Work models are guidelines for how businesses operate regularly. They specify the work schedule that employees must follow, particularly where they work. At varying levels, a hybrid work approach mixes in-office and virtual work. Some organizations need employees to stay in the workplace most of the time but enable them to work remotely for a couple of days per week – some advocate for full employee participation in terms of where they work. Based on the demands of unique organizations and different teams within them, there are several other forms of hybrid work models.
Types of Hybrid Work Models
1. Office-first Hybrid Model
Workers in an office-first hybrid model must turn up to work almost all of the time but can work remotely (typically from home) for a portion of their time. Employees generally are allowed to work remotely for one or two days each week or a few days per month. They can use this freedom bonus anytime they wish in some instances. These offsite days are given on a specific instance situation in other corporations, based on who has to be at the office and at what time. Organizations that use this paradigm think that physical separation is a barrier to effective team communication. Their goal is not to go remote; instead, they want to give their employees more freedom.
Offices are also ideal for conferences and one-on-one conversations. As a result, the office-first strategy is far more straightforward to adopt. You won’t have to make too many technological modifications or modify procedures. Only a few aspects of your rules will need to be tweaked, such as office presence. The office-first strategy is appropriate for companies that rely on teamwork to be productive. It enables teams to do their tasks while allowing for freedom and independent assignments. In other industries, like manufacturing activities, nevertheless, the office-first approach is the sole practical option for mixed employment. This paradigm may be detrimental for businesses that depend on personal and digitized outputs. Furthermore, the office-first paradigm may diminish productivity for workers who reside far away from the office.
2. Flexible Hybrid Model
The flexible hybrid work paradigm allows workers to select when they want to work from the workplace or office and prefer to work from home. This model may apply some restrictions, such as required office Tuesdays to encourage collaborative efforts. This, unfortunately, is not possible with geographically separated diverse teams. Organizations that embrace this strategy think that allowing employees to select where they work will make them cheerful. Their work environments are typically built on hot-desking, which means that no one has a defined workstation, and everyone is free to use any vacant desk.
This model allows for both office and virtual leadership, with some executives opting to promote business philosophy by ultimately adopting mobility. Employees value workplace flexibility. According to PwC’s remote work poll, 55 percent of participants would appreciate the flexibility to work at least three times each week virtually, with only 8% prefer office-based. Employees have more freedom at work, which leads to increased job satisfaction.
3. Split-Week Hybrid Model
This system operates by designating days for both on-site and virtual work. One section, for example, could work at the workplace for the first three days of the week. Therefore, you can designate additional teams to report personally for the rest of the week. Your workplace will be less congested, and employees will have more opportunities to reorganize and work regularly. If you want to try something new, consider lowering your employees’ weekly working hours. Conversely, the split-week strategy can boost your firm’s costs. Nevertheless, you may be responsible for your workers’ working expenses, such as higher power costs and your office’s energy and other maintenance charges remotely.
4. Remote-first Hybrid Model
Unlike the previous technique, remote work is the standard in the remote-first approach, whether from workers’ residences or other non-company locations. The organization that applies this model still has some workspaces so that individuals may come in occasionally. Still, all activities and rules are geared toward remote work and its requirements. In other terms, this paradigm allows and promotes remote labor. Remote-first businesses use several solutions to facilitate communication and cooperation and ensure that everyone receives the information they require on time. Organizations that embrace this approach feel that working remotely is the way of the future. However, they still want to provide opportunities for employees who wish to work in an office setting. This paradigm has no locality bias because the management acts essentially remotely.
5. Week-By-Week Model
You should try the week-by-week strategy if you don’t consider the split-week model ideal for your firm. You will be designating work weeks when particular employee groups must be personally present at the workplace in this work setting. They can then work from home for the next few weeks. You can schedule select participants to work full-time at the workplace for a week. Then, other group members might physically show up to work alongside them for the following week. Organizations with many employees benefit the most from this hybrid work arrangement. With this design, you can significantly minimize the workplace space required for your activities while also lowering your administrative expenditures.
In conclusion, there is no such thing as a perfect work model. Before making decisions regarding the choice for your company, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each model, think about your company’s specific needs, and blend the features you like. Finally, to know what works for you need to try.
