flexible and remote working would stick around in the long term.

There are many reasons big name corporate leaders have tried to disprove the effectiveness of hybrid working. 

However, as we approach the two-year mark of the workplace being totally uprooted, it’s clear that demand for alternative work arrangements is not waning.

In fact, a Mercer survey from May showed that 70% of companies said that blending in-person and remote working arrangements will be the new normal moving forward.

While how this blend is executed will vary across companies, it’s clear that traditional 9 to 5 work styles no longer suit the needs of most workers.

The benefits of hybrid offices stack high for employees, but businesses themselves also have a lot to gain.

For instance, adopting a hybrid mode, in addition to significant savings, gives companies access to:

• A wider talent pool across the world
• More affordable and short-term office rental
• Increased networking opportunities with other companies within the community
• Fully-equipped offices that include meeting rooms, technology, internet, and other office necessities.

According to Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index, 73% of employees stated they wanted flexible remote work options to remain post-pandemic. 

Those numbers are hard to ignore.

So the question posed should really be: 

Is it even possible that hybrid offices are a short-lived trend?

Employees And Employers Both Win

Many analysts have expressed shock over the ongoing labor shortage, especially as it follows a time when people were being furloughed and laid off.

However, if workplace trends that were emerging pre-pandemic have taught us anything, it’s that dissatisfaction with employers was coming to the surface and the pandemic caused it to boil over.

Despite the uncertainty and anxiety that has engulfed the global workforce, it also opened up a world of opportunity for employees to finally get what they have secretly always desired: 

A choice in how, when, and where they work.

After experiencing what is now referred to as the “world’s largest work-from-home experiment,” workers were able to understand what they loved about remote working, and the aspects of the office they miss — hence the merging of both.

So what exactly do employees gain out of a hybrid model?

Among the top cited benefits from workers was less commuting.

However!

This does not necessarily mean that employees want to eliminate the commute altogether.

In fact, research commissioned by IWG actually shows that workers who would prefer to work in an office full-time are four times more likely to choose a workspace closer to their homes, rather than traveling to their employer’s headquarters.

This indicates that the tolerance for lengthy commutes has thinned, and regardless of a professional’s workspace preference, it is unlikely to make a return.

Another takeaway from the hybrid model is the broadening of more work opportunities.

Because many workers are no longer tied to one specific location, they are able to seek out jobs that best suit their needs from the workplace across various regions. 

Companies that offer hybrid models with no geographical limitations allow employees to make career decisions based on their unique personal needs, such as:

• Workplace arrangement
• Cost of living 
• Proximity to loved ones.

Many workers have moved away from large cities during the pandemic for various reasons including looking for a cheaper city to live in, moving closer to loved ones, or wanting to find an area with wider spaces.

This migration away from major metro areas not only enables workers to have a bigger say in their hybrid arrangements, but it also shows them that you, the employer, care about their preferences.

Additionally, and perhaps among the most important reasons employees prefer a hybrid approach, is the ability to achieve a healthier work-life balance.

It’s no surprise that this global health crisis has forced much of society to reflect and reevaluate their priorities, whether that is caring for their own mental health or being more engaged at home.

Whatever the reason may be, hybrid working makes it easier to achieve a balance that nurtures both their professional and personal lives.

One of the biggest qualms with strict remote working policies has been overwork and blurred lines between personal and work responsibilities.

According to research from Slack, around 49% of remote workers feel that they spend too much time in meetings compared to 37% of those who work out of more than one location.

With a hybrid model, employees can gain more freedom in their work environment, while simultaneously having the option to create better boundaries between their home and work.

Although it is certainly employees that are driving the demand for hybrid offices, they are not the only party that serves to benefit from this type of arrangement.

Business leaders rooted in their old ways of operating may think that the hybrid office model adds more managerial obstacles than necessary, the benefits certainly speak for themselves.

Think about it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to diversify your talent pool? Or mitigate real estate costs?

Let’s break it down. Leaders who embrace a hybrid work model can:

• Tap into a wider geographical talent pool, which is critical during this ongoing labor shortage and can help with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.
• Decrease their real estate costs by adopting hybrid offices that are often cheaper to rent and offer more flexible leases.
• Increase their networking capabilities by incorporating a shared workspace into their web of office spaces
• Expand their services to different regions across the country
• Easily gain access to professional meeting spaces with potential clients.

For any business looking to grow and prosper, hybrid working wins the blue ribbon.

But look even deeper, and you could gain much more than cutting your costs.

The employee experience has never been more important than it is during this post-pandemic era.

Companies are still trying to navigate which strategy of operating works best for their business, but among their top priorities should be keeping employees happy and satisfied.

With the Great Resignation serving as a real threat to retention rates, a hybrid model could be the solution needed during this time.

So where exactly does a hybrid office fit into the strategy of improving the employee experience?

• Improving employee engagement
  • Having some sort of physical space that workers can connect and collaborate in person can lead to higher engagement levels and make them feel more included.
• Improving employee health and wellbeing
  • Benefits mean more than good health insurance policies — workers want to know that their employer cares for their wellbeing.
  • Hybrid offices allow workers to come into the workplace when needed, without experiencing the potential burnout that comes with a traditional 9 to 5
• Improving employee skill levels
  • Hybrid working means adopting new technology that is necessary for a distributed workforce.
  • Providing workers with the chance to upskill and reskill gives them a sense of purpose and shows that there is room for growth in their current position.

The Hybrid Office Debate

Despite the stacked benefits, the hybrid work model is still controversial for some of the world’s largest companies.

But why?

Leaders have said that workers are still more productive in strictly physical offices, and that the cons outweigh the pros.

Others have expressed the opposite, saying that fully remote work is the way forward.

But the data doesn’t seem to support either of these theories.

In fact, research from Ipsos shows that 64% of workers want flexibility in terms of when they come into the office, while 38% said working from home makes it difficult to be productive.

Hybrid working serves as a compromise between the two worlds, but that doesn’t mean every hybrid strategy is fool-proof.

Leaders have to adopt the appropriate methods and invest into the necessary tools to make hybrid work models…well, work!

Telling employees that they can work “x amount of times” in the office and the rest of the time from home isn’t enough — there needs to be an open line of communication that caters to each person’s unique work style.

For instance:

A working parent may need to come into the office at a later time than others in order to drop their children off at school, or work from home if their children are sick.

In short, employee input surveys will be crucial here.

Hearing exactly what workers need from the workplace, staying agile and flexible, and offering an empathetic ear will all be essential to ensuring that your company’s hybrid work model serves your employees and your business.

Conclusion

Hybrid offices were an inevitable part of the workplace, but the pandemic accelerated their popularity.

Now is the time for business leaders to contemplate and reassess what is important to their business, especially those who are so resistant to changing protocol.

Moving forward, any business that is looking to grow, expand, and continue innovating will need to hear what the workforce is shouting from the rooftops:

Hybrid working is the future.

The traditional ways of operating are no longer going to cut it for a workforce that is burnout and seeking more value from their professional lives.

Without adapting to these needs, companies will soon begin to feel the impact of the Great Resignation.

And what do they have to lose? The math is fairly simple. 

Happy employees plus increased productivity equals more revenue and higher retention rates.

While the execution will take more research and understanding, the message is evident:

Hybrid offices are here to stay.

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FAQ

1. What are the benefits of hybrid workspaces?
   • Adopting a hybrid workspace can help employees achieve better work-life balance and flexibility in their day-to-day, while employers can mitigate their costs for office space since these offices are typically more affordable and have flexible leases.
     
2. How do you create a hybrid workspace?
   • Creating a hybrid workspace starts with finding an office that can cater to employees from all walks of life, and equipping it with the necessary tools needed for a productive work day, such as meeting rooms, private offices, fast WiFi, and more.
     
3. What is the hybrid workplace model?
   • A hybrid workplace model essentially merges both remote working and in-office arrangements, allowing employees to work from a physical office, the company’s headquarters, and at home throughout the work week.
     
4. How do you manage hybrid work?
   • Managing hybrid work will require the necessary tools, such as collaborative software that can ensure all workers are on the same page and operating asynchronously.
     
5. Will the hybrid office and workplace last?
   • In short, yes. Hybrid offices are expected to be the most sustainable solution in a post-pandemic society as workers seek the flexibility to choose where and when they work.
     
6. Is the hybrid office a long-term solution?
   • If executed correctly, it can be. Hybrid workspaces can provide long-term solutions for companies who are looking to expand their geographical reach, reduce their operational costs, or tap into a whole new talent pool.
     
7. Why are people debating about the hybrid office?
   • Business leaders who are resistant to the hybrid office believe that employees are more productive and engaged when they work in the traditional workspace full-time, but data suggests otherwise.