Hybrid workplace: focus on the best working model

Switching from the home office to spending days on-site has become a norm for all organizations that aspire to have a people-centric approach and embrace the future of work. Companies are getting more familiar with enabling flexible work arrangements. Yet, transforming a business into a hybrid workplace doesn’t happen overnight. 

Is your physical office space future-proof and ready for this new vision of work? How do you manage a hybrid team? Which hybrid workplace solutions can support you in this transition? 

A few businesses have tried to reimplement the old way of working and require their staff to fully return to the office. Yet young generations of workers see work flexibility as a non-negotiable aspect of their professional lives. To remain competitive and successful, employers have no choice but to embrace this new trend.

As experts in flexible workspace, this article provides a clear insight into hybrid work, the best practices to adopt, and hybrid team management tips. With this key information, you will better apprehend the hybrid way of working and its benefits. 

Get a better understanding of a hybrid workplace

Meaning of a hybrid workplace

A hybrid workplace is a working model based on a “work from anywhere policy”. Most of the time, employees either work from home or in the office. But they can also choose to work from a “third workplace”. This last option implies that people can freely decide their working location, whether it is a coffee shop in Munich or an Airbnb in Greece.

The reasons why it has become so popular

Hybrid workplaces became popular when the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down and companies started to ask their staff to return to the office. While being forced to work from home during lockdowns, employees realized the perks of remote work. Yet, in-person interactions and a loss of workplace connection made them want to go back on-site. So how could they benefit from both remote and in-office models? By embracing a hybrid way of working with a “work from anywhere” policy.

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Hybrid workplace examples

As explained in our guide about hybrid work models, you can implement a hybrid way of working in various ways. The key is to clearly understand and consider your business needs, and most importantly, the needs of your team members. According to your findings and your company’s culture, a hybrid working schedule can be:

• fixed (hybrid split-week, week-by-week model, etc.);
• office first;
• remote first;
• at-will.

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🙌 deskbird tip: employee centricity is becoming a crucial aspect for workers, adopting a people-first approach when it comes to hybrid work will help you succeed.

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Understand the purpose of flexible work with these hybrid workplace statistics

What hybrid workplace statistics reveal about employees’ expectations

Experts keep a close eye on the evolution of modern ways of working. Here are what statistics reveal about employees’ expectations regarding hybrid work:

• 55% of employees wish to work at home or in a third workplace at least three days a week.¹
• 59% of job applicants are more likely to say yes to a position with remote work opportunities over one without it.¹
• 84% of the global workforce affirm their company has switched to a hybrid work model in 2022 in comparison to 54% for 2021.²

What data says about the financial impact of a hybrid way of working

One of the main advantages of a hybrid workplace is its positive impact on both the business’ and employees’ finances. From workspace optimization to saving on bills and Human Resources cost reduction, working hybrid benefits everyone’s bank accounts in multiple ways. Here are key data about this topic:

• Employee turnover decreases by 12% in firms with remote work opportunities.¹
• Businesses save up to $11,000 per year for each part-time remote worker (on average).³
• 82% of CFOs consider hybrid workplaces as a more affordable business model.³
• Hybrid companies can save up to 30% on office costs according to what our hybrid office calculator and our study about office cost-cutting solutions reveal. 

What hybrid work statistics indicate in terms of generational preferences

When working with a multigenerational workforce, you need to understand the needs of each generation. What do Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z expect when it comes to working hybridly?

• 13.9% of Baby Boomers and Gen X, 13% of Millennials, and 12.7% of Gen Z would like to work only in the office.
• 28.3% of the two oldest generations in the workplace, 34.5% of Millennials, and 42.2% of the youngest generation would like to work remotely 1 or 2 days per week.
• 36.4% of people born between 1946 and 1980, 37.8% of employees born between 1981 and 1996, and 30.4% of workers born after 1997 and before 2012 would prefer 3 or 4 days at home per week.
• 21.4% of Baby Boomers and Gen X, 14.7% of Millennials, and 14.7% of Generation Z would enjoy working full-time remotely.

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👉 Check our article about Millennials and Gen Z to learn what characterizes the two youngest generations in the workplace and how to make them thrive! 

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Set up a successful hybrid workplace with these three unavoidable steps

1. Assessing the needs of your hybrid business and workforce

Identifying roles that can be done remotely

For some job positions, working remotely is either impossible or challenging. For this reason, adapting your working model is fundamental to avoid creating stress and dissatisfaction among your team. One by one, analyze the different roles and their related tasks. Discuss it with your coworkers and get their opinions before deciding if remote work opportunities are an option for their job position or not. 

Evaluating your employees’ preferences

Some team members prefer working at home only one day per week while others rather have two days off-site weekly and others want even more. This is crucial information to take into account. Try to collect your staff’s preferences and then figure out a system that works for everyone and makes them all happy. The best decision is often to adopt the most employee-centric approach and opt for an “at-will” scheduling model. You can still require your coworkers to meet in person once a week minimum, for example. But let them choose for the rest of the week.

Reevaluating your workspace layout

When allowing more work flexibility in your workplace, the purpose of your office space drastically changes. Not everyone is coming on-site every day and you might sometimes end up with a workspace that is half-empty or even less. The use of the physical workplace also evolves. Employees tend to take the opportunity to meet in person to carry out collaborative work instead of individual tasks. Because of the drop in the office occupancy rate and the new vision of office use, reevaluating and adjusting your workspace layout is essential. 

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👋 How do you manage your workspace with a flexible workforce? Check out our hybrid office calculator to discover how to optimize space and save costs!

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2. Choosing the right hybrid workplace tech solutions

Collaboration and communication tools

No matter if your team members work at the office or from their homes, their working location shouldn’t impact their interactions and productivity. A hybrid work environment is rarely successful without the support of hybrid workplace technology and the use of the right collaboration and communication tools. For example, desk booking software such as deskbird helps you manage your hybrid workspace and boost teamwork thanks to our weekly planning feature. In the glimpse, employees can see their colleagues’ schedules. They can then pick a day to meet on-site and use our room booking option to make sure they have the workspace they need. 

Cloud-based storage and file-sharing platforms

When working remotely, your staff has to get access to all the information they need as if they were on site. To fulfill this requirement, efficient online resources exist such as cloud-based storage and file-sharing platforms. They allow team members to obtain and share documents and data from anywhere, anytime, via any device with an internet connection. Moreover, they provide cost-effective and scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes, as they eliminate the need for expensive on-site storage infrastructure and offer flexible pricing models according to your usage. Most important is to determine your needs and those of your employees. You will then be able to choose the one that will support them best in their daily work life. 

Cybersecurity measures

Allowing employees to work from different locations and use various devices to access company data and systems also increase these risks. Therefore, securing your content is more essential than ever to prevent cyberattacks and protect sensitive information. Cybersecurity solutions include firewalls, antivirus software, two-factor authentication, and encryption. You can get the help of organizations specialized in this field. They will safeguard your networks, tools, and data, to protect your business against threats such as malware, phishing, and ransomware.

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💡 Check out our customers’ reviews to discover what our users think about the deskbird app!

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3. Prioritizing transparent communication and trust

Setting clear expectations for remote and in-office employees

Great communication has always been a core part of successful collaboration. Yet, the rise of remote work has forced businesses to review employees’ ways of communicating. Working from different locations increases the risk of misunderstanding or poor communication. Leaders have to make sure their team members have the right tools to interact efficiently, set clear expectations, and be transparent. Without managing this key aspect, performance might drop, frustration rise, and employee satisfaction decrease.

Prioritizing a collaboration based on trust and accountability

As they can’t see them and interact with them in person daily, leaders tend to start over controlling their staff in a hybrid work environment. While one of the main purposes and benefits of a hybrid workplace is boosting employee empowerment and meeting your staff’s needs, the psychological effects of micromanagement erase it all. Trusting your coworkers and fostering trustworthy relationships among them is essential to make a hybrid workforce thrive. Also, not seeing each other every day in the office doesn’t mean you should avoid taking responsibility. Your team members should remain accountable for their actions and so should you. 

Encouraging informal interactions and team-building activities

Maintaining a workplace connection and genuine relationships can become more challenging when everybody works from different locations. To prevent this from happening in your business, we highly recommend encouraging informal interactions and integrating team-building activities. You can have a look at our team-bonding ideas to implement in indoor, outdoor, and online hybrid work environments. It might sound like a “nice” thing to do at first, but the outcomes of boosting team building are fundamental for your organization. Not only do they give them the opportunity to get to know each other better but they also improve collaboration, encourage trust, and strengthen their bonds.

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👉 Check our article about remote teams management best practices to get more useful tips!

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We hope this article helps you have a better understanding of a hybrid workplace, what it implies, how it benefits your business and your workforce, and how to set up a hybrid way of working successfully. By adopting an employee-centric approach, you have all of the chances to get the most out of hybrid work. Analyze your workspace, listen to your staff’s needs, be open to embracing the new trends of the future of work, and see the magic happen! Are you looking for a user-friendly tool to manage your hybrid office space and workforce? Request a free demo of the deskbird app and discover how easy it can be!

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¹ 30 ESSENTIAL HYBRID WORK STATISTICS [2023]: THE FUTURE OF WORK, Zippia.

² 2023 STATE OF THE REPORT, Akumina.

³ CFOs see hybrid work as a cost-cutting opportunity, Fortune.