Creating a Hybrid Work Environment? 3 Things to Consider...

According to online remote work job board giant Flexjobs “In a recent FlexJobs survey, 65% of respondents report wanting to be full-time remote employees post-pandemic, and 31% want a hybrid remote work environment—that’s 96% who desire some form of remote work.”
 
Remote work appears to be here to stay for a significant portion of the global workforce.
A well-designed hybrid work environment can provide huge benefits for employers and employees. So what exactly is a hybrid work environment? Let’s get the answer to that question from global workspace provider WeWork:
“The hybrid workplace model is a type of work environment that combines aspects of remote working and in-office working. In a typical hybrid workplace, some or all employees have the freedom to choose where and when they work, dividing their time between working from home and working from a central office.”
Great definition! So how do you build one?
In this post we’ll discuss these three critical considerations for HR teams to consider when building a hybrid workplace, and workforce:
  • More on What a Hybrid Work Environment Is
  • Benefits of a Hybrid Work Environment
  • Questions to Answer Before You Build Your Hybrid Workplace
So let’s dive in a bit deeper into what constitutes a great hybrid workplace and workforce.
A hybrid workplace should have the perfect balance of technology to enable remote work, coupled with a safe, efficient, ergonomic, and productive physical workspace. It’s more than ping-pong tables and snacks in the fridge, although that can be a part of it.
 
You will probably need approximately half of the physical office space for your hybrid work environment vs a full in-office workforce. And that’s good news for your bottom line. According to the same Flexjobs article, remote workers can also potentially be significantly more profitable than office workers-also good news!
 
Just make sure you have the facilities to accommodate those employees who have a need, for example, tech support and call center teams, or a strong desire, to work in the office.
 
Benefits of a Hybrid Work Environment
There can be enormous benefits for a company that chooses to design and implement this type of workplace. An optimized work environment means you’ll be more competitive at attracting and maintaining satisfied, talented employees.
 
Benefits include the ability to give employees more freedom in how they accomplish their daily tasks, lower overhead costs due to less need for office space, and higher productivity rates.
 
By offering more work-life balance choices, you should expect to attract and retain more productive, motivated employees.
 
Before You Build Your Own Hybrid Workplace, Answer These Questions...
What does your workforce need to be comfortable, motivated, and productive? Try to accommodate those employees who want to work in either environment and plan your space accordingly.
 
Do I need to change what I’m doing now?
 
Not if it’s working. You’ve adapted to accommodate remote workers, with communication technology and online resources, already. Now you just have to readapt to a smaller in-office staff. Going in the direction of a smaller staff in the office should be a much easier problem to solve.
 
We’ve learned that low-stress, comfortable, ergonomic work environments are conducive to a productive, motivated workforce. Take that advice and have some fun building an awesome hybrid work environment.
 
Are you a hiring manager or human resources professional with a job search, or searches, underway?
 
At mCubed Staffing, we help clients just like you find the perfect candidate every day! Call us today at (248) 817-2243, or get in touch online. Our expert recruiters are waiting for your call.