The Future of Flexible Working: Hybrid Office Culture

The way we work has changed dramatically. Businesses have had to think about how they operate in the future and the knock-on effect that comes with remote working.

Rather than bringing all employees back to the regular 9-5 in the office, many businesses are now switching to hybrid working permanently. This means employees will have the flexibility of working from home part-time and the rest of the week will be in the office,

In this article, we take a more in-depth look into the benefits of hybrid office model for employers & employees and why it’s become so popular.

Prioritising Flexibility & Productivity

Rather than measuring performance on how long someone is sitting at their desk (pretending to be busy), hybrid working allows managers to truly monitor performance based on the work produced. Managers can understand the tasks and projects being completed, which at the end of the day, is the priority for all teams.

Thanks to the rise in collaboration tools such as Slack and secure Cloud technologies such as Contapp and the Google Suite, people can work from home as if they were in the office. It’s a game-changer, which is why so many businesses invest in Cloud technology for the luxury of this convenience. 

Need to have a meeting? Use Teams or Zoom.

Need to collaborate on a project? Use Slack.

Need to finish and amend a document? Use the Google Suite.

Need to access the contact details of people you meet? Use Contapp or a CRM.

The point is, that we have some incredible technologies available for hybrid working to help everyone become productive. Whether you’re working from your living room, in a cafe or in the office, everyone has the flexibility and tools to maintain a high level of work.

From an employee’s point of view, having the flexibility from working anywhere is a major benefit. Lengthy commutes and interruptions mean a less stressful and prolonged workday. This allows employees to focus more on work, resulting in improved productivity.

Saving Time, Saving Money

The flexibility of being able to work anywhere with the hybrid model will save people lots of time. No need to travel into the office and less time needing to get spruced up (we don’t condone working in pyjamas!). 

However, as well as saving time, we all save money as well. As an employee, you save on travel costs which can be a big saving especially if you depend on public transport. Not to mention, you’ll be saving money on your morning Starbucks and treating yourself to a nice lunch.

Employers could collectively save over $500B a year or almost $11k for each employee who works at home half of the time.

The hybrid model also cuts costs for businesses as well. When there are fewer people in the office at one time, businesses often realise that they can downsize their office, meaning fewer costs. Lower energy bills and fewer office supplies also come into the equation. 

It’s a win-win for everyone in terms of costs that can be better spent or saved elsewhere.

Happy Minds Create a Happy Workforce 

Giving employees the option to work from home or the office can certainly do good for their well-being. 

Employee well-being plays a huge part in many companies these days and there’s a good reason for it as well. Hybrid working sends a positive message to the employer, basically saying ‘work is important, but your health is too’.

Your team are the driving force of any business, so it’s important to make sure they’re happy in their environment to get the most of them.

If you’re working from home, it’s a lot easier to take breaks, get some fresh air or do some exercise. Whereas in the office, these things may be frowned upon because you’re taking an ‘undeserved break’ from your desk.

Hiring Talent from Around the World

Hybrid working allows for no barriers when it comes to hiring talented people to work for your business. There’s no need for people to now relocate for a job, especially if they live in another country. Get the best talents working for your business, wherever they are in the world.

The flexibility fo hybrid working allows part-time employees or those with commitments, such as children, to apply to a job vacancy. This would give employees a better work to life balance and given these options can in turn maximise their potential for productivity at work.

Reduce Staff Turnover

You might not know, but hiring new employees can come at a big cost of a business (not just financially). It’s been said that the cost of hiring can cost anywhere between 10-200% of that persons salary. 

You have to also consider the time spent interviewing, onboarding and training involved. It has an effect on employee morale, productivity and team dynamics, which plays a big role in how a company functions.

⅓ of employees would take a pay cut of up to 5% for the opportunity to work from home and nearly ¼ say they would give up over 10% of their salary.

The Global Workplace

The beauty of the flexible hybrid office model is that it can reduce staff turnover which will cost the company less. Money is normally the bottom line for companies and employees, so it’s often a compelling reason to switch to hybrid working.

The Final Word

We’ve listed some very interesting viewpoints of why so many businesses are switching to a hybrid working model and why so many employees prefer it. 

Although working from home or remote fulltime may not be right for everyone, the hybrid office model is the perfect mix of flexibility and being productive. As we’ve demonstrated, there’s strong evidence that hybrid working offers more benefits than drawbacks for both businesses and employees.

Saving time, money and the planet (yes, this is also what we say at Contapp) is always a benefit for any business and employee. The technologies we have at our fingertips allow us to be more productive than ever, whilst working anywhere in the world.

So from our point of view, the present and future of work remains to be the hybrid working model.