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The 4 different hybrid work models includes the following:
- In-office
- Working from home
- Remote work
- Distributed work
Each of the four different hybrid work models have their own sets of pros and cons, and it's important to understand their differences in order to determine which model could best suit your company's needs and goals. By carefully evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each hybrid work model, organizations can make informed decisions about their approach to flexible work arrangements.
To determine the right hybrid work model for your organization, it is essential to engage in open dialogue with employees and consider their preferences. By offering a range of options and allowing employees to choose their preferred model, organizations can foster a sense of autonomy and empowerment. This not only promotes productivity, well-being, and collaboration but also ensures that employees can work in a way that aligns with their individual strengths and work-life balance.
1. In-office - working primarily from the office
In-office refers to organizations preferring to have their employees physically at the office to perform their tasks. In the in-office environment, working hours are not as flexible and the chances of working remotely are limited. You might be able to have an occasional day at home, but the organization prefers to see employees work from the office. This is known as the traditional way of running a business.
If you want to create the most optimal in-office atmosphere, feel free to read our 9-must reads for returning to the office.
The pros of working in-office:
- It is easier to create alignment across departments
- It is optimal for creating a healthy social environment among colleagues
- It makes it easier to establish a corporate culture
The cons of working in-office:
- Less work-life flexibility for employees
- Distrust between management and employees - if leaders do not trust their employees to work from home
- More difficult to do focused work without interruptions from colleagues
2. Working from home - switching between home and office
Working from home implies that you have a physical desk at your office location but have the option to work flexibly from your home or other places outside the office as well. This means that employees can leave work early and put in a shift at home at another hour if they need to pick up their kids early or have other important activities. Working from home is the type of hybrid work model that focuses on constant switching between working at the office and at home. Hence, you can work some of your hours outside the office, but you still have a physical desk.
The working-from-home methodology is increasingly popular and with good reason. Read more here on why employees prefer a hybrid working model and which types of hybrid work models they prefer: the future of workspace through the eyes of the employees.
The pros of working partly from home:
- Higher flexibility for employees = raising efficiency and well being
- Optimal for creating focus days - where you need deep concentration
- Avoiding distractions and interruptions occurring at the office
The cons of working partly from home:
- More effort is required to plan and structure collaboration
- Distractions or being unfocused can happen at home aswell
- Requires new methods of visualizing availability when you are at the office. See our Meeting Dashboards for inspiration.
3. Remote - working away from the office
Remote work implies that employees are working primarily from home or constantly switching between various locations. This could be employees who have a long commute to the office, employees who travel a lot, or employees who simply prefer not to go to the office.
The remote environment changes the purpose of our offices where the focus changes to activity-based sessions as there is no need to have rooms filled with physical desks for employees, who are simply not there. Thereby, companies can spend their resources on creating more creative and collaborative workstations ensuring the best environments for innovation and learning.
Some companies are opting in for hot desking, which makes it possible for companies to book available desks in their organization. This results in a reduction of non-used equipment and makes it easy to collaborate across departments.
The pros of remote working:
- Creating an office with fewer desks and more creative and collaborative workstations
- Hiring is not limited to a physical location anymore
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Employees get the freedom and trust to work from anywhere
The cons of remote working:
- Hard to create cultural alignment and socialize from a distance
- Difficult to manage and supervise remote teams
- Availability issues: when are you able to reach employees working remotely
4. Distributed - working without an office
This is the most radical of the four types of hybrid work models. The distributed work environment functions without a physical office for employees. Here employees can choose to work from anywhere, but they do not have the option of going to the office. Instead, they can work from home or meet up at cafes.
The purpose of this hybrid work model is to cut down on facility costs and rent by providing the freedom for employees to work from anywhere. It is primarily seen in small companies and start-ups with less complexity in terms of collaboration.
The pros of the distributed hybrid work model:
- Cutting down on facility costs
- Being able to work from anywhere
- Offering freedom and autonomy for employees - building trust
The cons of the distributed hybrid work model:
- Difficult to collaborate and align company culture
- Difficult to supervise and manage teams
- Trust in employees needs to be strong
How to choose the right model?
Hybrid work models are built upon trust. If you want the best results, it is important to begin a dialogue with your employees. Get your co-workers to mention how they would prefer to work. Some might want to do an in-office model primarily working at the office, while others could prefer to work from home or remotely. Make sure that you understand everything there is to know about hybrid working before implementing our hybrid work guide.
Implementing more than one hybrid work model can be a strategic and effective approach to maximizing productivity and employee satisfaction. By offering a range of options, organizations can cater to the diverse needs and preferences of their workforce.
Allowing employees to choose their preferred model not only fosters a sense of autonomy and empowerment but also ensures that they are able to work in a way that aligns with their individual strengths and work-life balance. Some employees thrive in an in-office setting, where they can benefit from face-to-face collaboration and a structured work environment. Others may find that working from home or remotely allows them to focus better and achieve a better work-life balance.
By implementing multiple hybrid work models, organizations can tap into the advantages of each approach.
Conclusion - Hybrid work models can optimize your organization
Understanding the different types of hybrid work models is crucial for companies looking to implement flexible work arrangements. Whether it's the traditional in-office model, the flexibility of working from home, the freedom of remote work, or the radical approach of a distributed work environment, each option has its pros and cons.
By engaging in open dialogue with employees and considering their preferences, companies can create a hybrid work model that suits their needs. It's important to remember that trust and communication are key in making hybrid work successful.
So, whether you're a company leader or an employee, take the time to explore the possibilities of hybrid work and find the right model that promotes productivity, well-being, and collaboration.
To learn more about hybrid work and its benefits, don't hesitate to delve deeper into our solutions at AskCody, to make your workplace hybrid-work-ready!
