Lockdown caused by COVID-19 compelled organisations and employees to explore a whole new definition of work; remote working. However, there are certain domains which do not support a 100{16a90bf89c9b50f69d79b4a49b00a90bb31289ef88507fddfe37bb8347804230} work-from-home policy. To meet up this necessity at work and subsequently consider compliance with Employee Health & Safety norms, organisations evolved the Hybrid Work Model.
The hybrid work model has also provoked the management to change their perspective in reviewing the performance of their employees based on work hours inputted by them and not by the number of hours they were physically visible. There has been a considerable shift of focus on productivity and assessment based on speed delivery than mere physical presence at work.
This new arrangement also made organisations consider re-designing their office space and capacity in accordance with the social distancing policy, rescheduling work hours and switching to more flexible hours so that they are able to accommodate both remote workers and workers stationed at their office premises in the same time frame.
With the help of technology and new tools available for scheduling the workforce, employers are able to fix roosters, manage work schedules, make optimum use of their manpower and also stay updated on the hourly activities of their employees. This new work mode has helped in reducing the operational costs borne by organisations in running the office premises. It also benefitted the employees by saving their travelling costs.
Moreover, meetings and discussions have become more location independent with the wide range of virtual platforms offered by ZOOM, Google, Microsoft and many others to connect which also helps create a synergy among the employees by keeping them connected with their teams on a day-to-day basis.
Among all the benefits of the hybrid work model one cannot deny the cons associated with it. There is an acute absence of customer experience which is a basic need for many businesses. There are many professionals whose work has been disrupted due to the lockdown; the service industry has been badly hit.
There is also an unease faced by employees as they are no more able to interact beyond office hours with their peers or superiors and create a relationship beyond work.
We have also witnessed a phenomenal surge in cyber crimes and organisations have become prone to cyber-attacks. Data privacy has gained huge concerns not only for individuals but also for organisations.
Nevertheless, Employees are also struggling to maintain a good work-life balance. There is a quest to maintain work routines with personal life. Many employees often feel isolated and land in a state of depression, to overcome these, organisations are considering anti-depression and meditation workshops for the well-being of their employees.
Acquiring preventive measures for data protection and opting for virtual team meets with their families may resolve and release the pressure of feeling isolated. Out-of-office hours meets help improve the cohesiveness of the teams and also allow organisations to connect personally with their employees.
Moreover, it’s all about individual adaptions to the ever-changing work dynamics. This also emphasises the fact that more empathetic leadership is needed at present times where we have working parents juggling with their children, personal responsibilities and more importantly health issues all at the same time. Leaders who empathise with their co-workers are likely to face less burnout in their teams. The present circumstances around us have forced us to believe: It’s the survival of the fittest, if any individual or organisation is reluctant to adapt to these changing dynamics of work, they are bound to experience issues related to their stability, productivity, growth and above all their existence.
As many of the countries are heading towards a normal life and being COVID Free, this work model is definitely here to stay. A hybrid work model will definitely provide reduced costs, refreshed managerial roles, increased productivity of employees and also pave way for organisations to go global and explore new areas demographically.
