The Hybrid Working Model: Hidden Perils to Take Note of

As the national vaccination rollout program continues across the country, it also indicates that the Philippines is slowly but surely inching its way into the post-pandemic setting. Along with this, a return to some degree of normalcy is highly expected. The “new normal” — or the “next normal”, as other people prefer — will also bring with it drastic changes in working experiences.

During the height of the global pandemic, a lot of businesses were essentially forced to transition into remote working arrangements overnight. Now, this same scheme still persists more than a year later but implementing it was far from stress-free. While it did exhibit innovation and resiliency, it definitely took a serious toll on employees who were ill-prepared to work from home.

Whether the issues were technical (lack of equipment, poor internet connection), personal (mental health, burnout, zoom fatigue), or a mix of both, business leaders have since made significant efforts to address all of these. For the most part, it would seem like everyone who was fortunate enough to be able to do their work remotely has adjusted quite well.

The Rise of Hybrid Working

Working from home has proven to present a few advantages, the most notable among these being an improved productivity rate. However, businesses are currently faced with another radical transition: a hybrid working setup. This enables companies to offer their employees the opportunity to distribute their working days from the office and remotely throughout the week.

While support for the hybrid arrangement has been apparent across the board, from the top executives to regular employees, effectively implementing this change will prove to be trickier than expected. Moreover, there are also unintended perils that businesses will have to navigate through in order to make this work.

Most companies are certain that a return to a 100% office-based setup in the post-pandemic world is highly unlikely. But, the hybrid arrangement has its fair share of benefits. It saves the productivity time of employees, allowing them to avoid the worsening traffic in major business districts. It also substantially cuts office use, helping businesses save a lot on rent and utilities.

Nonetheless, forcing professionals to go through yet another shift just when they’ve comfortably settled into remote working will prove to be difficult for two primary reasons: safety and equal experiences. Collectively, these will determine how seamless the transition will be for the operations and the employees.

First off, companies will have to guarantee that a return to the office is completely safe for their employees. It’s important to note that most, if not all, employees will have their reservations about going back to the workplace. Businesses should build trust and confidence that their office environment will be well-equipped to address the current health crisis.

This entails having everyone vaccinated, enforcing sophisticated health guidelines, and investing heavily in sanitation technologies. These are just some of the crucial elements that companies have to heavily consider before reopening the office. Accomplishing all of these will definitely take a lot of time and resources.

Being able to provide consistent work experiences, regardless of where it’s done, should also be prioritized. In fact, this might even prove to be more challenging to attain compared to ensuring safety. It will surely be riddled with a few unforeseen effects that can be detrimental to a company’s bottom line.

Managers may feel mounting stress and pressure when supervising a distributed workforce; Employees might think their privacy is being invaded as companies track their performance and online activity remotely; Class systems might also be formed as the divide between office workers and remote workers widen, leading to clashing cultures.

There are countless opportunities for inequalities to erupt when it comes to hybrid working. As much as possible, business leaders should be able to provide suitable and fair arrangements for all their employees wherever they may be working from. Invest in the proper tools, open more effective lines of communication, and cultivate a healthy culture of collaboration.

Hybrid working is perhaps the most obvious step forward in the wake of the global pandemic. However, this shouldn’t automatically prove that it doesn’t have its own flaws and gaps. For businesses — big or small — looking to implement this solution in the near future, always be on the lookout for the well-being of your employees above all else at this time.

References: Inquirer, Forbes, World Economic Forum, Business Mirror