Is hybrid work really the future? Yes, it is. Why? Because flexible working is the perfect mix between working from home and working at the office. Both employers and employees discovered the many benefits of hybrid working when it was the only option.
Where do we stand right now? Great question. We are slowly returning to the office, that’s a fact. Whether we will work there full-time again? Probably not. Okay, but what then? It’s still a bit of a puzzle. We haven’t yet found every piece of that puzzle. But it turns out that mainly employers have some troubles with that puzzle. Some employees don’t want to go back to the office at all. However, others are eager to get back to the office. They are almost counting down the days. Everyone wants something different. And the employers? Caught in the middle. How do you hold a proper meeting or a valuable discussion if part of the team is home, for example? We now see that employers and employees are in great need of a hybrid working policy.
What is a hybrid work policy?
It's actually very simple. A hybrid work policy serves as a kind of agreement. For the entire organisation, as well as departments and different teams. This agreement specifies where, when, and how employees work in a hybrid work environment. A hybrid work policy also describes who is allowed and able to work in a hybrid manner. And how to best approach hybrid working as an employee or employer. It may sound very official, we know. But such a hybrid work policy is indeed very important.
Why a hybrid work policy?
Establishing a hybrid work environment takes time and requires trust. Because working from home has blurred the boundaries between work and private lives. We need to trust that everyone is actually doing their job (properly). And not lollygagging. Can be fun from time to time. But that's not what we are going for, of course.
With a hybrid work policy, everyone knows what is expected of them. Because it gives everyone something to hold on to. Because you don't ‘just’ do hybrid working. It also provides structure to distributed teams and helps employees work together despite the physical distance.
What does the future hold?
We are on our way to the modern workplace. And more and more companies are moving to a hybrid work environment. But before you start creating and designing a hybrid work policy, here is what you need to know. Make sure you have a clear definition of what ‘hybrid work’ means for your organisation. Because that can be tricky. Trying to get everyone on the same page. Challenge!
Is (almost) everyone on the same page? Are they ready? Yes? Then this flexible and modern workplace must not only be used in times of a pandemic, for example. The hybrid work policy must also be suitable for the future. Because who knows what is still in store for us?