Why Hybrid and Remote Work Culture is Here to Stay

This is a guest post by Gaurav Sharma, the founder and CEO of Attrock.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a notable adoption of hybrid and remote work culture. Organisations have shifted from office-based working to hybrid and remote working and there's no turning back!

With hybrid working, businesses have managed to boost their productivity while giving employees better control over their work-life balance.

In fact, most organisations found that their culture has improved since moving to remote work.

However, some organisations prefer on-site working to hybrid and remote working because of some of the drawbacks that the latter has.

That said, the vast majority of businesses (over 61%) are open to remote and hybrid working. This makes a strong case for hybrid and remote work culture to remain here for the long run. 

But why is that the case?

I’ve detailed the main pros and cons of this working style to understand why.

Benefits of Hybrid and Remote Work Culture

Here are the main advantages of hybrid and remote work culture.

1. Provides Greater Flexibility

Working from home allows you to work at a time you choose and from your most comfortable space. Being flexible gives you a chance to:

• Engage in hobbies and work when you're well set
• Develop your skills through online certificates programmes
• Improve critical thinking and emotional intelligence through reading and interaction

This leads to increased employee satisfaction, which is a win-win situation as your productivity would improve and the businesses would benefit from it. 

2. Increases Productivity and Efficiency

Working from home allows you to choose your time of work, extend your working hours, and get more work done within short durations. Additionally, your efficiency can be greatly improved by technology that can help you get your tasks done faster. For instance, tools like DocuSign can help with electronic signing.

3. Reduces Operating Costs

Working remotely reduces operating costs that businesses would incur to keep an office running. Similarly, employees would benefit from reduced transportation costs. 

In fact, 35% of employees say that they save over $5000 yearly by not having to commute to their workplaces. 

In addition, many employees are willing to take pay cuts in exchange for remote work, which can help employers cut down on their costs too. In addition, businesses that have a hybrid work model can leverage smart building technologies to automate HVAC, lighting, and other utilities along with security technologies to save on overhead costs.

4. Improves Staff Work-life Balance

Work-life balance is a common benefit for hybrid workers. Working from home allows you to have time for work and spare time to attend to your matters such as developing leadership skills.

When you get more time to do things outside of your work hours such as spending time with family or pursuing hobbies, it leads to greater work satisfaction as well.

5. Maintains Staff Safety and Health

There are numerous health benefits of working remotely. Besides allowing you to set your own working space in a conducive area, hybrid working allows you to adjust your schedule and create time to rest.

By working from home, you get a chance to eat healthier and spend more time with your family. As a result, you enjoy a less-stressful life and handle activities effectively.

Drawbacks of Hybrid and Remote Work Culture

Hybrid work culture has some drawbacks that may prevent it from totally replacing the office culture. They include:

1. Not Suitable for All Industries

Hybrid and remote working might not be suitable for all industries. Some jobs like plumbing need an on-site setting to function. 

To offer their services, plumbers must head to their clients’ sites. But if you’re providing different types of consulting services, you might not be required to head to sites. So it all depends on your industry and the type of work you do.

2. Harder to Collaborate with Remote Staff

Hybrid workers might face difficulties in collaborating with those on-site and vice-versa. Let’s face it—the process of communicating isn’t as simple as heading to another person’s table.

But you can take a few steps to improve the interaction between on-site and remote workers. They include:

• Using technology: Your organisation must support working from different settings by providing high-quality video and audio equipment that will help sync the on-site crew with remote staff.

• Using communication tools: Providing communication tools like Zoom and Slack will help your remote and on-site crew collaborate through virtual meetings.

3. Difficult to Keep Up with Hybrid Schedules

Flexibility leads to increased differences in your workers' schedules. This can make it difficult for them to coordinate and that’s why you need to have an asynchronous work policy in that case. 

Alternatively, you could fix a few hours where everyone should be working. This would give sufficient overlap for teams to discuss things in real-time. 

4. Faster Worker Burnouts 

Working from home may contribute more to worker burnout than office-based working. That’s because you have the flexibility to take numerous breaks throughout the day, which would lead to you working all through the day. 

Conversely, on-site workers may adjust to work and personal life by following office routines. Hence, reducing their chances of experiencing worker burnout.

The key to avoiding this is to maintain a daily schedule to finish your working hours without dragging them into the night.

Conclusion

Organisations should be prepared to combine on-site work with hybrid and remote work culture for improving employee well-being and driving better productivity. It’s a win-win situation for both sides. And if you’re working remotely, make sure you create your development plan to grow in your industry.

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