Pros and Cons of a Hybrid Workplace

Knowing the pros and cons of a hybrid workplace. An employer’s guide before saying yes to a flexible work schedule and environment.

Almost two years inside the pandemic and employees worldwide have made it clear to their employers that they want more flexibility which means they are more comfortable with a hybrid workplace rather than returning to the traditional way of working.

Employers have been listening, and they have responded by slowly ditching the old to the new hybrid work. Many companies are adopting this now, which makes them more attractive to job seekers, and other companies have felt the pressure to do the same and adopt a hybrid workplace. 

However, this can be a big decision for the business, and you might want to see the pros and cons before you gear up and set for a hybrid workplace. Knowing what you will be dealing with if you choose to adapt in a hybrid workplace or not gives you the advantage to see if it will affect the overall impact in your workplace. 

In this article, you will know the basic pros and cons of adopting a hybrid workplace and see how it can fit well or see red flags on the possible downsides. 

The pros of a hybrid workplace today

The number one thing to consider when considering to do a hybrid workplace or work model is to get it right. If you ace the transition to implementing a hybrid workplace, your workers can enjoy an employee-centered workplace. 

Getting to know what your employees need and what suits best for your employees whenever they’re working onsite:

Office space efficiency and less cost

Having a hybrid workplace means less onsite work for your employees, which means you get to utilize more space and less cost. 

Whenever your employee works onsite, you can now make sure that no one is overcrowding and extra spaces are utilized to create a conducive workspace for your employees. Also, less time working onsite means less cost on the utilities, which you can allocate more for your employees instead of paying all those bills. 

You can get rid of all your unnecessary office desks, machines, and furniture and make space for new tools your employees need to finish their tasks. You can come up also with allotting spaces for nap areas, game areas, quiet zones, or huddle spaces, which can make your employees’ time onsite more fun and less stressful. 

Management in the workplace

Having a flexible and being able to ace that hybrid workplace setup helps you manage your employees. 

Working remotely three times a week and onsite two times can help your employees balance their workloads. Getting rid of the stress of the daily commute, traffic, and unnecessary overtime can boost their morale and significantly improve productivity. 

Not all employees would want to work remotely full time. They understand that not all companies can afford to implement this kind of work model; however, meeting them halfway in a hybrid workplace can significantly affect your retention rate. 

Studies have shown now that employees are looking for more great opportunities, and working in a hybrid model is one of the things they consider.

New and improved company culture

I’m sure what you have now as company culture is excellent and very pro-employee, but being scared of losing your company culture is not something the hybrid workplace setup will destroy. Instead, it will significantly improve your current one. 

Sure, seeing them in the traditional way, which is five days a week, is essential. Still, when your employees are voicing that they are more comfortable and productive in a hybrid work model, you want to listen and consider their suggestions. 

Being able to interject a new and improved company culture can be done through a hybrid workplace setup. With this kind of work model, employees can see their purpose well when working on-site. They now have the power to switch in different environments to cater to their needs and objective.

Your employees can come onsite when necessary, for example, for team meetings and collaboration and work offsite with individual projects. 

The cons of a hybrid workplace

Whatever work model companies would like to implement and request from their employees, there is always a con or a downside to it, and you might want to discuss this as well with them keep them open in the conversation:

Issues on inefficiency with remote employees

Being in a hybrid workplace means your employees will be working remotely, and the reality is not all employees are effective in working remotely. There are a lot of factors, but one of the common reasons is that some employees may have a hard time communicating with their onsite colleagues. 

The resolution for this is easy; you can have them work onsite or invest on online platforms that can help you counter miscommunication and help them with battling the isolation with the limited social interaction. 

To improve communication issues, you can use messaging, video conferencing, and project management platforms like Asana, Zoom, Monday.com, Skype, and Google Meet. 

Dull moments in the office

Part of working onsite in a traditional setup is getting to have that social interaction in the workplace.

A hybrid work model might bring dullness at first. Birthday celebrations, company celebrations, and more will not be the same if everyone does not have the same schedule. A busy workplace can bring energy into the workplace, but it can feel dull and lifeless with fewer people working on-site. 

This may arise issues on being unmotivated and unproductive. One way to counter this is to remodel your workplace and let them feel welcome every time they work onsite. Get them an office space that gets them excited to come in at all times. 

This simple change can bring energy and bring motivation to the hybrid workplace setup. 

Issues on work schedule

When they transition to a hybrid workplace, companies are dealing with one issue: not knowing who is in the office and who is not. 

This can be a headache if you implement chaotic work on-site as you please rule. Your employees and your business should be more connected than ever; in a hybrid work model, you should set a clear schedule or responsibilities on informing each other if who is gonna be on site and working remotely and schedule proper meetings if they need onsite or if it can be done virtually.  

The takeaway

Shifting into a new hybrid workplace case should take time for you to decide and talk properly with your employees. 

Remember that what works for them and prioritizing their needs should come first. Of course, communicating with them how it affects the business can also give them a clear idea to meet halfway and give more ideas to make this plan a success .