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Which Work Model is right for your team?

By July 13, 2022August 12th, 2022No Comments

The benefits of a Hybrid Work ModelSince 2020 and the Covid Pandemic, there has been a substantial change in how people work and collaborate. Businesses swiftly adapted to remote work and virtual collaboration in the early stages of the pandemic to stay productive. Most of the workers that experienced some advantages of remote work either wish to continue working remotely or have embraced a hybrid work model.

Although data is still being collected on which work model yields the most productivity, in this article we will discuss remote, hybrid, and office-bound work for you to decide which is the right option for your team.

Remote Work

 

Remote work has been a hot-button topic since the beginning of 2020 and you have probably heard every angle. As businesses shut down to protect their workers from the coronavirus outbreak, many individuals were able to take their desktops or laptops home. Businesses and employees were all doing their best to work through a challenging and unique environment.

Although working from home has its perks, employers are starting to evaluate the work productivity of remote only workers. With the implementation of video conferencing, people were able to communicate without meeting in person, however, many companies feel that engagement, mentorship, and collaboration may have diminished. Thus, managers are beginning to look at the merits and shortcomings of remote work to come up with potential hybrid solutions.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a solely remote model. Employees tend to favor working from home, while some employers are evaluating production efficiencies and potential ways to have employees back in the office.

Company Office Work Model

Companies potentially implementing this work model are evaluating the following:

Benefits to working in an office setting:

  1. Better work collaboration: The thought that being in an office environment creates an improved team atmosphere and spending in-person time with each other is better for creativity, bouncing ideas, and communication. In addition, this environment boosts the development of collaboration and social skills.
  2. Conduct face-to-face meetings: For certain work or projects, it is better to meet in person to collaborate. Details can be discussed better.
  3. Productivity may be higher: Individuals that work in a designated office space tend to have fewer distractions and are able to do more in a shorter period of time.

Disadvantages to working in an office setting:

  1. Regular distractions: Although working in the offices can eliminate distractions which is an advantage, it can also increase distractions. If you have a team of highly communicative people, overcommunicating makes it difficult for employees to stay on task.
  2. Lack of privacy: Certain team members may feel micromanaged and uncomfortable working in an office space. Not every employee is an extrovert, and some people may feel most productive at home where they are most comfortable.
  3.  Increased stress and anxiety: The mental health of your employees is extremely important. In an office, employees may feel more pressure, either from their superiors or from their own colleagues. Increased stress can actually decrease productivity.

 

Hybrid Workplace

What is a hybrid work model? It is a flexible workplace model that encourages a mix of office-based, remote, and on-the-go workers. This model allows employees to have the freedom to select how and where to work depending on how teams function most effectively. The model represents a much more inclusive and accessible work environment.

Hybrid work provides people the flexibility to work from anywhere they are most productive. Do your workers want to stay remote, but you prefer they come back to the office?

Benefits of the hybrid work model

Employers are aware of and gauging potential management styles since remote work has been the current norm. They are discussing:

  1. Employee satisfaction and culture improved.                                                                                                                Employees appreciate it when employers teach and guide them on how to be most productive at the job. Too much scrutiny of employees leaves them frustrated and potentially looking for a new job in no time. Employees feel more comfortable if they are given ample discretion over when, where, and how they work so long as productivity is preserved.
  2. More opportunities for lifelong learning
    Employees may select when to work, which makes scheduling time for learning and growth a lot easier than it would be if they were completely remote or office workers. This is the charm of the mixed work model approach.
  3. Are there reduced costs for the company and the employee?                                                                                  It is possible that having employees partially work from home can reduce employee days missed? Are there stress factors that are mitigated that lead to happier employees and then less time off?

Hard data

Early in 2022, two studies confirmed the opinions of proponents of remote and hybrid work. According to the Owl Labs study, employees who work remotely or in a hybrid setting are happier and remain in their positions longer by a margin of 22%.

Also, Dimensional Research’s recent study shows that 95% of workers desire to return to the workplace for specific tasks, such as teamwork, cooperation, meetings, and peer interactions. In addition, 53% of major companies want to reduce the size of their offices, which will result in cost savings.

Hybrid Work Scheduling

The foundation of a mixed work schedule is flexible. Your organization’s choice of hybrid work model determines the hybrid work schedule you have. These are the following hybrid work choices:
• Flexible hybrid work model – where employees are the ones that choose their location and working hours based on their priorities of the day.

  • Fixed hybrid work model – where the company is the one determining which days and times the workers may work from home or visit the office.
  • Office-first hybrid work model – although it is required that workers are present, they are free to select a few days each week to work remotely.
  • Remote-first hybrid work model – with sporadic trips to coworking spaces or the office for team meetings, collaboration, and training, employees work remotely the majority of the time.

As economic data changes, each employer looks to the model that best fits their team and their organization. Which model is most enticing to your organization? Let us know and we look forward to assisting you.

About The Brixton Group

Founded in 1998, The Brixton Group Inc. is a values-based, technology staffing and project solutions company. Our mission is to provide unparalleled service to our clients, consultants, and colleagues through our focus on long-term satisfaction. For more information, visit www.brixton.net.