Since the beginning of the pandemic, organizations have had to adjust themselves to new ways of working, which in the beginning was to adopt a work-from-home system. However, as companies have opened their offices a few employees have started on-site working while others continue to work from home.
The concept of a hybrid office is not relatively new for organizations. But, the concept was only existing in the risk management files. It has become a phenomenon, and businesses are looking to build a hybrid work environment for their employees.
A survey of 600 respondents conducted by Xerox found that about 58% of companies worldwide plan to modify their work-from-home policies within the coming years. Before digging deep into its changing policies and future, let’s clear our basics first.
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What is a Hybrid Office?
Hybrid work combines onsite and remote work where there may be some operations where physical presence is mandatory and other functions that can be handled remotely. Here, for the remote workforce, the company may or may not permanently approve them to work remotely and ask them to come to the office a couple of days a week and work remotely for the remaining days. The same would apply vice-versa for on-site employees as well.
“Hybrid office is all about optimizing your workforce in a crisis.”
However, to make the hybrid profitable and to improve operational efficiency, the companies should declare their policies transparently over the different verticals. It requires on-site presence in a few departments like production, logistics, material handling, and warehousing; the rest can work remotely. For optimal performance, organizations must ensure they inform and fully update employees about their expectations.
How Do You Establish A Hybrid Office?
Following are some of the essential requirements for setting up a hybrid office:
1. A Clear-Cut Hybrid Policy to be laid out is Mandatory
All the workforce should know who is suitable for remote working and who requires physical on-site presence. There may also be specific guidelines for remote employees who come to the office some days a week and work remotely on other days.
If these policies and guidelines are in place, they will keep the workforce well-informed and updated about what organizations expect. We cannot rule out the necessity for adequate investment in cybersecurity, as remote workers are highly vulnerable to such threats.
2. Re-Configuring the Office
In pre-lockdown, limited office space was packed with workstations as work from home was not so critical then. Now, it is the new norm that offices will be small with the dynamic layout of seating arrangements, which will save on rent, electricity, logistics, and security and provide an ergonomic work environment.
3. Need for the Right Tools and Technology
The company should have a clear and transparent policy about how to help the remote workforce management set up their workstation. For example, what accesses are required for each level into the company dashboard, what types of authentication tools are required to make it safe from cyber-attacks, what type of tools for communications via audio and video conferencing, how to send confidential heavy files and much more.
Effect of Hybrid Working on HR Policies
In the post-lockdown scenario, when things are rapidly changing, and new norms of corporate culture are coming into existence, a great responsibility lies on the HR managers to ensure the organization’s continuity of operations and to maintain its relevance in the times to come.
Due to rapidly changing technology, HR personnel should upgrade themselves from transactional activities to hiring the best talent by using activity tracking software that can work both on-site and remotely. Besides, it should have empathy and an emotional quotient for the existing workforce. They have to transform themselves on a 360-degree basis.
How Businesses will Manage Hybrid Offices in the Coming Future?
Businesses are undergoing a challenging phase post-lockdown, and maintaining a hybrid office is an extremely delicate balancing act. The management must ensure the remote worker does not feel like a second-class citizen since they work from home.
The leaders and HR personnel should keep up their motivation level and instill a feeling of inclusiveness into the company’s structure. There should be clarity of expectations from them and priorities should be set in advance so that they remain focused.
Communicating with every employee by supervisors and HR managers is essential because it helps create a sense of belonging in the company. Be empathic to them and think of their pain by putting your foot into their shoes. Through humility, empathy, and tactfulness, try to address their genuine concerns and provide the solution.
Earmark some periodic happy hours where participation should be for all through Zoom or Skype, and such interaction should be without an agenda where they can discuss anything, including work.
Besides this, some tools are also necessary for employee activity monitoring to ensure their best performance and to provide them security from cyber-attacks. These may include the following:
1. Block Key Combination
If the admin believes certain key combinations could compromise cybersecurity, they block them to safeguard sensitive information and bolster overall system security during remote work.
2. Website Whitelisting
Users can access only those websites that align with their browsing permissions and restrictions, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and security protocols.
3. VDI Integration
Logging in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure within virtual machines is done through multiple authentications. Here, the user actively engages with the shared dashboard, making penetration almost impossible unless it compromises its authentication.
4. User Image Records
Through the web camera of the users’ system, the admin can take pictures of the user to limit the chances of fraud.
5. Regular Screen Capture
Admins can take screenshots of the user’s monitor using Leapmax if they find that the user is deviating from his path or indulging in any unusual activities that can affect the organization.
Takeaways
Organizations must now tackle remote working challenges with empathy and humility, leveraging artificial intelligence and this will keep employee attrition in check and retain talented resources. Moreover, all employees should feel a sense of belonging to the company, whether remote or onsite.
