The world has seen a rise in remote workers as businesses and employees realise just how easy and valuable flexible working can be.

However, ensuring face-to-face employee engagement within the workplace is still important. Enter the hybrid work model.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about implementing a hybrid work model in your organisation.

Understanding A Hybrid Working Arrangement

a chair next to a work desk with a laptop and mouse on the desk

Hybrid working is a flexible work arrangement. It gives employees the opportunity to work from home on some days but still come into the office for meetings and to engage with co-workers on other days.

Here are the main factors to be aware of when building hybrid teams:

Flexible schedule

  • Fixed days: Most companies designate specific days for employees to work in the office and other days for remote work. For example, an employee might work from home on Mondays and Fridays and be in the office from Tuesday to Thursday.

  • Flexible days: Another option is to give employees the freedom to choose which days they come into the office. However, this will depend on their role and team requirements.

Technology integration

  • Communication tools: Hybrid work relies heavily on digital communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. These collaboration platforms help maintain ongoing communication between remote and in-office workers.

  • Cloud services: You will also need a cloud solution to store documents and projects. This ensures they are accessible to all employees, regardless of their location.

Management approach

  • Performance-based management: Managers in a hybrid work model are encouraged to focus on outcomes and deliverables rather than the number of hours worked. This shift in mindset requires clear expectations and regular check-ins.

  • Employee autonomy: Business owners and managers need to give employees more autonomy to manage their own schedules and workloads.

Adopting a hybrid model also means you will need to update your employee contracts. Outlining the specifics of this new arrangement ensures clear expectations.

What Does A Hybrid Workplace Mean For Your Office Space?

people having a meeting in a office

Hybrid employees don’t need the same setup as before, so you may be able to downscale your office space and save on costs.

Some other changes you can consider making include:

Hot desking

Many of today’s hybrid work environments include hot desking. This means that employees no longer have assigned desks but can choose any available workspace when they come into the office.

Collaborative spaces

You could also consider redesigning your space to focus more on collaboration spaces rather than individual workstations. Emphasising meeting rooms, lounges, and open-plan spaces helps create a more engaging and collaborative environment for hybrid workers.

How UCaaS Can Boost Hybrid Work Success

Woman at her desk communicating via headphones

UCaaS, also known as Unified Communications as a Service, provides businesses with cloud-based connectivity and collaboration capabilities. These solutions often combine voice, video, messaging, and general sharing features that are accessible via mobile and desktop.

With more businesses competing based on their ability to deliver a positive customer experience, investing in Unified Communications for your business is essential to the success of a hybrid work model.

Research also shows that 75% of UCaaS users experience improved productivity levels, further adding to this success.

Let’s touch on some of the other reasons why you want to consider a UCaaS solution for your hybrid work model:

Ease of communication

According to Harvard Business Review, “The average user toggles between different apps and websites nearly 1,200 times each day.”

When they have the ability to communicate and collaborate through one system, your staff can improve turn-around times and enhance their productivity from anywhere. Quicker decision-making is also possible, further enhancing productivity.

Reduced costs

By switching to a hosted communication model, you can reduce costs surrounding physical equipment. Implementing cloud-based communication systems means desk phones and headsets are generally the only tools your team members need for client and internal communication.

Over and above this, businesses can save costs on communication equipment maintenance.

Added resilience and agility

If you experience an outage, how will that impact your ability to do business with customers, and what could the cost be? It’s often unseen costs that are the most expensive. A UCaaS solution can help you better mitigate this risk

80% view increased uptime as a major benefit of the cloud. 80% also saw freeing up IT as a significant advantage”

Then there’s your organisation’s ability to adapt rapidly to changing market conditions. As more employees opt for a hybrid work arrangement, there is a greater need for the cloud.

A UCaaS solution is not only quick to deploy, but you can provide access to anyone who needs it from anywhere in the world. With just an internet connection, you can manage users, connections, and general access more easily, making it easier to adapt to changing conditions and requirements.

Compliance

Many businesses need to take regulatory compliance into consideration when it comes to communication; something UcaaS can help with. Cloud-based solutions are more flexible and offer greater functionality, making it easier to retrieve, analyse, and report on data.

This means businesses can avoid delays and costly penalties for not providing reports on time.

FAQs

What are the keys to hybrid work success?

Businesses that want to create a thriving hybrid workplace should abide by a few key principles, including excellent and ongoing communication, continued collaboration, promotion of a flexible working culture, and a focus on business continuity.

Are there any downsides to a hybrid workplace?

Some potential downsides to a hybrid workplace include communication challenges, difficulty in maintaining a cohesive company culture, and the risk of unequal opportunities for remote and in-office workers. Additionally, managing different work environments may complicate team collaboration and lead to issues with employee engagement and productivity.

Why do so many people want hybrid work?

There are many benefits of hybrid working, and many people prefer its flexibility, allowing them to balance professional and personal responsibilities more effectively. It reduces commuting time, provides a better work-life balance, and can increase job satisfaction by giving employees the autonomy to choose where they work best.

Final Thoughts

Hybrid working offers a flexible approach that can significantly enhance the work-life balance of your employees while creating a more dynamic company culture.

By allowing employees to tailor their work environments to their personal and professional needs, businesses can boost productivity, satisfaction, and overall morale. However, to truly succeed in a hybrid model, seamless communication and collaboration are key.

At MID Digital Solutions, we understand the importance of staying connected in a hybrid work environment. Our solutions help businesses like yours enhance the customer experience while supporting a flexible, productive workforce. Contact us today to learn how we can help you implement a UCaaS solution tailored to your needs.

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