With the Covid-19 pandemic now thankfully more under control than in previous years, the world of work is yet again changing. Today we are going to explore the benefits of hybrid working.
Many of us will have worked from home during the pandemic, but now that there are more safety measures in place, it’s becoming more and more common for companies to ask their teams to work in the office once more, including guidance from the UK Government.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/get-back-work-office-britains-business-minister-says-2022-01-21/
However, many people have grown to enjoy the different forms of flexible working that have been implemented over the past few years, as well as the work-life balance that they can bring. Because of this, some companies are now opting to move forwards using a hybrid working schedule.
What is the definition of hybrid working?
Hybrid working is flexible working where an employee splits their time between working in an office space and working remotely.
Whilst only 32% of workers had worked from home before the pandemic, hybrid working allows a degree of flexibility by team members working from home a certain number of days per week, rather than full-time office-based working.
What are the benefits of hybrid working?
1 – More Time
1 – More Time
One of the significant benefits of hybrid working post-covid is the ability for companies to structure their day around tasks that benefit from face-to-face interaction and those that are easier to accomplish with the privacy of home working.
Perhaps a new employee has joined the team?
Hybrid teams are able to carry out an induction in person whilst attending follow-up meetings from the comfort of their own homes.
The hybrid working model also allows people who live further away from the office not to be impacted so much by commute times. Perhaps they have an important delivery after work?
Working from home that day will allow them to relax, knowing that they will be in on time.
2 – Mental Health
The added sense of freedom about where employees work can help to increase job satisfaction and increase mental health and wellbeing.
Many employees feel like they have more control of their working schedule and home life when they can choose when to work in the office, which brings with it a greater sense of balance and well-being in their lives.
Some people also might find that they are more fulfilled when they spend time around others, while some may prefer the additional time at home. Hybrid working encourages the two to meet in the middle, providing a solution for the best of both worlds.
3 – Hot desking
A hot desk office arrangement means an office without assigned desks, and it’s become very popular with many businesses, especially those running a hybrid setup.
One of the great benefits of hot desking is it allows offices to become more flexible with their layouts by giving employees the ability to book out a desk when they want to work in the office and then having that desk available for a different employee on another day.
It increases employee engagement and collaboration by encouraging people to move around the office more and talk to team members they might not usually interact with.
We here at Sussex Facilities Management are experts in implementing hotdesking office layouts, and we’d be delighted to discuss this further with you.
4 – Privacy
While it’s no secret that it’s usually much easier to collaborate on a project in person, a hybrid setup with remote working included allows people, even more, privacy than a private office when they need to focus intensely on a task.
On days when more collaborative projects are being worked on, teams can meet up in person to get the work done more effectively.
Perhaps a large team presentation is happening on Monday, so everyone is in to collaborate and present in person. But, on Tuesday, there is a private team update meeting, and so the team decides to stay at home that day to lower the chances of others listening in.
5 – Office Re-Design
As your business changes its working habits, it’s essential to make sure that your office is an inviting and comfortable place to work so that your team can draw the most significant benefits from it.
Design trends like biophilia, which we recently covered in another blog https://sussexfacilitiesmanagement.co.uk/2022/02/17/biophilic-benefits/, help provide the office with a greater sense of connection to the outside world.
We have also seen many offices opting to use meeting pods, which can be booked by staff members to enable them to use a private space as and when they need to, perfect for online meetings that need some peace and quiet.
Other developments include using fractals in the design of new office layouts through the use of partitioning, office furniture, and even wallpaper!
Fractals are repeating patterns that are often found within nature, and they help reduce stress and increase attention span. As a result, they are now more frequently used within office design to promote these benefits in many different ways.
Sussex Facilities Management:
We here at Sussex Facilities Management are here to help your business tackle the ever-changing ways that people work. We aim to help you make the transition to hybrid working or any other form of working as positive and stress-free as possible.
With years of experience, our team are able to carry out any office-based refurbishment or redesign project you can think of, including transforming your existing office into a vibrant base for your company to work from, incorporating the latest design trends and ensuring your team will feel at home, even when they’re in the office!
To find out more about our services, or to discuss how we could help, please get in touch with us on 01444 812 171