“The best of both worlds” is a phrase that keeps coming up in post-COVID-19 hybrid work environment conversations. The challenge, however, is not getting the best of both worlds, but having your company’s footprint — and employees — in two separate but interconnected worlds.
One Greenville business of more than 50 years suddenly faced a new way of working during the pandemic. Accustomed to running in-person meetings, they were forced to pivot quickly to a remote solution. Like many organizations, this company was already running on Microsoft 365. Unlike most organizations though, they had already embraced many of the advanced features of the platform — such as online meetings, chat, cloud-based file sharing and the ability to work from laptops, desktops, tablets and even cellphones.
With their local IT support provider, PTG, assisting every step of the way, they fine-tuned a few of these systems for what is now a 100% remote workforce to support the ability to work both remotely and securely. Over a year later, their temporary solution has become their preferred process.
Hybrid Model: Difficult To Establish And Maintain?
Industry experts are on the fence about the hybrid model of working remotely and in the office. Some insist it is not practical or sustainable. Others point to a Stanford study from 2015 that indicated a work-from-home model increases productivity by 13%.
According to Reed Wilson, CEO of PTG, in a recent Forbes article, the biggest obstacles in combining in-office and at-home workforces are:
- IT management and security headaches
There is no doubt that having employees working off-site results in IT staff having to grapple with an entirely new layer of IT and IT security issues. Five years ago, IT firms had a hard time convincing business leaders of the necessity of buying mobile device management (MDM) services. Now, MDM is a critical pillar of a company’s IT protocols and edge security is a necessity.
- Collaboration and communication barriers
When physically working in an office environment, it’s simple and natural to ask questions and casually talk through projects. When combining an in-office staff with remote co-workers, care must be taken to open up multiple avenues of simple communication and collaboration.
- Maintaining a sense of company culture
One of the things that can get lost in the shuffle of it all is who you are as a company. Company culture has to be modeled, communicated and even expanded to include “how we roll” as a hybrid work organization.
Do The Benefits Outweigh The Challenges?
Often, companies look at the cost savings available by getting rid of excess office space and utility expenses. However, these are not the most compelling reasons to include off-site work options for employees.
In fact, perhaps the biggest hybrid work advantage to an organization is the ability to hire the best and the brightest from around the globe. This flexibility helps you attract and retain top-shelf employees. In many ways, COVID-19 lockdown rules have forced large swaths of business to explore what was considered by many to be little more than a “fun idea” or a ploy for publicity.
