What is hybrid working, exactly?

Hybrid working is a model that enables team members to spend a few days a week in the office and the rest working remotely, whether from home, a café or a coworking space.

The concept isn’t new. Despite hybrid and flexible working options existing for decades, the majority of businesses have considered the approach either unnecessary or too niche for their office-based workforce, until now.

Globally, online searches for ‘hybrid’ working are up 123%, with interest highest in the UK, Singapore, Ireland and South Africa. Those unfamiliar with the approach are rushing to find out more. Searches for ‘hybrid working definition’ are up 800% across South Africa, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and India.

The pandemic caused a seismic shift to remote working that forced business owners to revaluate everything about how we do corporate work. Most employers and employees rate their experience with remote working positively, and most did it successfully. And while many recognise that returning to the office has its benefits, the global majority agree that remote working does too. Enter the solution: hybrid working, which looks set to be the future model.

Globally, 75% say it will be standard practice within their organisation in the future.

Defining the hybrid model

Hybrid working incorporates a mix of remote work and in-office work. Employees may have the opportunity to choose when they will come into the office and work from home (or another location). However, many businesses are still defining what this looks like and how they will implement it.

Hybrid models vary from one company to the next, depending on the size of the business and the needs of the employees. There is no one “correct” hybrid structure for a company to follow, but these are a few of the more popular models:

Office-First, Remote Allowed

This model allows for occasional remote working but focuses on the office as the primary place of work. The company may also have a few individuals who work remotely or in other time zones, while most of the workforce is local and based in-office.

Office-Occasional

This model is popular among businesses that are cautious about allowing remote working or those not wanting to lose money on unused office space. It requires employees to come into the office a few times a week for collaborative work while working remotely on solo tasks.

Remote-First

This is a helpful model for businesses with employees across multiple locations and time zones. The company’s operations are similar to a fully remote company, but they keep an office as a location for employees to work from. Communication is mainly done online, but they will still expect employees to come into the office if a task or meeting requires them to be physically present.

What do we use the workplace for now?

At 54%, most employees say they’d like to keep working remotely after the pandemic ends. If this is the case, what is the office even for anymore?

Despite favouring remote work, 6 in 10 people say it sometimes makes them feel disconnected from their coworkers. Providing office space for occasions like team meetings and collaboration is ideal for solving this.

According to our 2022 Workplace Predictions, 83% of businesses say informal collaboration is one of the most critical types of space to have within their offices in the future, with many planning on changing the way they use the space they have.

The benefits of hybrid working

Employees and employers alike can benefit from a hybrid working model. The key advantages of hybrid working include:

• Improved flexibility
• More motivated, empowered employees
• Improved productivity
• Increased attraction and retention of talent
• Better work-life balance and improved mental health

How to foster a successful hybrid work culture

Of course, making the switch to a hybrid work model does present its challenges. The top concerns for executives include:

• Maintaining culture: 32%
• Maintaining high performance: 26%
• Effective collaboration: 19%
• Fairness: 13%
• Employees not wanting to return in person: 10%

To overcome these hurdles, experts like Gartner advise that companies follow the “Intentional Collaboration” matrix, investing equally in four different modes of work:

• Synchronous, Colocated Work: Working Together, Together
• Asynchronous, Colocated Work: Working Alone, Together
• Synchronous, Distributed Work: Working Together, Apart
• Asynchronous, Distributed Work: Working Alone, Apart

Paying equal attention to each of these four modes will help to foster a healthy balance between collaborative and independent work.

What to consider when implementing a hybrid model

If you’re considering switching to a hybrid work model, here are a few essential questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you need office space for all your employees or just some? Can you reduce your office footprint?
2. What type of roles do you have in your business? Do all roles have the same or different ratios of collaboration to focus/quiet time?
3. When do your clients and partners need you to be available, and how often do they need to see you in person?
4. How much quiet space vs collaboration space does your office need?
5. Would your employees benefit from core work office days (to ensure that visiting the office is worthwhile) and/or hours (to ensure there is a cut-off point to the day and prevent burnout), or full flexibility?
6. If you plan to retain an office, where should it be based?
7. Would your business benefit more from a central office location or satellite offices that allow employees to work near home?
8. How can you maintain company culture by hosting regular events, home send-outs, virtual meetups, etc.?
9. How can going hybrid make your business more sustainable (e.g. reduced commuting, smaller office footprint, etc.)?

Flexible offices and coworking spaces offer the ideal solution for organisations looking to implement a successful hybrid working model in the months to come. Contact the office space specialists at Instant Offices to learn about our flexible short-term leases and easily scalable workspaces.