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Madiha JamalHow Working Hybrid/From Home Has Changed Post Covid
In the past, remote work was considered to be unusual. But now, more and more companies are embracing this trend and offering more opportunities for hybrid/work from home. This shift was mostly observed during the pandemic; around 100 million people in Europe switched to working from home. This shift was rapid, and employees quickly noticed the benefits like freedom from commuting, increased productivity, and work-life balance. However, working from home also involves its own challenges, such as lack of social interaction and feelings of isolation – in some employees.
Now, as we have moved past the pandemic restrictions, we’ve seen strong, global demand for hybrid working, particularly to relish the best of both worlds. At the same time, only a minority of workers want to work from the office full time.
The Demand for Hybrid Working in Young Professionals
Hybrid working has made its way into the global vernacular since 2022, with no intention of leaving anytime soon. Young professionals are keen on hybrid working because they think that time spent in the office is equally special and valuable as in the home. According to a survey by McKinsey – a management consulting company, it was reported that 59% of young professionals aged 18–34 were more likely to switch their job and find a new one with flexible working hours compared with older professionals aged 55–64.
It’s clear that in the post-pandemic world, the hybrid model has been the dominant approach for most organisations because it offers both in-person collaboration, greater flexibility, and the opportunity for focused work at home. Many companies like Buffer, Slack, Microsoft, Deutsche Bank, and Novartis have switched to the hybrid working model as it offers the best deal for both employer and employee.
The post-Covid statistics
There are a few approaches that make up a hybrid workplace: Mix of in and out of office, in-office with some home, at-home with some office, and full time at home.
So, what are companies currently doing?
According to Owl Labs, 16% of companies globally are fully remote.
According to Microsoft, 73% of employees demand flexible remote work options; otherwise, they would switch their job.
As of February 2021, 6.9% of Indeed job postings cited work from home as an option.
As per the Accenture study conducted in May 2021, 83% of professionals wanted to go hybrid post-pandemic.
Hybrid working can bring many benefits
Most global organisations recognise the ample benefits of hybrid working, such as improved work-life balances, mental and physical well-being, and better productivity. Implementing a hybrid working culture in the workforce also benefits employees and employers.
From employees’ standpoint, hybrid teams can work from any place, anytime. They experience improved work-life balance by reallocating costly and stressful commuting time into healthy activities. Moreover, hybrid work can be good for productivity, inclusion, and motivation. It offers autonomy and choice for employees to combine time at home for focused work with office time for better collaboration and connection.
According to a survey conducted by Office for National Statistics in February 2022, above three-quarters (78%) of home and hybrid workers reported improved work-life balance. About 52% of hybrid workers said that it was quicker to complete work, and about 47% reported improved well-being.
From employers’ standpoint, especially information and communication businesses using or planning to use hybrid/home working as a permanent business model reported the biggest increase in businesses. Yet, improved staff well-being is the most common reason for adopting this model permanently.
According to data collected by BICS (Business Insights and Conditions Survey), the following are the most common reasons for adopting hybrid/working from home business models in companies.
Hybrid work is inevitable
The employee expectations have drastically changed post covid. Now business leaders are on the brink of updates to accommodate what their employees want – the best of both worlds. Here’s the data conducted by an independent research firm, Edelman Data x Intelligence, in Jan 2021, among 31,092 full-time employed or self-employed workers across 31 markets.
Source: Microsoft Hybrid Work Data
Talent is diverse in a hybrid work world
One of the brightest sides of hybrid/work from home is that there is a talent pool out there. During the pandemic, there was a profound impact on the talent landscape, and remote job postings increased five times. People no longer have to leave their house or community to expand their careers.
Karin Kimbrough, Chief Economist at LinkedIn, said,
“Hybrid/working from home is likely to stick. Companies in major cities can hire talent from underrepresented communities that don’t afford to move to a big city. Likewise, in smaller cities, companies can onboard new talent with a different set of skills that they didn’t have before.”
The bad side of Hybrid/working from home
Constantly switching workplaces and the logistics associated with it seems to be the overriding challenge for the hybrid working model. It can leave employees drained. A recent global study by Tinypulse reported that above 80% of people leaders considered hybrid working exhausting for employees. Organisations with mixed workforces must start to consider equity of treatment to create fairness in the work environent.
How to curb ‘the bad’
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Invest in technology to bridge the physical and digital worlds. Equip all workers with the tools they need to keep them connected.
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Provide equal treatment for remote employees.
Form good working relationships by scheduling in all team social days.
- Maintain diversity in the office culture with a dispersed workforce.
- Continue supporting employee mental and physical health if remote workers feel any negative impact on their well-being.
- Rethink employee experience to retain the best and most diverse talent.