Hybrid workplaces are becoming more popular, with people’s need for work-life balance on the rise. There will always be plenty of people who love the routine of coming to the office 5 days a week to do their 8 hours. But there are just as many people who want more flexibility.
Hybrid workplaces are becoming more popular, with people’s need for work-life balance on the rise. There will always be plenty of people who love the routine of coming to the office 5 days a week to do their 8 hours. But there are just as many people who want more flexibility. Employees with young families, caring responsibilities and even just interests outside work are looking for ways to maintain their career with less disruption to their personal lives. From the business point of view, there are also several benefits to a hybrid workplace.
Improve staff engagement
We’ve touched on the importance of work-life balance. Most employee engagement surveys show that people want more flexibility. That might be less time at the office, the ability to work from home, or regular hours to give them an extra day off. However it looks for your staff, a hybrid workplace gives the type of flexibility that improves staff engagement.
Engaged staff are more productive, more likely to go the extra mile to get things done, and generally more invested in their work. This can only be a good thing for employers.
Save money on office space
When you move to a hybrid workplace arrangement, you can reduce your overheads significantly. For example, if you have staff members working from home on certain days of the week, they don’t need a permanent desk. You can use a desk sharing model which means less office space and hardware required.
It also opens up the opportunity to move to serviced offices rather than renting your own large office space. Not only can you save money, but you can position your business at a better, more central location and have access to everything you need to run a professional office.
Remove geographical barriers to hiring talent
Traditionally, getting the best talent for your business actually meant getting the best talent in town. Now, in smaller cities, the talent pool is obviously smaller, and this can hold some businesses back. However, if you have a hybrid workplace where people can work remotely, there is less reliance on your local area. If you find the perfect employee but they live on the other side of the country, that’s no problem. Technology today makes it easy for staff to spread out anywhere in the world.
Maintain a balance of face-to-face interaction
Humans are social creatures, and most of us still enjoy catching up with colleagues face-to-face. But, we also may have responsibilities outside of work. In a hybrid workplace, you can offer flexible working arrangements where a staff member might work from home 3 days a week, but attend the office for 2. This gives them the social interaction they need, and also keeps them feeling connected to the business as a whole.
Attract and retain the best staff
Finally, if you want to recruit and retain the best talent, you need to offer great working conditions. People’s attitudes are shifting away from just wanting the best salary. They now want flexibility, work-life balance, recognition and a host of other things that employers didn’t worry about 30 years ago. A hybrid workplace offering people the flexibility to live their lives and succeed at work is extremely attractive for the modern worker.
Offering this flexibility is a huge thing when recruiting for new staff. The most qualified and talented people may choose the great hybrid work environment of your company over another more rigid employer offering more money. Then, once you’ve got those staff on board, they’re less likely to go shopping around for a new job if they’re happy where they are.
