Ever since the pandemic, our way of working has naturally changed.
Remote work, which became the norm in 2020, has become a permanent feature of the corporate landscape. Once people experienced the benefits of working from home, it was challenging to return to the routine of commuting five days a week for a traditional 9-to-5 schedule.
While many have come to prefer the flexibility of remote work, too much time spent remotely can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection from the organisation. Therefore, a hybrid working environment balances the best of both worlds, satisfying employees and employers.
What is hybrid working?
Hybrid working allows employees to work some days at home and other days at the office. Many people enjoy this model because it offers collaboration and connection with office culture while also providing quiet focus time and reduced commuting.
It’s recommended that an employee in a hybrid role has a fully equipped home office for remote workdays and access to an on-site office with collaboration spaces for easy interaction between in-office, hybrid, and remote team members.
Top 5 benefits of a hybrid model
Hybrid working appeals to people across various industries—here’s why:
1. Better work-life balance and productivity
In a hybrid setup, employees spend their office days engaging in in-person meetings, collaborative projects, and brainstorming sessions. They connect with colleagues, managers, and clients, access tools and technology unavailable at home, and participate in training, development, and wellness activities. These on-site activities strengthen communication, save time, and help build a strong company culture—fully remote work often lacks these elements.
Meanwhile, remote workdays are ideal for focused, independent tasks, free from office distractions. Employees can put their heads down and really get their projects done instead of being bothered by office chatter. They can improve their personal performance, balance childcare, cut down commute time, and manage other personal responsibilities.
2. More time to get everything done
If you’re asking all your employees to drive into the office just to take Zoom calls and do independent work, that could have been done from the comfort of their home — you’re just wasting time. Instead, let employees come in for the days when meetings and collaboration are needed and give them the space to work from home to get solo work done.
Noise and distractions are two main reasons people can’t get work done. Allowing employees to choose whether to work from home or the office based on their workload increases the likelihood of tasks being completed efficiently. Reducing commuting to five days a week will also give them more time to get everything done.
3. Freedom to work where you prefer
While some organisations may pick your hybrid vs in-office days — other companies will let you choose. If it’s up to you, you can decide which days work better for your lifestyle to work from home, which is the ultimate level of flexibility.
Have a big project and only a week to complete it? Some may find working in specific environments inspires them to get more done, so letting employees pick where they prefer to work may actually improve their productivity as a whole. When employees have the freedom to work from the comfort of their couch, a local café, or even a co-working space, they feel more inclined to get work done because the power is in their hands.
4. Less burnout, more growth
Continuous learning thrives when employees aren’t overworked. Remote work allows them to work at their own pace and recharge when needed. For example, after completing a demanding creative project, an employee could spend a work-from-home day learning a new skill through an online course.
Imagine a writer taking a company-provided design class and becoming skilled in writing and design. Now, they bring even more value to the business, contributing to both creative areas and driving success for the organisation. If you want to experience growth in your team members and industry, balance will always be better than burnout.
5. Time alone leads to more creative thinking
If you go to the same spot daily and stay in the same routine, will you be inspired to think differently? To ebb and flow creatively? The truth is no. People need to be in new environments to feel inspired and be exposed to moments of solitude to hone their creative thinking ability.
Think about someone editing video projects who feels demotivated at their sterile desk and unable to focus due to office chatter. They decide to work from home for a day and discover a flow state inspired by the comfort of their environment. Suddenly, they produce edits they never thought possible. Moments of quiet and fewer distractions can generate better, more innovative ideas. This is because solitude is linked to increased creativity, reflection, and flow of thought.
How to implement a hybrid working environment
A hybrid environment starts with good communication.
An employer needs to lay the foundation for how hybrid work policies are implemented in their business. It’s recommended that employees be required to be in the office for a certain number of days, such as two obligatory days, but then given the choice to work remotely on the other days.
Managers can use the days when teams are in to prioritise collaboration and on-site resource use. They can set up meetings with employees to establish metrics such as objectives and key results (OKRs) and confirm that everyone stays aligned with the overall goals they’re working to achieve.
As an employee, discussing your work ethic and preferences for a hybrid workplace model is essential to ensure alignment with company guidelines. Your ability to perform at your best is essential. With the right approach, hybrid workers can maximise their office and home productivity.
Find the ideal place for hybrid working
If you want to begin a hybrid work lifestyle, look no further. Based in Carlton, near the bustling CBD, Melbourne Connect Coworking is a dynamic, collaborative space for innovators and thinkers to come together. Built for all working preferences — small teams, remote, hybrid, solo entrepreneurs, and small to medium businesses — Melbourne Connect Coworking wants to help everyone thrive.
Find a spot to start up your business and host hybrid workers with our state-of-the-art facilities, resources, and spaces to use to your advantage. Don’t wait any longer, check out our memberships here or contact us today for further information about our space.