Hybrid working is deemed to be the best of both worlds, but how can you ensure that you have a successful transition to this working model?
First of all, what is hybrid working?
Hybrid working is defined as a mixture of remote and office/onsite working. For some, that may mean an equal split or more time based in the workplace or at home. Although this isn’t a new concept, it’s a lot more common in the new era of work.
When the ‘work from home if you can’ guidance is dropped in England, this may not mean that some employees will return to the office five days a week, or even return to the office at all.
A lot of companies are therefore considering a hybrid working model, so people can have the flexibility of remote working but also the pre-pandemic normality in the office too.
How many people want a hybrid working model? We conducted a LinkedIn poll to see the demand for hybrid working in the future and 70% of respondents said they would want a remote and office working split (either two/three days in the office or home and vice versa).
Interestingly, a quarter of respondents said they would want to work from home full time, whilst just 5% of people would want to work in the office full time.
If you want to set yourself up for success in a hybrid working environment, have a read of some of our tips below:
Understand your expectations
If you have just found out that you will be hybrid working, then try and have a conversation with your manager beforehand so you can prepare. This is a chance for you to see if your manager has any ideas or plans in terms of your workload and if this will change depending on where you are based.
You will be able to find out what is expected from you in and out of the office, for example, will you have set team meetings when you are in the office or will these still be carried out on video? Or, a mixture of both?
You should also cover the basics and see if there are any communications covering where you will work when you go into the office too. Will you go back to your set desk routine? Or, will you need to book a desk to go in? Who else will be going in the same days as you? What hours are expected from you, does your organisation allow any flexibility with this?
There are lots of questions that will arise but if you know what the plan is before this process even begins, you will feel a lot more confident about the transition.
Communication is key
Organise your remote days and office days in the diary, and if you have a shared team calendar, consider noting down your days so it is transparent and your team know how to best contact you and vice versa. This will help you and your team to plan ahead for catch ups and meetings in-person particularly if you don’t have set days and they change every week.
Take control of your tasks (if you can)
If you have the ability and leverage to take control of your work schedule and to-do list, try and adapt this depending on your environment.
There are many positives to working in the office and likewise working from home, so work these out beforehand so you can use these to your advantage.
See what workplace is the quietest with the least distractions and use this as your concentration space. For some this may be at home but others it could be in the office. Wherever it is, try and set yourself the tasks that you need quiet time for, so you can complete them during the week. Optimise your in-person meetings, catch ups and networking where you can at your workplace.
The future of work is constantly changing and adapting is key for people in the new era of work. Hybrid working is not a one-size-fits-all model, it will take some experimenting and getting used to, to see what works well for you, your company and your role.
The rise of third workplaces
As well as remote and office workspaces, we are also seeing a rise of third workplaces. These are considered as alternative places to work during the day and change up usual routines. These places can also help workers to manage distractions or stop working days from becoming monotonous.
We conducted a poll on LinkedIn to discover where people’s go-to third workplace would be; 41% said a coffee shop/restaurant, closely followed by 38% who said a coworking space, 15% said a hotel and finally 5% said somewhere else.
What are your thoughts on third workplaces? Do you see the benefits of having another place to work other than at home or onsite?
If you have any other hybrid working tips or comments on third workplaces, please contact us at [email protected].
