Accelerating hybrid work strategy is a necessity in the post-pandemic world

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Accelerating hybrid work strategy is a necessity in the post-pandemic world
  • Organisations today understand that people-centred workplaces and organisational resilience will make them move forward, adapt and stay competitive.
  • Choosing who works from home and how is a difficult task, and it'll be different for each company. If not done incorrectly, it may jeopardise company culture, collaboration and creativity.
  • Hybrid working promises a better work-life balance, increased job satisfaction and motivation, access to a larger talent pool, and potential cost savings on office space.
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The global epidemic has produced new problems and opportunities in practically every sphere of life and competition has become fiercer since the economy has reopened. Organisations with the best understanding of their customers' demands, ability to collaborate to identify numerous solutions and bring new ideas to the market will be the winners. Only when people get together in the modern workplace will those habits emerge.

According to all indications, the future of work will be hybrid: 52% of workers prefer a combination of working from home and the office, claiming that it improves their ability to be creative, solve problems and form relationships.


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According to a global study, 72% of corporate leaders aim to offer a hybrid model in the next year, with only 13% expecting to reduce their real estate footprint – an indication that businesses will continue to use existing offices in the hybrid-work future. However, getting the hybrid model right will be difficult. Choosing who will work from home and how is a difficult task, and it'll be different for each company. If done incorrectly, it may jeopardise the company culture, collaboration, and creativity. A well-executed hybrid workplace, on the other hand, can act as a magnet, drawing people together to work more effectively than ever before.


To succeed in this environment, organisations need to understand that people-centred workplaces and organisational resilience will make them move forward, adapt and stay competitive
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The strategies


1. Focus on Safety


Employees returning to work, even if only for one day a week, are concerned about their health and safety – assuaging their fears is critical. It's only natural that organisations keep up with COVID-19 advancements. Leaders must modify workplace safety regulations, such as capacity limits and mask mandates, to prevent the virus's propagation inside the community. Safety is a critical problem and needs prioritisation because many employees are parents with children, who are not yet eligible for immunisation.

2. Define the hybrid work policy


One of the most difficult tasks for the company and human resource (HR) directors is determining the flexibility of a hybrid workforce approach. The nature of specific professions may have an impact on this decision. Team leaders should evaluate which job roles are more remote-friendly. HR directors can issue guidance to managers and keep an overall eye on the situation. Regular one-on-one check-ins between staff and managers are also crucial. During this time, they could discuss any hybrid workforce challenges and collaboratively tackle them.

3. Update HR policies & talent processes


Since more employees will likely work off-site, HR staff should examine business tech policies as well as guidelines for employees utilising personal devices. Because the epidemic has interrupted recruitment, HR leaders may have to rethink their hiring procedures. Hiring management must be able to electronically examine and interview candidates. Virtual onboarding is also required. Those in charge of onboarding have to be able to connect fresh members with remote team members, if half of a company's workforce is remote. HR and learning departments must adapt training and development programs to provide a remote learning option. They must also consider what types of training are appropriate for distant learning and which are not.

4. Plan team collaboration


Organisations need to always keep ‘virtual first’ in mind when communicating with the team. Holding internal events without an in-person option so that even onsite employees join a video conferencing system from their workstations and also encouraging onsite employees to put themselves in the shoes of remote participants will encourage collaboration. Additionally, throughout these collaborative video conferencing sessions, onsite staff should act inclusively.

5. Clarity is the key


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Hybrid working promises a better work-life balance, increased job satisfaction and motivation, access to a larger talent pool, and potential cost savings in office rentals. However, it is critical that organisations devote time and money to develop a hybrid working strategy and policies. If they get this wrong, there is a risk of losing employees, productivity and revenues.

While efficiency is still a top priority for companies implementing the hybrid work model, there are also key issues to address. Maintaining workplace culture, achieving parity between the office and remote experience, enabling collaboration, and offering a consistent user experience are just some of them.

Hybrid working is the future. Still, HR executives admit that they don't have a formal strategy for the future of work yet. This can have negative consequences for enterprises in an ever-accelerating world. According to Gartner, 75% of hybrid or remote knowledge employees have increased their expectations for working flexibility. Furthermore, four out of ten employees are at risk of quitting if their employer insists on them returning to an in-person office atmosphere.

Hybrid work has become essential for organisations, but it will not be easy to implement. It will take a big cultural shift, technology development and a well-planned strategy that balances employee demands with corporate goals to achieve this.

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