Many organizations have chosen to abandon their traditional office work structure for a more flexible, employee-focused structure under the hybrid work model. While this model presents many benefits to both employers and employees, organizations must ensure they are effectively implementing the model to reap the benefits. So how can organizations successfully implement the hybrid model within operations? We’ve outlined 5 things all organizations should consider when transitioning to the Hybrid Work Model:

1. Choose a Hybrid Model

Before implementing a hybrid model, organizations should understand the 3 most popular variations of the model. The three hybrid model variations include Fully Flexible, Office-Centric, and Remote First. When choosing between these variations, it is important to consider the needs of your employees and which model would work best for your organizational culture.

The variations of the model include:

Fully Flexible: This model allows employees to choose when they’d like to work from an allocated central office or an alternative location.
Office-Centric: This model requires employees to work from a central office most of the time, with a couple of days spent at an alternative location (if they choose).
Remote First: This model focuses on employees working primarily from home (or an alternative location) and working from a central location (if they wish).

2. Clearly Define Policies and Procedures

Ensuring that your organization has clear defining policies surrounding your hybrid work model assures an easy transition towards this new work dynamic. When creating your organization’s policies and procedures, clearly identify what type of hybrid model will be used primarily in the organization. Ensure employees know company expectations regarding performance and attendance under this new model. If this is a blanketed policy that all staff members are eligible for, create a strong scheduling policy to avoid overcrowding.

3. Create an Effective communication system

The effectiveness of your organization’s communication structure can have a drastic impact on the successful implementation of your hybrid model. As your organization transitions to a new work structure, your communication system must be equipped for both in-person and virtual communication. This means going beyond emailing and scheduled meetings, instant messaging tools for instance create a great alternative that allows your employees to stay connecting in real-time.

4. Provide hybrid work training

Whether you have employees working from home or within the office, transitioning between these two work arrangements should be easy and have no effect on business operations. With the right training and management system, this can be achieved. Organizations should provide training to ensure that employees have the resources and knowledge on how to work within the new work structure. One aspect of this training should also include equipping employees with the necessary tools and technology to work effectively both remotely and in the office.

5. Provide collaborative workspaces for team

The needs of your employees will vary from person to person therefore, it is important that your organization provide employees with a workspace that will meet their unique needs. Coworking spaces, for example, provide flexible, collaborative work environments and offer a variety of amenities to meet the needs of workers. These flexible workspaces have been shown to increase employee productivity and motivation. We suggest identifying what needs are important to your workers and investing in spaces that create a productive work environment.

The hybrid work model is here to stay, so it is imperative that organizations are using the most effective strategies to successfully implement the model within operations. Now more than ever employees are demanding flexibility within their work environment, with the hybrid work model organizations can bridge this gap and increase employee productivity.