Around the world, businesses are rethinking the way we work. The Covid-19 pandemic has upended established routines, abruptly enrolling us in a global experiment in remote working for the past 20 months. The results were unexpected. Many employees have said that working from home has made them happier and more productive and that when we return to the workplace, things can’t be the same as they were before. What many companies are now converging on is a mixture of remote working and traditional office working, known as the hybrid workplace. This blog post will look at how the hybrid workplace is reshaping the way we work.

Why is remote working important?

There are two clear advantages of remote working. The first is that employees can work anytime, anyplace, from wherever they are. This means they don’t have to commute, make or eat meals in the office and they can have better more productive, work-life balance. Some argue that it can also reduce staff costs as traditional office workers and executives need to be in the office for meetings and training sessions whereas remote workers are free to attend these without disruptions. Some businesses that have adopted a hybrid approach are saving on overhead expenses in the process. But does this mean the end of working from the office?

Is there a downside to remote work?

While flexible hours and the opportunity for working from home can be beneficial for an individual and company alike, working remotely is just that — working from home. It’s not a new concept, and has been around for years. There are a few main differences in how workers today work from home compared to those of 10 years ago. Some of the key differences include: Team dynamics and collaboration are important and challenging to the type of work done from home. The days and weeks go by at light speed and days become weeks and weeks become months. The work can be a bit disorganized. Decision-making and communication issues arise. The structure of the workday can be changed quickly. You can be available for any task — not just at the beginning and end of your workday.

The rise of the hybrid workforce

With the world’s political and economic leaders, and the technological savviness of an entire generation that is happy to work from anywhere, leaders have found themselves with a workforce that is not only less traditional but also less territorial, always willing to go outside their comfort zones to find different approaches to working. Fifty years ago, we would all have settled at our desks and continued to work in a strictly defined way. We’d sit at our desks, write and read the same messages, same things, the same way. By 2012, this had changed dramatically. With the rise of freelancers, virtual companies, and hyper-connected society, the workplace has become increasingly more flexible and nomadic. Now, we have an increased tendency to work remotely and from home.

Creation of the hybrid workplace

There is little doubt that our current working practices are on the cusp of a revolution. It’s not just the form of working that is undergoing change, but also the way we think about the work we do. Traditional work is transforming to be more collaborative and impactful. It is no longer about one person’s expertise or exclusive knowledge. Rather, it is about a collective understanding. The shift in thinking is at the heart of how we manage people. The hybrid workplace is taking place for several reasons. The first is that the concept of work is changing. People are more connected. When they work remotely, it’s a matter of concentration rather than space.

Future of the hybrid workplace

What hybrid workplace means is that companies are offering flexible workspaces and communications. The idea is to combine the best of both worlds. Offices are less likely to be long and narrow and they will not feel cramped. Similarly, teams may be able to meet together in remote spaces, or even in coffee shops, and there are a multitude of other alternatives to the traditional office. These flexible workplaces help companies reduce costs, be more efficient, reduce distractions, make remote workers more productive, and provide more flexibility in general. This is certainly a step forward in the evolution of work, as time spent at work is increasingly seen as a priority. But, it also presents a very real challenge in terms of hiring, retaining and engaging with employees.

What will happen to local communities?

This hybrid work environment is slowly but surely becoming the norm. In London alone, the number of people working from home tripled between 2010 and 2017. In France, a major shift was observed when two-thirds of respondents said that they’d never go back to having an office of their own again. In the U.S., the percentage is even higher, with 84 percent of people having more than one job. But what happens to local communities when the number of workers working from home multiplies? Do they lose out on economic growth, as many fear? We now have evidence that suggests otherwise. The concept of telecommuting has long been explored.

How can we better engage with our fellow employees in the office?

Our busy lifestyles have changed the way we work. Research has proven that the traditional nine-to-five workday is becoming obsolete. Since 1980, working time has increased by 23%, while the typical time spent working by the American workforce has dropped by 30%. Given this backdrop, the office space that we used to inhabit seems more like a museum of yesteryear than a working environment. Instead of sitting at our desks to knock off work, we’ve embraced new working methods, whether it’s working from home, spending more time in open spaces, or working flexible hours. While there has been a surge in open office spaces in the last few years, many companies are choosing a combination of these different working styles.

Conclusion

Reshaping how we work will force businesses to focus on building their teams, not on accommodating an ever-shifting workforce. Think about it. How many studies are there about corporate productivity? How many of them have anything to do with work or work-related goals? Getting a better handle on how employees work will ensure that your best people are working for you and that all employees can accomplish their missions effectively and safely. The well-funded, well-staffed, and innovative organizations of the future will be those that can create a hybrid workplace that allows for work-life integration. They will use technology to improve employee productivity, reduce employee turnover, and facilitate employee growth and development.