Hybrid Workplace – Everything You Need to Know

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way dozens of industries operate, especially in corporate offices. As many companies went fully remote during the peak of the pandemic, leadership is now in the midst of deciding whether to keep employees at home, return to the office, or create a hybrid workplace.

What is a Hybrid Workplace?

A hybrid workplace combines the traditional in-person office model with the modern remote work, or work from home (WFH). There are a few different ways a hybrid model could work:

• Rotating Schedule – A rotating schedule is great for larger companies. Essentially, you would split your employees into 2-3 groups. Every other week or day, a group would work in the office, while the other group(s) work from home. With less people in the office, it allows for better social distancing.
• Set Scheduling – Many schools are implementing a set schedule where certain days of the week are in-person and other days are WFH—for all employees. This may be ideal for smaller companies as well. It also allows for a cleaning company to come in during the week to keep everything sanitized.
• Custom Scheduling – Custom scheduling lets employees create their own hybrid model. Employees would have a certain number of WFH days and a minimum in-person days, but, ultimately, they can choose when to utilize those days.

Is a Hybrid Model Really the Future of the Workplace?

While many companies had to go fully remote during the pandemic, there have been mixed feelings from all levels of employees. While we’ll continue to see industry shifts, the best way to understand workplace changes is to ask the workforce. LinkedIn News has taken to the polls to find out how employees are feeling about current workforce trends. Here’s what we’ve learned:

• Out of 9,536 votes, 53% of workers agreed that working from home in the pandemic has not been an (ergonomic) pain.
• Out of 23,005 votes, a massive 73% of workers said that a mix of WFH and in-person office time is their ideal way of working.
• Out of 9,890 votes, 60% of workers expressed that they miss in-person collaboration the most out of other office perks.

Implement a Hybrid Workplace Policy at Your Company

Based on the above, it’s clear that a hybrid work model is favored among employees. However, it’s up to senior leadership to create and implement a fair hybrid workplace policy. So, what is the best way to do this?

• Create structured and clear guidelines. If you’re planning on transitioning the way your employees work, be sure it’s put together in clear guidelines that your employees can access. Whether you adopt a rotating, set, or custom schedule, your employees should know exactly how many WFH and in-person days they have.
• Install integrated business communication. While you may have scrambled to put together remote business phones, now is the time to reevaluate your phone provider. To have a successful hybrid workforce, you will need integrated and unified communication, including phones, soft phones, SMS messaging, video conferencing, voicemail, email, and fax.

Your Next Business Communication Provider

If you’re now questioning your current phone provider, consider VoiceNEXT. Our cloud-based technology makes it easy for your team to stay connected wherever they are working. VoiceNEXT offers a full suite of communications solutions to keep your team working – whether they are at the office, working from home, or utilizing a hybrid workplace. With an integrated approach, your communications will always be flexible and able to adapt to whatever the world throws your way.

To discover how VoiceNEXT can help create a successful hybrid model in your company, contact us online.