Imagup General Magazine 2024
All of us are coming out of the unprecedented times that COVID-19 put in front of us. It has not only interrupted the value chains and operations but also brought about experimental ways to try out new work models. As we undertake plans to recover from COVID, the industry needs to adopt a futuristic and cohesive approach to get the best key takeaways from a situation like this. Whether it is the processes, the industry, or even the employees, the old work models do not continue to be effective anymore and we are headed towards a new system.
Work Model and Work Culture
For starters, the work culture is demanding a new work model. The new employee experience entails becoming digital as well as virtual to fit the changing circumstances. Organizations need to address the current process to blur the lines basically between both physical and digital. The balance between remote working and office hours needs to come into the picture so that we can deal with a worldwide pandemic such as this.
Currently, the digital movement is driving quite a change in our lives. This similar change needs to be brought in by different organizations to make hybrid work models a more common term. This is the biggest technology and workplace trend we are looking at for dominating in the year 2024.
Most of the global giants such as Amazon and Google have already gone for a hybrid model until the end of this year. According to scalefusion.com with rising cases- a hybrid work model will surely help to keep employees happy and drive more progress for the organization too.
Constituents of a hybrid work model
If we look at the current scenario, the office buildings are quite an indicator for a change. They are vacant and till vaccinations are more easily accessible, we cannot expect too much of a change in the situation. So, most organizations have built and opted for hybrid work models to keep the work going and also help employees happy.
A lot of organizations are also considering the potential savings on their infrastructure. They can instead help employees with internet costs and other things they need so that they can save on the overall maintenance of the office spaces. Why this is working well for us is because a lot of offices are already well adjusted to these models. Both in-office hours, as well as remote work being flexible, is proving productive for the company.
A hybrid work model gives the staff the flexibility they need. They can work from home or any place that is convenient for them. It also helps in providing flexible hours to the employees which can help them build a better work-life balance. For organizations, however, it does require quite a lot of alteration in the workplace policies to ensure that both- the welfare of the employees and the organization are prioritized.
Different types of models within the Hybrid Work Model
There are plenty of ways to adopt a hybrid work model. Some of the alternatives include:
- The at-will model
This particular model helps the employees pick the kind of work arrangement that works the best for them. It is useful for people who need to set up appointments and be out to get their work done.
- Shift work model
This type of model helps in splitting the week between both- working from home and working on-site in terms of different days. They can ensure better rotation for the departments. For instance, the marketing team can come in for three days and the customer support team comes on the rest of the days.
Advantages of the Hybrid Work Model
There are plenty of benefits to bring in any of the aforementioned work models. The primary reasons why they are touted to be the most significant trend of 2024 is as follows:
- Working hybrid can help in increasing productivity. Be it from a coder’s perspective or a customer agent’s perspective, having flexible work hours can bring about balancing personal chores and professional endeavors. Some teams, like the one at Solitaired.com, have seen meaningful productivity gains by supporting a flexible work environment.
- A flexible working model helps the employees prioritize their lives and helps in juggling them better. This ensures more job satisfaction for the employees too.
- Apart from just job satisfaction, employees can also attain better mental health. As per a survey, 48% of employees mentioned that they are struggling with mental health struggles since the pandemic began.
But, that’s not the highlight of the survey. It was also found that 60% of employees split the week between a work-from-home model as well as putting in-office hours. 54% of employees who are working from home as well as on-site reported that they are doing pretty well. But, on the other hand-50% of employees working solely from home and 43% working on site reported that they were doing okay.
Key takeaways
While a hybrid work model may not be a company’s first choice, it is perhaps the only way to deal with the current situation. The mandatory social distancing as well as the need for a contactless environment is why more and more companies are adopting hybrid work models. Digitization is also needed currently to assure a proactive, flexible and agile output potentially.
This change is not temporary but is bringing about comfort for companies to embrace flexibility and also ensuring a happier workforce in the process. Businesses are no longer working on traditional models and it would take a long time for them to return from the ‘new normal. Organizations are reinventing themselves and the benefits of flexible operating models are here to see. This hybrid work model can bring in both physical and digital as the sustainable approach for organizations.
