Over the last few years, one of the most significant changes has been the dramatic shift to hybrid work, which is here to stay. In fact, Forbes reported that “97% of employees don’t want to return to the office full-time.” 

Hybrid work allows employees to work partially in the office and partially remotely, often depending on the schedule of the individual or organization. These experiences may look different for every person, or an organization may include work location details as part of the company-wide schedule. 

Below, we’ll discuss why the hybrid work model is important, its benefits and how you can incorporate improved collaboration at your workplace. 

Why is the hybrid work model important? 

While hybrid work has gained popularity over the last few years, it has been around much longer — and it’s expected to continue growing. The hybrid work model is important for business growth and for providing employees with a more comfortable work-life balance. As the dynamics of the workforce continue to change, potential employees may look for job opportunities that allow this flexibility.

The benefits a hybrid work model can bring to your organization

The hybrid work model brings employees and organizations a number of benefits, including: 

Increased employee productivity

If disengagement in the workplace has been an issue for your organization, hybrid work may be able to benefit you. According to PwC, employee productivity has improved alongside the increase in hybrid and remote work. With this change, businesses can see more efficient employees, an increase in the number of tasks completed at the organization, and more.
 

Increased employee satisfaction

Due to an improved work-life balance, many employees have noted an improved satisfaction rate at their workplace — and in general. “[Hybrid] workers are 50% more likely to look forward to starting their workdays and feeling like they make a meaningful contribution to their workplace,” according to a Perceptyx study. 

Decreased operating costs

Without being required to meet in the office every day, organizations may see decreases in utility bills, real estate fees, and other office-related costs. For example, if your organization provided paid parking spots to your employees, you may now have the ability to cut back on this cost — or even create revenue by renting out spots that you own. 

Enhanced organizational flexibility

With hybrid or remote work, your organization has the ability to extend their field of applicants to include out-of-state or even out-of-country applicants who would not need to commute every day. This can increase the talent pool for your organization and allow you to choose a highly-qualified applicant that will bring true value to your business. 

How hybrid work impacts communication and collaboration

Many organizations may be wary of incorporating a hybrid work model due to concerns about connection, communication, and collaboration — but they’re all achievable at organizations of all sizes. 

Many employees prefer connecting with their colleagues from the comfort of their homes even more than in an office setting, while others find it more challenging. No matter the level of difficulty your organization has with this transition, you can create an environment that fosters collaboration and productivity. 

Creating an efficient hybrid work environment

Your organization has the ability to create a collaborative space for your employees, no matter where they are working. 

To ensure successful collaboration, you should provide your hybrid or remote team with: 

• Secure and reliable file storage. One of the most important factors of a hybrid workspace is ensuring that each of your employees has access to the documents and information they need. For example, if you have employees working asynchronously, you won’t want one employee to have to wait on another employee to start their day in order to get the answers they need. 
• Mobile-friendly infrastructure. Whether on a regular basis or while waiting for a flight at the airport, some of your employees might want to get some work done from their phones or other mobile devices. Ensure that your core systems have a mobile-friendly infrastructure to support all devices. 
• Real-time collaboration. In order to create a collaborative environment, give your employees the tools they need to communicate with one another. For example, you can provide Google Workspace tools, which allow multiple people to edit documents at the same time. 
• Virtual meetings. By providing your employees with an opportunity to discuss ideas, brainstorm, or clarify the direction of your projects, your organization can reduce confusion, conflict, and other issues that may arise from improper communication. 
• Project management. In order to ensure clear roles and responsibilities for each of your team members, as well as important project milestones, it’s important to provide your team with a project management system that lets them see their tasks, update the status, and communicate with colleagues about questions they may have. 

Enable workplace collaboration through technology

Whether your organization is new to the hybrid work model or still getting the hang of things, there are a number of Google Workspace collaboration tools that can help your organization meet its goals. 

Contact us today for a free Google Cloud consultation to see how Onix can help you take your organization to the next level.