With more countries bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, many companies are eager to go back to normal. But as experts said months ago, that normal would not be the old one you were used to. And your startup business needs to be ready to adapt to it.
One of the significant changes here is the adoption of hybrid work models. Let’s look closer at how these models work and how you can help your team effectively make the transition.
What Is Hybrid Work Anyway?
As its name implies, hybrid work combines onsite work and remote office setups. This type of setup helps companies function more effectively in certain situations. For instance, it can help businesses who might have limited onsite resources maintain continuous operations.
Image from Forbes.
Hybrid work is nothing new, as many have experimented with it before. However, the ongoing pandemic has increased its adoption. According to a 2020 Statista survey, 60% of companies reported that they have employees working in some form of hybrid format. The need to protect employees during the pandemic while still maintaining operations drove this increase.
But as the world opens up again, businesses are starting to look back at hybrid work and consider the other benefits it offers. These are for both the companies and the employees and include the following.
- Promotes better work relationships: Team members can engage in their preferred manner, helping build a stronger sense of community.
- Prevents virtual meeting burnout: While helpful, virtual meetings can also be tedious affairs for some. A hybrid setup gives them some breathing room.
- Improves work-life balance: The flexibility employees get from a hybrid model lets them better organize their daily routine and accomplish other tasks.
- Greater access to talents: For companies, a hybrid model helps attract more employees who might want a more flexible working arrangement.
- Easier employee performance tracking: Hybrid teams extensively use digital collaboration tools to stay connected. That makes it easier for team managers to track their progress.
With all these benefits, more companies are encouraged to switch to the model or extend it if they are currently implementing one. But to get the most out of these, your startup business needs to have the most suitable model in place.
The Different Types Of Hybrid Work
There are several key types of hybrid work that you can explore. These vary mainly in how they split the workload between onsite appearances and remote assignments. Here, you need to choose the one that best suits the nature of your work and team composition.
Image from Factorial.
Workplace-Based With Limited Remote Options
The first type of hybrid work puts the most emphasis on onsite presence. Here, the remote option is limited to only a few options. For instance, employees may only be allowed to work from home on certain days.
This option would be suitable for companies that rely heavily on in-person collaboration. For some industries, it might even be the only option. Nevertheless, it can still provide workers with more flexibility than strict office-only setups.
Workplace-Based With Generous Remote Options
While the office is still the main focal point, this model gives workers greater flexibility. For starters, they can choose to work remotely for longer. They can also choose which work to bring with them, typically those they can accomplish independently.
Meanwhile, the office’s main role is to provide a collaborative space. For instance, they can use it for realigning the teams together. Note that teams are still required to do these in-person collaborations regularly.
Remote First
At the other end of the spectrum, you have your remote-first models. Here, the priority is remote work from the get-go. The office might or might not be present for collaborative meetings. In the latter’s case, you can rent nonpermanent working spaces.
There would also be great emphasis on technology. You need to provide all your members with the tech suited for this environment. Ensure that there is also still an opportunity for them to connect despite the distance.
Split-Type Model
In this form of hybrid work model, you provide equal opportunities for working onsite and remotely. This one is a good compromise for accommodating varying work preferences. However, you need to plan the setup more carefully to ensure that everyone can maximize their chosen options.
Image from Build Remote
One way to implement this is by rotating the opportunity to work remotely between teams. One team might be working remotely this week. Then the next can have the opportunity the following week. The implementation can be gradual, allowing everyone to get more accustomed to the setup.
How Your Startup Business Can Make The Successful Transition.
Choosing the model to go with is just the beginning of the transition to hybrid work. You then need to customize your chosen approach to better suit your startup business. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all here.
Think about the particular needs of each team and individual member. You can then create a hybrid schedule to match those. In some cases, that would mean differing setups across teams. Ensure that you have a good way of tracking these to ensure they are all implemented.
Developing More Fully-Remote Roles For Your Startup Business
To better encourage your team to embrace hybrid work, you also need to develop more remote roles that they can fill. Go through all the positions you have and determine which would be good candidates for switching to fully remote setups. The most common ones would be those positions that are not essential for onsite operations.
Consider this as well when developing new positions. At this point, many applicants would often ask whether the one you are offering has remote work options. Take note that you also need to consider how much fully remote roles will affect other areas of the business.
Fostering An Effective Hybrid Work Environment
Beyond the organizational work, you also need to create a more conducive hybrid work environment for your team. The goal here is to make it easy for everyone to perform tasks in whichever location they are in. You would also want to encourage them to connect with other members even with the distance.
Image from iMocha.
Equality and fairness play an important role in fostering that environment. For that, you need to overcome the behavioral bias towards those working onsite. Keep in mind that those who choose remote work are by no means trying to get some form of special treatment. Instead, they might have circumstances that necessitate the choice. You can determine how to best engage with members by understanding these reasons.
Welcome The New Working Setup For Your Startup Business
The hybrid working model is by no means just a phase. It is here to stay. And by preparing for it now, your startup business can thrive in it in the future. Virtua Solutions is ready to help you make that successful transition. Contact us today.