Building a Successful Hybrid Workforce Model

Written By Mr Dheeraj Kumar Pandey, VP Sales, KEKA HR

"Hybrid" has become the buzzword of 2022. With the pandemic slowing its pace, companies are eager to call employees back to the office. However, the 2+ years long WFH setup has brought challenges of its own as several employees now prefer working remotely. A hybrid work model allows the workforce to divide the workdays by allocating some for managing work around desks in a physical office space and the rest from the comfort of home.

While this flexibility sounds exciting, there are ways companies could go wrong with the management of a hybrid workforce.

Why should you opt for a Hybrid Workforce?

The term hybrid refers to the amalgamation of 2 elements. In this case, WFO and WFH. Companies can leverage the benefits of both with this model by enhancing the value of remote work and combining it with the collaboration opportunities of on-site work.

This gives employees the autonomy to work from when and where they are most productive. For example, some people prefer working in the morning while others do better in the evenings. The hybrid work model also gives scope for a work-life balance and benefits organizations in cost-cutting strategies. Allowing a chunk of the workforce to work remotely would mean fewer people on-site, further highlighting the need for a smaller office and subsequently less cost for leasing or property expenditures like electricity bills, and more.

Factors to Consider while Building a Hybrid Workforce

Before you rush to jot a strategy or release an email declaring hybrid work autonomy, there are certain things you should tick off. These factors are based on research conducted by Microsoft in late 2020.

Health is Numero Uno:

If there is anything the world collectively agrees on post the pandemic's emergence, then it is the importance of health. Though it was learned the hard way, people have understood the vitality of wellbeing and the difference it can bring to one's life- be it physical or mental. Several progressive companies are realizing this and making efforts to prioritize their employees' health. Those who do not will sooner or later witness their business slowing down and perhaps even getting knocked off the market.

Making employees' well-being a priority is not just important business-wise, but also a moral obligation. Poor mental health can play a major role in an employee's performance and work stress greatly amounts to it. Gaining employees' trust allows them to reach out to the company and open up to get help or resolve any matters that's affecting their mental health is the first step.

Be Omnipresent to Offer Support:

A new working model requires a change in traditional people management methods. Revamping employee experience strategies is another crucial element to engage the workforce irrespective of their working space. With communication patterns, tools and work environment challenges bound to change, companies need to be on-guard to provide mental health support. They need to emphasize creating a human-centred, empathetic and encouraging management beyond everything.

Flexibility is Key:

Hybrid working doesn't necessarily emphasize on remote working. For many companies, WFH doesn't work out due to which they prefer calling their employees back to the office. However, this is often due to the ill strategized and implemented plans from the management. Changes to job responsibilities, working hours, job rotation, and regulations play a major role in strengthening a flexible workforce. Organizations can begin by personalizing employee experiences to cater to the unique requirements and working preferences of every employee. Technology can largely be leveraged in succeeding at this.

Purpose Drives Performance:

Humans are nothing without their dreams, goals and purposes. When you give employees the purpose to continue working with your organization, the retention rate increases. Employee expectations and demands have greatly changed in the past couple of years, especially after the pandemic. Gone are the days when people used to work just for the paycheck. Professionals now prefer working with companies whose purpose aligns with their personal aspirations or that bring a difference to the world. For example, despite the global coronavirus challenges, certain companies still bagged all-time high scores in the World's Best Workplaces list. No points for guessing which industries secured these. Pharmaceutical.

2021 was a year full of uncertainties and return of the Great Resignation. Yet, pharma companies witnessed the lowest walkouts due to the purpose their employees had working for them. Being able to develop, manufacture and distribute life-saving vaccines during a pandemic is a purpose enough for people to stick-by.

The key is to draw a connection with the employee's work to something greater than just their individual role. Work remains important, but it's no longer everything.

The Future of Work is here:

Traditional mortar and brick offices are no longer the norm as we aren't bound by space and time to collaborate and work. Disruptions in the age-old notions are taking place as they are being replaced by flexible options beneficial for both employer and employees. It is crucial for business leaders to restructure their conceptual framework and operational model to shift the gear from WFO to hybrid and succeed at it.