Navigating The Benefits And Challenges Of A Hybrid Workplace 

The Advantages Of Hybrid Working

Hybrid work offers several clear benefits for organizations. Here are some of the most notable:

• Hybrid working increases productivity: Recent research has revealed that hybrid working is beginning to gain parity with salary. What’s more, employees with flexible schedules report 29% higher productivity and 53% greater ability to focus than those without the ability to shift their schedule. Read more about why flexible work options boost employee performance.
• It enhances the ability to attract and retain talent: Flexibility has become increasingly important, with over a quarter of surveyed employees viewing flexibility as more important than pay. It is also one of the top three things job seekers prioritize when looking for new jobs. By offering hybrid work options, organizations can appeal to a wider pool of talent and retain their current employees. Plus, allowing employees to work remotely enables organizations to expand their hiring pool to a national or even international level.
• It can improve company culture: Satisfied employees are more likely to report happiness with their job, leading to increased levels of productivity and motivation. They’re also more likely to recommend their company as a place to work if their needs are met. According to Future Forum, 52% of remote and hybrid workers said their company culture improved over the past two years compared with fully in-person workers.

Well-executed, hybrid workplaces encourage employees to work to their strengths — while offering them the flexibility to do just that. In a flexible and positive work culture, employees can find a strong balance between creativity and collaboration. This not only provides them with opportunities to focus deeply on their work, but also provides substantial room to collaborate with peers virtually and in the office.

However, “going hybrid” is not bereft of challenges.

The Challenges Of Hybrid Working

Supporting employees outside the office presents significant challenges, including:

• Communication breakdowns: With research showing that 90% of all communication is non-verbal, learning to competently communicate via digital means is a tough skill to master for some; it’s not innately present in people. In fact, all interpersonal skills — such as team building, presenting, and giving effective feedback — come with an array of additional complexities and pitfalls to watch out for when they’re delivered virtually.
• Collaborating with multicultural teams: As teams have grown across borders, managing a diverse workforce with varying cultural needs and preferences, including working hours, communication styles and management expectations is challenging to say the least. Now with virtual environments, employers must also consider how their interpersonal skills may not be entirely applicable or appropriate across cultures.
• Inequality between hybrid and non-hybrid employees: Employees who spend all or most of their time working remotely could feel excluded from conversations and decisions because they’re not physically in the room. This can leave them feeling unheard and undervalued, even among their colleagues. It might also lead to a feeling of having reduced chances for being considered for promotions.

Limited access to leadership can also make remote employees feel undervalued. On top of that, remote workers may experience feeling isolated from their teams and face challenges in communicating with their colleagues. And the additional disconnect from office culture may only heighten feelings of isolation. That feeling of isolation also makes it difficult to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace.

In order for a hybrid workforce to succeed, organizations must focus on enabling and facilitating hybrid or virtual work, as well as equipping hybrid teams with interpersonal and intercultural skills to navigate this new status quo.