What is a Hybrid Working Model? A Guide for HR Leaders

But all signs point to greater worker autonomy and self-determination, despite what some leaders and middle managers might be used to. A hybrid work model is a workforce structure that includes employees who work remotely and those who work on site, in a company’s facilities. Remote employees may choose where they wish to work (such as a home office), while on-site employees work from a central location such as an office building, warehouse, factory or retail outlet. Instead of issuing a back-to-office order, employers are simply indicating that while the physical office is a place where employees get hybrid workplace model guide most of their work done, there’ll still be opportunities to work remotely. Apple has adopted an office-first hybrid model, which requires employees to work from the office at least three days per week. While employees are allowed to work from home two days a week, the company emphasizes in-person collaboration more.

Skills tests to hire the best

Most of the disadvantages of hybrid work models we discussed earlier could be mitigated or solved with a clear hybrid work policy. Policies like this clarify expectations for everyone and minimize the friction arising from the challenges we discussed earlier. For example, managers might ask these hybrid employees to come into the office one day a week to conduct in-person meetings and see their coworkers.

Bank of America: flexible hybrid work policy

1. Microsoft has a firm hybrid work policy that allows employees to work remotely up to 50 percent of the time.
2. Plenty of their people agree—in one survey, 44% of workers shared that hybrid was their preferred return-to-work model.
3. This is ideal for companies looking to decrease their office footprint, but still want a physical workplace of some sort.
4. This approach combines the split-week and in-office mix approaches – not all employees have the option to work remotely, and most employees need to spend some time in the office.
5. Here are some key things to consider when implementing a hybrid work model.
6. We all wish there were more hours in the day, but telecommuting is the next best thing.

It’s therefore unrealistic to think that you’ll get it right the first time around or that if you do, it will remain the right approach indefinitely. Now that you have the critical foundation of understanding everyone’s positions, it’s time to shift to solution mode. The ideal, of course, would be to achieve a single solution that’s optimal across all criteria and stakeholders. Give that discussion a shot, and you may find a relatively straightforward path to a new policy.

Develop a hybrid work policy

Meetings will be more likely to happen in open spaces with moveable boundaries, while individual work will be in enclosed pods or enclaves. And lastly, remember that collaboration requires both individual work too. Employees should be able to easily move between “we” and “me” time without trekking across campus or getting hung up on complicated technology. The hybrid work model is becoming increasingly popular among companies of all sizes and industries. Companies can improve employee satisfaction and work-life balance by offering employees more flexibility and autonomy over their work schedule, increasing engagement and productivity. On-demand workspaces consist of coworking spaces, private day offices and hourly meeting rooms you can book by the day or hour.

As such, when creating an effective hybrid or remote work policy, the most valuable thing you can do is speak to your people. It’s pretty common for people to think a “remote-first” strategy means working from home and only working from home. This trend has propelled the hybrid movement, with over half of London’s new office space constructions being refurbishment projects. Alternatively, you could opt for a smaller HQ that all hybrid workers have access to. Rinaily is a renowned expert in the field of human resources with years of industry experience. With a passion for writing high-quality HR content, Rinaily brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace.

Hybrid working companies can also adapt or diversify their existing offices to serve new purposes and boost employee engagement. While it can be a hefty task, it’s an ideal solution for businesses who have chosen to stay in their office or are locked into a lease for the foreseeable. A remote-first workspace strategy typically means that remote work will be the primary option for most (if not all) employees. Of course, there’ll be a few exceptions — especially if an employee’s job role requires their physical presence.

So, to remove barriers around talent and retention and make in-person work easy for their remote workers, Olio opted for a flexible Hubble On-Demand membership. However, the key difference is that employees are expected to follow a consistent and pre-determined hybrid work schedule set by the employer. Making matters more complex, we now face a potential fracture between more senior employees who learned a culture through firsthand experience and new entrants who didn’t have that same onboarding experience.

A manager might require a team to work from the office three days a week, scheduled in advance. It’s more rigorous than the at-will model, with less scope for spontaneous in-office work. According to an OpenVPN survey, 36% of businesses reported experiencing a security breach due to unsecured remote workers. Research from Buffer shows that 98% of employees want to work remotely, at least part of the time, for the rest of their careers. According to Owl Labs’ State of Remote Work Report, in 2022, the number of workers choosing hybrid work schedules increased by 16%.

UX design is a multidisciplinary field which lends itself fantastically to hybrid work. By getting face time with decision-makers and participating in meaningful conversations, you can expand your network and make connections that’ll position you for future opportunities. Some companies also offer perks and incentives for in-office work, like free lunches, parking, or gym passes. With leading companies like Google and Salesforce embracing hybrid work, a growing number of companies are likely to follow suit. Our survey results also revealed how much companies value in-person working.