There is a new balance to post-pandemic working life. For some, the work environment morphed from the traditional office, with its clear-cut hours, hierarchical roles and defined desks to remote working, with devices to agitate an employee’s cursor and cameras adjusted to obscure the view of the pool.
Now attitudes have shifted to something approaching a blend of those two models: hybrid working.
Organisations are learning about the merits of offering hybrid roles, a balance between in-office days and working from home, Rotterdam, or anywhere. But unlike the loneliness expressed in the song, hybrid working looks at alleviating the isolation of the work-from-home culture, which the pandemic uncovered, and maximising the potential of offering flexible working arrangements.
Gavin Fox, director of Contract Recruitment and one of the founders of the tech recruitment firm Needl, is a big fan of hybrid working models. “As a dad of three and husband to a shift worker, it works for both my work and personal life,” he says. “At Needl, we work three days in the office. Our London team is mostly remote, though they try to meet once a week. Across the market, two or three office days are becoming the norm.”
At Needl, compromise is key to managing flexible working arrangements, giving the company and its employees the “best of both worlds”.
“We get face-to-face time, a laugh in the office and the buzz of being together, but without the pressure of five days in,” says Fox. “We’ve even had people work from Spain for a month, so it brings flexibility too.”
That said, he is conscious that hybrid working differs for each company, and it may not work for every environment or employee.
“Some people want more office time, others less,” says Fox, who is the founder and host of Dublin Tech Talks meet-ups and podcasts. “That’s the balance companies are navigating right now.”
Regarding how hybrid employees manage the social element of being involved in the workplace if they’re mostly working from home, Fox believes we “sometimes overcomplicate this,” saying that “people will get involved if they want to get involved. The key is to tap into their intrinsic motivation, make them want to be part of it, rather than forcing it. That could be through social connection, meaningful work or creating the right culture.”
The initiative of mass remote working created a new kind of employee with new challenges, including a lack of social interaction, which plays a large role in our lives, let alone our employment. Without it, isolation takes hold, and we know that loneliness poses health risks comparable to cigarettes.
Interestingly, reports suggest that Gen Z workers are beginning to consider traditional office roles over remote work, with many citing loneliness as their main motivator for a commute. And there is a consistent drive to get employees “back into the office” or back on site. Hybrid working allows for this interaction with colleagues and other benefits.
“A lot of people might not be able to afford to live in Dublin city, but they want to work in a company that’s based in the city,” says Caroline Reidy, managing director of The HR Suite and a HR and employment-law expert. “Hybrid working means they can live somewhere else that’s more affordable and still work with that company.
“People might be able to go to the gym in the morning, do yoga or manage childcare more easily. It’s not lost time commuting on the Dart. They can do something more beneficial with that time. Time is a commodity, and people really value that.”
Hybrid working benefits the employee, but what about the company?
“Access to talent is the primary reason we are and will always be remote first,” says Sophia Deluz, COO of Search Atlas, an AI-powered SEO platform with offices around the world. “Why limit yourself geographically when you can get the best talent from all over the world? Localised talent helps us understand and take care of our customers.”
A five-day-a-week office environment is not ideal for some, and the appeal of hybrid work in the office-v-remote argument has increased. It is, however, worth remembering that hybrid working is still finding its place and employees and employers are striving to navigate its parameters.
Key points: How graduates can make the most of hybrid workingGet into the office
Reidy notes that, for many new graduates, due to the timing of their education during the pandemic, this might be their first introduction to the work environment. “As a consequence of that,” she says, “being in the office, particularly for those first 12 weeks, will be a core integration time where their osmosis into the organisation is really important.”
A good induction
“Graduates should expect a really good induction to start with, which gives them the training in terms of what to expect and sets the standard of the organisation,” says Reidy. Inductions generally give graduates information about the company’s policies, structure and its support and mentoring, as well as guidelines on hybrid working, communication, collaborative working and employee wellbeing initiatives.
Ask questions
Fox suggests that new graduates recognise the importance of asking questions to learn the ropes. “Earn your stripes; it’ll stand to you,” he says. “If you’re at home, create structure. Have a proper set-up, stick to a schedule and treat it like you’re in the office. Most importantly, ask questions. Whether it’s in person or on a video call, keep asking. That’s how you learn, hybrid or not.”
Successful communication
“The model that worked for us was clear expectations and strong communication built into a system that is easy to follow,” says Deluz. “Clear expectations mean everyone in the team knows what it is to be successful in their role and can identify the top two things to work on each day.”
Additionally, Deluz specifies the necessity for strong communication. “This means making sure everyone gets the information they need with clear instructions and a culture of ‘no question is stupid’, to allow people to feel safe asking clarifying questions.”
With flexibility comes responsibility
“Ensure you are getting your work done and communicating well with everyone in the team,” says Deluz. “We have daily, weekly and monthly touch points to bring the team together and make sure we’re communicating as a business.”
Additionally, Fox advises that anchor days are useful, but confirms that flexibility is vital. “Sometimes, life gets in the way,” he says, “and we need to make it work and not punish people for their lives. We all need to remember that people have options now. The ‘job for life’ loyalty is gone. Flexibility is a big factor for candidates, almost as important as salary or traditional benefits.”
Ensure good work is rewarded
“If you are heading to a remote-first or hybrid team, you need to make sure your environment rewards good work and not just showing up,” says Deluz. “Some work environments do hybrid, but they tend to reward those showing up to the office more. So, ensure you are in a winning environment that actually cares about getting the work done and not where you are at.”
Make the best of the balance hybrid offers
“I’d recommend anyone new in their career to use their newfound time and location freedom to use it wisely and do things they love,” says Deluz. “With more time, you can just get used to wasting it, but know that you are young, so you can learn and experience new things. Go out and do that.”