The State of Hybrid Workplaces in 2024
The paradigm of traditional workspaces has undergone a seismic shift thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Now that the proverbial dust has settled, employers and employees alike have realized we cannot return to working how we used to. However, most companies now see that everybody being 100% remote does not work either. We must have a hybrid workplace.
Having a mix of remote and in-person work can be beneficial to all, as it offers flexibility and the ability to tailor work environments to different tasks. Most people do not want to be exclusively isolated from their colleagues. The trick of hybrid is finding the right balance that suits the company’s needs and the employees’ preferences.
I will preface this by saying my company went remote years before the global pandemic. I realized that my knowledge-based workers, the people in the office, did not have to be tied to a specific place.
Their work was done in the ethers of the virtual or computer world. Their minds were their greatest asset to IPC. And those minds? They work anywhere. For us, we went remote—but do broad in-person gatherings and team-building quarterly.
This has been very successful.
Hybrid Work Is Good For Business
Hybrid work is actually good for your bottom line. Gartner’s 2020 ReimagineHR Employee Survey of five thousand employees revealed that at typical organizations where employees work a standard 40 hours per week in the office, “only 36 percent of employees were high performers.
When organizations shift from this environment to one of radical flexibility where employees have a choice over where, when, and how much they work, 55% of employees were high performers.”
However, every company must figure out what works for them. What does the modern hybrid workplace environment look like today? Is it coming in once or twice a week? Is it getting together once a month? Is it getting together once a quarter? It really depends on your organization
The hybrid workplace model combines remote workers with on-site workers and offers flexibility to choose where and when they work. It is not a simple formula or a panacea for all workplace challenges.
Today’s hybrid workplace must be implemented strategically, using modern HR technologies that engender connection, collaboration, and employee engagement. Forty-two percent of remote workers say if their current company does not offer long-term remote work options, they will look for a job at a company that does.
Statistics That Tell the Story
As we navigate through the ever-evolving world of post-pandemic work in 2023, several key remote work statistics stand out. They offer insight into the current state of remote work and provide a glimpse into its future.
As of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, while 28.2% work a hybrid model. Despite the steady rise in remote work, the majority of the workforce (59.1% ) still work in an office. This percentage underscores the fact that while remote work is on the upswing, traditional in-office work is far from obsolete.
Hybrid Work Offers Flexibility and Connection
As fellow human beings, we are people of connection. These hybrid work models aim to balance remote work’s flexibility with in-person interactions to maintain connections, collaboration, and a sense of belonging among employees.
The hybrid model fosters a better focus on each employee’s individual needs while maintaining collaborative office dynamics. Where the value of connection is placed, it thereby allows for a perfect balance between remote flexibility and in-person interactions, enabling employees to keep relationships, foster collaboration, and cultivate a sense of belonging within the organization.
Ultimately, this leads to a more adaptable and resilient workforce.