A hybrid work schedule outlines when individuals should work from home and when they should be in the office. Here, the requirements of each employee are considered in tandem with the company objectives. There are several types of hybrid work schedules, each with advantages and disadvantages.
Types of Hybrid Work Schedules
An organization can choose from five types of schedules, which may apply differently to different employee groups.
An office-centric hybrid work schedule
An office-centric hybrid work schedule requires workers to spend most of their time in the office, with some remote work choices available. This arrangement works well for organizations with permanent workplaces and whose employees have a strong desire to work in the office for most days. While this kind of hybrid work resembles the conventional workplace, visitor management systems and hotdesking technologies allow occupants to accommodate workers who choose to come into the office.
A remote-centric hybrid work schedule
A remote-first hybrid work schedule is one in which employees have the option of coming into the office at their discretion. This timetable lets companies offer greater flexibility to employees who may have become used to working from home during the pandemic. Businesses will, in this case, have to re-evaluate their space consumption on an ongoing basis to maintain a physical workplace (for those who need it), even though this timetable is best suited for remote-friendly workforces.
The week-by-week hybrid work schedule
In this hybrid work schedule, employees come to the office for one week to accomplish specific in-person tasks and then return to remote work for several weeks. This calendar enables companies and their workforces to “sync up” on essential monthly activities while still allowing the workers to operate in the setting that best fits them. Space scheduling and management solutions may contribute significantly to the viability of this strategy.
The split-week hybrid work schedule
The split week model requires separate teams to report to the office on specific weekdays. Utilizing communications and desk reservation technologies, occupants may enable workers to communicate with one another and arrange in-office time together to optimize this transition. Employers may also examine their utility consumption and make informed decisions on their office space requirements by taking advantage of the decreased space utilization.
The “Bring your Own Hybrid” scheduling approach
In this model, employers present their workers with a choice of hybrid work schedules from which they may choose the most efficient alternative. Allowing workers to operate in a hybrid setting of their choice may seem a hands-off technique, but this might be optimal for larger organizations with massive workforces. Employers may constantly retain control over their workplace with the assistance of attendance management systems by seeing who works remotely and on-site.
How To Create a Hybrid Work Schedule?
To formulate a hybrid work schedule that works best for a team, managers can:
- Collect and assess data – Before creating a hybrid work schedule, your team must get inputs. This may be accomplished via one-on-one sessions, questionnaires, or both. Moreover, several organizations have been transparent about their practices and findings when they migrated to a hybrid work paradigm. Therefore, managers may profit from a degree of external support and advisory services.
- Inventory tasks as per the degree of office/remote friendliness – A hybrid approach necessitates combining the best of the two (remote and in-person). Management must grasp that various tasks demand diverse strategies.
- Consider the accessibility and inclusion factor – The ability to hire from a broader talent pool across geographies is a critical diversity benefit of fully remote work. However, employees with access to transportation and daycare may have an edge when moving to hybrid.
- Pilot the prototype schedule – One or two days back in the office may be all that is expected to begin the shift to the hybrid model. This allows workers the time and space to adjust to the commute and lifestyle changes and locate their specific work-life balance.
- Reassess and finetune – As with any organizational transformation, shifting to a varied work schedule will need continual monitoring and periodic adjustments.
