The hybrid workforce. It’s one of those terms that most of us had never heard of a few years ago. But now it’s on everyone’s lips.
Ah quarantine. If you’re like most people, you basically did three things while stuck in the house in your pajama pants:
- Baked bread
- Yelled at your kids to get back on zoom
- Learned how to work from home
And while you were doing that, “the office” learned a few tricks too.
Benefits of working at home
When COVID-19 struck and we were all required to hide out at home for an extended period, many people realized that working from home was not only doable, but more enjoyable.
Here are some of the ways workers benefit from remote work:
- Time savings. People who worked from home recouped an average of 40 minutes per day in commute time. For many commuters in major cities, the time savings was even greater.
- Mo’ money. Working from home means lower fuel costs, less wear and tear on vehicles, and fewer Starbucks runs. As a result, remote workers saved an average of $500 per month during lockdown.
- Better balance. Remote workers report less stress, more focus, and better work life balance. At-home workers say they’re happy 22% more than folks who work entirely on-site.
Plot twist! A hybrid workforce is a more productive, less expensive workforce
Pre-pandemic, only 6% of American workers primarily worked from home. Once COVID-19 hit, that number jumped to more than one third. The percentage was even higher for information workers.
With apologies to Tim Gunn, this sudden, involuntary shift forced employers to “make it work.” To their surprise, they discovered these key benefits:
- Cost savings. Employers with a remote or hybrid workforce save on overhead. For companies that are not fully virtual, hosting fewer workers “in the office” may translate to a smaller footprint and less rent. Companies with remote workers also save on utilities, maintenance, cleaning, equipment and furniture.
- More productive employees. In a survey of 800 employers, 94% said that work productivity was the same or higher since employees starting working from home.
- A bigger talent pool. Remote work grants employers access to prospective employees from around the world. This means less competition for top talent. Not to mention, hiring people from areas with a lower cost-of-living (in the US or abroad) may reduce payroll expenses.
Remote work will continue to grow
Some people (looking at you, extroverts) will never enjoy working from home full time. Still, studies show that the prevalence of remote work will not return to pre-pandemic levels:
- Post-pandemic, 92% of those surveyed expected to work at home at least one day per week. A whopping 80% expected to dress from the waist up at least 3 days per week.
- A survey of 9,000 workers in six countries showed that 72% prefer a hybrid work model with only 12% preferring to work full time in the office.
Remote work also presents an opportunity for employers to attract and retain top talent. In a recent study, 59% of respondents said they would be more likely to choose an employer who offered remote work compared to those who didn’t.
Things for employers to consider
The rise of the hybrid workforce will require employers to shift to a new way of monitoring and engaging employees.
Approaches that were slapped together in response to the pandemic and were thought to be temporary need to be re-evaluated and replaced with more sustainable practices.
One significant challenge for employers is to find ways to use technology to increase employee engagement and develop and sustain healthy workplace culture, even if the team has never been in the same room.
With many major companies moving to 100% remote models, now’s the time to establish business processes that will carry your company forward in this brave new world of remote work.
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