Understanding the Inherent Challenges of a Hybrid Work Model

It’s probably not a surprise to you. While some organizations were experimenting with remote and hybrid work models before the pandemic, necessity dictated that most businesses shift to embrace those models as COVID made working in person dangerous. This initial shift, while planned to only be a temporary protective measure, has impacted workers’ preferences; and for years after the pandemic, a substantial amount of workers preferred working remotely to staying in-office.

However, tastes have begun to shift again as recent research indicates that for the first time since pre-pandemic conditions, employees are showing a greater preference for hybrid work over remote and in-office. Hybrid work allows employees to retain the benefits of watercooler culture, socialization, and a dedicated in-office workspace, while also allowing them at-home workdays. For employees, it’s a model that embraces the best of both worlds; and if you’re reading this, you’ve likely heard some mutterings at the office around switching to hybrid employment.

Hybrid work models come with their own set of challenges; ones that every executive needs to know about. We’ll go on to break down those challenges, showing you how to construct a hybrid work environment that is safe, risk-free, and productive.

Health and Safety

Firstly, there’s the in-office component. Coronavirus is still a very real, very present threat, along with the flu, the common cold, and other contagious diseases. Post-pandemic, employees are more aware of the dangers illness, and so your in-office safety protocols will likely need to shift to accommodate the days when employees will share the same space.

Some considerations to try include:

• Maintaining good air quality and ventilation: Poor air quality not only negatively impacts employees’ comfort, but can also have a direct impact on their productivity. COVID and other viruses are also airborne, emphasizing the need for good ventilation to ensure employee safety. Explore options for maintaining good air quality, like checking ventilation, frequent decluttering, and investing in air purifiers.
• Frequently sanitizing and disinfecting commonly shared spaces: We all love a good break room, until Brad comes in with a runny nose and is running his hands on all the furniture. Common areas like communal workspaces, conference rooms, or lounge areas must be cleaned and disinfected regularly to avoid the spreading of disease.
• Enlist a cleaning crew: Surface cleaning is all well and good, but enlisting a cleaning crew to deep clean the office regularly will eliminate common hazards like mold, dust buildup, and other forms of office contamination.

In these trying times, it’s critical that your employees feel that they’re safe wherever they choose to work; that they won’t make the commute only to get sick from someone else’s carelessness. Employing even one of these protocols helps keep the office a place employees want to continue working in.

Risk Management

Also inherent to a hybrid model are several risks that are generally more well-controlled within the office. Hybrid models, just like remote and in-office, have their pros and cons; and it’s important to understand what the cons are before making the transition. Risks inherent to the hybrid model include:

• Cybersecurity: Corporate information being accessed outside of the office environment can create vulnerabilities, especially if the employee is using a personal device to do so.
• Relaxed professional standards: Being in a home environment may lead employees to say or do things they would not do in an office.
• Divided teams: Working remotely, even just part-time, creates an added barrier of communication; it may be difficult for team members to meet, or to achieve the same level of productivity while working in self-imposed silos.
• Employee well-being: Employees are worried about how hybrid models will be supported, the impact on their mental health, and so on.

Many of these risks can be mitigated by using the proper tools. Issuing all hybrid employees a company laptop, for example, can keep employees within the office security system even as they work externally. You can hold employees accountable and request they use only that device for office work to protect your organization’s data, tracking patch management, desktop activity, etc.

Other platforms, such as corporate communication applications, can be leveraged to thin the wall between employees working remotely, providing a centralized place for employees to meet and collaborate. Frequent positive reinforcement and check-ins ensure that corporate communication barriers remain, while also allowing you to check on your team’s mental health.

Productivity Enhancement

Finally, there are many different productivity-enhancing tools you can leverage in a hybrid work environment to make sure your employees are able to do their best work, both inside and outside the office. Project management software like Asana and Jira unlock seamless collaboration and a high-level view of progress, while virtual conferencing tools like Teams and Zoom allow for face-to-face communication in remote spaces.

Switching to a hybrid model can take some adjustment, but it doesn’t have to have a seismic impact on how your company functions. If you build an infrastructure that allows for seamless collaboration, and that takes care of employees inside and outside the office, your employees will experience high job satisfaction as their production skyrockets.

By Indiana Lee, BOSS contributor