The Trend Towards Hybrid Working: Background

During the darkest days of the Covid19 pandemic, working from home became the “new normal.” Many companies were surprised to find how effectively they were able to work, but inevitably, there was a downside. In particular, engagement between employers and employees suffered. 

With the return to the “old normal” came the “great resignation,” a phenomenon attributable, in part, to workers being reluctant to part with the freedoms inherent in a work from home model.  By contrast, other workers reported feeling glad that they could return to the office, connecting directly with their colleagues and managers. 

While enjoying the renewed connection with their employers, however, many felt that their on-site presence wasn’t necessary all the time. Routine work, they reasoned, could be completed as productively, if not more so, while working from home. In many instances, their employers agreed that they had a good point.

What is Hybrid Working? Practical Examples

Hybrid work, meaning work from home with on-site attendance as necessary, was not an entirely new concept even before the pandemic. With this model working well for so many companies, benefiting both employees and their employers in a variety of ways, we may wonder why it wasn’t widely used years ago. After all, the technology that makes it possible isn’t anything new. As it is, it took a pandemic to bring home the advantages of hybrid work.

Before we look at those advantages, let’s explore the different ways in which hybrid work is applied in practice. There are four broad categories or models into which we can categorise the different approaches to combining work-from-home with on-site attendance.

At-Will

There’s a great deal of flexibility in this model. When employees need to meet with clients, managers, or co-workers, or just prefer to work on site, they inform their employers, and the necessary facilities are provided. When employers want to convene a meeting or require teams to be on site, they notify the relevant people. With this flexibility comes a greater need for careful planning. For example, if a key staff member must attend a meeting on a particular day, it makes sense to schedule any additional on-site contacts on the same day instead of summoning them at short notice on several days of the week.

Split-Week

When using a split-week model, employees spend half of their week working from home, and the other half working on-site. Their employers develop a roster which could be based on the number of people they believe will be needed on site, or on a department-by-department basis. The aim is to ensure enough face-to-face contact to foster communication and collaboration combined with days on which team members work from home, focussing on deliverables.

Hybrid Shift Work

It’s an unusual approach to hybrid work, and it can be difficult to implement, but there are companies that expect daily attendance between certain times, with the rest of the day open to working from home. In general, it’s not the easiest version of hybrid work to implement, and it eliminates some of the advantages of hybrid work at a stroke, but if it is necessary for operations, it remains an option.

Week-by-Week

As you’ll have guessed, this version of hybrid work means alternating remote work and on-site work on a week-by-week basis. It has the advantage of being completely predictable. Everyone knows who will be on-site during any given week, and interactions can be scheduled accordingly.

The best hybrid working model to choose will depend on the type of business, and the activities that various team members undertake. It’s even possible to switch between different models on a project-by-project basis.

Other Interpretations of Hybrid Work

While some definitions of hybrid working models are similar to the ones discussed above, others use slightly different terminology and a somewhat different approach.

Specifically, we have companies that prefer to refer to employment as workplace based, but which offer limited opportunities for remote working. 

Some are workplace based but are more generous in offering leeway for remote work. 

Others resort to remote digital work first, but offer a workplace and may require attendance. 

Finally, we have “digital first” companies who offer no workplace whatsoever, using hired facilities or even private homes as places in which professional contact occurs. 

How Employers Benefit from Hybrid Work Models

Apart from retaining and attracting talent that likes the flexibility of hybrid work while maintaining sufficient in-person contact to keep communications options open and engagement high, employers are likely to find that productivity rises when implementing hybrid working, particularly when using an at-will model.

With tiring commutes and in-office distractions eliminated, many employees are likely to be more focused on getting their tasks done. Some, however, do feel less productive when working from home, particularly when they have small children: an argument for a best-of-both-worlds, at-will arrangement in which each employee decides on their worksite.

Management saves time too. With everyone working in-office, both formal and informal meetings can easily consume a workday. When using hybrid models, meetings are more carefully planned, and there’s greater attention to maintaining an organised meeting schedule with all necessary discussion points incorporated into a single agenda.

Beyond the question of productivity, employers are likely to find that office facilities need not be as extensive. If only half the workforce is present on any given day, for example, a single desk can double as a workspace for two employees instead of one. If either of the “digital first” approaches is used, it may only be necessary to have a temporary boardroom. With less office space required, employers stand to benefit from significant cost savings. 

RSVP and Hybrid Work

RSVP has been using hybrid work models for far longer than most companies. As a call centre that prides itself in offering its clients customer service agents of an exceptionally high calibre, attracting the best talent has always been a priority for us. Offering flexibility in choosing working hours and worksite has allowed us to do just that. However, keeping our employees aligned with our company’s ethos and our clients’ requirements and goals requires intensive briefings and feedback sessions, and in this context, face-to-face meetings are essential.

Although this limits us to employing London-based call-centre champions, we find that combining a sense of belonging and personal engagement with remote work options, allows us to work cohesively. Our employees benefit, and so do our clients. It really is the best of both worlds.

If you’d like to take advantage of our round-the-clock call centre services, whether for customer service, lead generation, market research, or omni-channel marketing support, access to our hybrid working team is only a call or an email away. Let’s set up a meeting! Your highly-motivated communications team is ready for you to take the first step!

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The Benefits of Hybrid Working

Many of the benefits of hybrid working seem to be for employees, but it’s worth remembering that they can benefit organisations too. For example, with commuting time constraints being limited to days when employees are required to report in at the office, employees are spared much of the time and cost of the daily commute. However, the employer benefits from this too.

Workers report for duty fresh from the morning coffee instead of stressed from the commute, and employers can benefit from skills over a wider geographical area. With commuting costs reduced, workers are less subject to worry over their finances and better able to focus on their work, and the flexibility that goes with hybrid working models motivates employees to strive for greater heights. After all, it’s great being able to work from home without the feelings of isolation associated with purely remote work. You’re still part of the team, but you don’t have to be at the office every single day.  

While employees are enjoying their freedom to work from home, your organisation can also cut down on the cost of office space. For example, in many hybrid working models, most of the work is done from home, with employees only arriving at HQ for important meetings and events. Could your business consider hiring or buying less costly real-estate to get its work done? A hybrid working model might mean that the answer is “yes.”

Counter-intuitively, it’s also easier to keep employees informed and participating in decision-making in hybrid working models. Meeting attendance is often limited by the space available in a physical meeting-room. But remote meetings don’t have these constraints. You can get more input, and more people will get their information first-hand.

As a final advantage, remote work allows you to recruit talent from all over the world, helping you to get the best candidate for any position. But remote work often leaves employees feeling isolated. Introduce a hybrid model, and they (and you) get the best of both worlds. 

The Challenges: Disadvantages of Hybrid Working

Hybrid working has the potential to give both employees and employers a wide range of advantages, but the challenges it implies cannot be overlooked. Chief among these, is the challenge of achieving all the benefits of working in an office while employees are working from home. We can sum these up as easy communication, personal connection, working in teams to achieve creativity, and ensuring that folks, who may be working from the kitchen table in dressing gown and slippers, buy into your company’s culture. 

Disadvantages? Certainly! But these are not challenges you can’t overcome. As long as you are aware of them, and are ready to combat them, the challenges of hybrid working can be countered. Part of the solution lies in the “hybrid” nature of your working model. Identify areas where in-person collaboration will lead to greater creativity, better communication and personal connection, and ensure that “office time” is spent on fostering these elements. 

Because you aren’t implementing remote work in its purest form, it’s also possible to mitigate its disadvantages through in-person contact. You can help employees to overcome remote working challenges by implementing workflow and communications software and encouraging them to use it to the full. Beyond that, they have access to office-based meetings that allow for one-on-one interactions. 

What the Future Holds for Hybrid Workplaces

Hybrid workplaces are the future of business. According to Gallup, 61 percent of US employees currently expect to combine on-site work with work-from-home, while 27 percent will work remotely, and companies are enabling this. This leaves a minority of businesses in favour of a return to traditional, office-based work 5 days a week. 

Hybrid working benefits have hit home, both for employees and their employers – and from there, it’s only a hop and a skip towards an increase in outsourcing to specialist companies. After all, if a business can employ remote workers who drop in for a bit of face-time as needed, might it not be as economical (or even more so) to outsource entire functions or operational areas in much the same way? 

This may well be why RSVP has experienced a rise in demand for its services. Since most companies have recent experience of remote and hybrid working models, they’re ready to employ business communications specialists who work as if they were part of the organisation without actually being present in their offices. 

When contact is necessary, they’re available. The rest of the time, they operate independently and without an additional investment in office space and infrastructure. And because these outsourced teams are core functional areas for the business that directly employs them, communication, engagement, and personal contact come with the territory without the contracting company having to lift a finger. 

If you’ve been researching hybrid working benefits and are hoping to benefit from them without having to deal with their potential disadvantages, outsourcing to companies that run hybrid working teams could make your task a whole lot easier. RSVP, a customer support and communications company, has been operating a hybrid working model for many years, and we’re ready to help you simplify matters. One contact person is all you need. We’re experts in the management of remote teams, and we provide the contact points they need to work effectively on your behalf. Need help with customer service? Talk to RSVP to get hybrid working advantages without the challenges that go with it.

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In this article, we’ll examine the employers’ perspective of the advantages and disadvantages of remote working, but if you’re an employee, you may benefit from getting your employer’s perspective too. Here’s a quick roundup. 

Benefits of Working From Home for Employers 

The most obvious benefit of home working staff would be reduced running costs. We’re talking office space, and to a lesser extent, office maintenance, office equipment and furnishings. Fewer workers in your office suite, mean less need for expansive space, and while it’s helpful to your workers if you provide them with the equipment they need, it’s not an absolute must for new hires. 

Remote work also allows for a degree of flexibility and freedom which employees like. At the very least, there’s no time-consuming and costly morning and evening commute. That’s motivating, and motivated employees are an asset. As an employer, you’re able to attract more talent, and all things being equal, achieve better results. 

But it’s not all roses for either employers or their staff. Unless you’re alive to the challenges of working from home for employers, the work from home model may become more of a liability than an asset. Let’s see why. 

Disadvantages of Remote Working

While employees may cite feelings of isolation: a lack of connection with their employers and colleagues, employers may struggle to maintain optimum productivity and control. There’s potential for a certain lack of feelings of immediacy among staff. And when it comes to monitoring productivity, your task is more complex, and there are instances where you may just have to take your employees’ word for it. 

As an employer, having a personal relationship with your staff is just as important to you as it is to them. After all, how can you genuinely understand and motivate people when there’s no in-person relationship? There are many ways of trying to mitigate this, but in the end, nothing beats face-to-face contact. 

Since you don’t see your employees working away at their desks, you can easily fail to understand their work environment and habits well. So, Jenny took three hours on a task you thought would only take one. Was this because it was more difficult than you thought? Was it because of a lack of support? Or was Jenny making coffee and chatting to her family and friends more than she was working? You simply can’t know for sure. 

Having said that, remote work is here to stay, and your task is to take advantage of its benefits while working to address its disadvantages. Let’s look at how companies like RSVP are doing just that. 

Managing Remote Staff: the High Road

Establish connection. Remote meetings are all well and good, but there’s a certain something about having “office days.” They not only allow you to meet with your team on a personal level, they also encourage collaboration and networking within teams. That’s one of the reasons why RSVP’s home working solutions are so effective. We’re able to employ hundreds of people cost-effectively, yet still reinforce the importance of teamwork, good communication, and a sense of belonging that’s essential to the maintenance of productivity. 

Define expectations. This takes good communication, careful thought, and an intimate understanding of what your remote workers do. Expect too much and they burn out. Expect too little, and some of them will be only too happy to take it easy. Fail to define expectations, and nobody knows what they should be doing and whether they’re doing well or not.

Leverage tech solutions. Technology empowers us to work effectively, but the solutions it offers may not be as accessible or as effective as they may seem on the surface. A tool is only useful if it is used properly, and the more specialised it is to its task, the more effective it will be. Needless to say, there are cost implications. Specialised tech doesn’t come cheap. And though a great many things can be automated, the human touch is still needed. You can’t just “set and forget.” At RSVP, we’ve found that a high degree of specialisation in tech solutions, coupled with trained, dedicated staff to apply it and to oversee its use ensures optimal benefits. 

Facilitate remote collaboration. Collaboration isn’t just important between the individuals who make up a team. It’s also important between teams with differing tasks and specialities who strive towards or support common goals. Waiting for the next remote or in-office meeting to discuss overlapping areas means deferred questions, delayed responses, and wasted time. There needs to be a degree of freedom to communicate comparable to walking over to a colleague’s desk to confer. 

Be realistic about your company’s capacity to manage remote work. Using remote work successfully means choosing the right people, the right tech, and the right managers to oversee each department. While that’s also true of on-site work, the principle holds true in remote work models. Outsourcing, in either case, frequently results in greater efficiency, a greater degree of specialist skill, a larger resource-base to support the outsourced department, cost predictability, and cost savings. 

Outsourced Remote Work: Not Just for the “Little Guys”

There’s a widespread misconception that outsourcing tasks or business functions is for SMEs. It isn’t. Think of Apple. A large amount of its manufacturing is outsourced. Think of the big fashion brands. Most of them don’t do their manufacturing either. British Telecom famously outsources many of its behind-the-scenes functions as does Barclays Bank, and so on. The fact is, if it isn’t your core business, it’s quite possible that outsourcing it is the best way to go. Of course, that depends on who you outsource it to. 

Customer service and support is prime territory for both remote work and outsourcing. But, as anyone who has dealt with poor-quality offshore support services will attest, choosing the wrong company for the task can become a bit of a PR fiasco. 

At RSVP, London-based remote work operatives work around the clock to represent your business’s interests. They’re trained to engage with both your business and your individual clients for a natural, empathetic service that’s worlds away from the stilted, scripted, and often irrelevant “service” that even the largest companies have occasionally adopted to their cost. 

You get the benefits of remote work without the pitfalls and the high costs of maintaining, training, and monitoring remote employees. And since our technological infrastructure is already in place and is constantly upgraded, you get the best of highly specialised tech without the setup, training, and maintenance costs.

People Working for You: When Remote isn’t Hands-Off

Returning to general principles, remote working and outsourcing shouldn’t mean relinquishing control or losing touch. It’s one of the top value propositions we have to offer: we stay in touch with you, and you have a single contact point for the management of a vitally important and labour intensive area. 

Our fingers are on the pulse and it’s our job to represent your company and see that your customers get the best service. What are your customers saying? What uncertainties, issues, or service deficits prompt them to call us? We present the facts that you need to know. You stay in control of the solutions.

It’s just one example of the ways in which you can leverage remote work without the hassle. Why strive for excellence when excellence is just a phone call away? When it comes to remote workers for customer contacts, joining RSVP’s select customer base implies all of the benefits of remote working and none of the pitfalls. Are your company and ours a good fit? Let’s talk!

Read more about home and hybrid working.

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