How to make hybrid work for you

There’s been a lot of hype around hybrid working lately, but one thing’s for sure – it’s here to stay. So love it or loathe it, what’s vital now is to figure out how to make it work for your business. That’s why we thought we’d look at some of the ways you can embrace this ‘new normal’ and turn it to your advantage. But first, let’s just take stock of where we are.

It’s a whole new world out there…

Things really will never be the same again after Covid. According to the latest Forbes workplace survey, more than 80% of people who responded believe employees will spend at least 25% of their working week at home in the future.

Google recently proclaimed that its 200,000 workforce will continue to work from home until at least the summer of 2022. Facebook is also allowing its people to work from home until next summer, whilst Twitter has caused a twitter storm by tweeting that its employees can remain home-based indefinitely.

So is hybrid working a good thing? Certainly, a whole clutch of prominent business leaders are queuing up to extol its virtues. Yet many still feel uneasy at the prospect. And it’s not hard to see why.

For starters, they question whether their people can be as productive working from home. Can they be trusted to put in a full day? (Actually, many employers across sectors are reporting an increase in productivity from their remote workers.)

Businesses are also mindful of their duty of care to employees. It’s been widely reported that the nation’s mental health is at an all-time low. How can business leaders reassure their people that returning to the office is safe? And what potentially negative effects will requiring employees to return have on their mental wellbeing?

There are other, more subtle issues. Those who prefer to work from home are at greater risk of being marginalised if they have less access to management. After all, it’s all too easy to accidentally introduce new inequalities between those in the office and those at home. As the CEO of GitLab says, “If you try to do hybrid you will have an A team and a B team, those in the office and those deprived of information and career opportunities…companies should not do it lightly.”

From band aid to long term solution

When Covid first struck, hybrid working was a quick-fix to keep businesses up and running. Slowly but surely, it’s becoming a long term workplace solution. That’s because it’s brought with it some real – and surprising – benefits.

A CIPD survey found that the No 1 benefit of homeworking for workers was a boost in their wellbeing as a result of ditching the commute and enjoying work-hours flexibility.

The better work-life balance of hybrid working is another huge plus, letting employees take control of their work schedule and free up time to take care of things that crop up in their personal lives.

Less crowded workplaces also reduces the risk of sick employees infecting colleagues.

And let’s not forget that home working has also helped to drive-down carbon emissions. Indeed, this year experts predict the environmental impact of Covid will contribute to the biggest ever annual fall in global carbon emissions.

Upstream – helping you become a hybrid working success story

Here at Upstream we’ve everything your business needs to make hybrid working work for you. We’ve also developed a true expertise in this area, learning from best-in-class examples across the globe. That’s why we’re so well placed to help you navigate the ‘new normal’ world of work ahead.

Right now there are 3 Hot Topics you should be planning for.

The first is managing your office space to prepare for the return of your workforce.

The second is providing efficient home workspaces for your people.

And finally, there’s investing in the hybrid working technology you need to flourish.

We’re going to look at each of these in turn in our next blogs. So be sure to tune in soon to discover more…