Almost two years ago, the world seemed to stop because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many commercial establishments were forced to close, and offices switched to a remote work setting. Enter hybrid work arrangements.
Today, the world is slowly opening up again. While most companies are still maintaining the remote work mandate, some are making their employees work onsite while still allowing them to work remotely on some days. Because it’s found to be effective, the hybrid work setting came to be.
In this article, we’ll talk about hybrid work arrangements and whether or not they will work in the long run. Read on below to get started.
Why Employees Like Hybrid Work Arrangements
Employees who have been with their companies for a while already know they can’t just work from home all the time. As much as they love the freedom it brings, it’s not that easy.
First, many employees aren’t good at working at home. They tend to procrastinate, do menial tasks, or lose track of time. Second, the employees might have a family to take care of, and it’s hard to balance both work and home.
That’s where the hybrid arrangement comes in. With this arrangement, the employees can still work remotely, but they can also enjoy the office setting every once in a while. They can talk to their co-workers and spend time with their supervisor to discuss business matters. Not only that, in this arrangement, the employees can take a break from the solitude of working from home. They can also enjoy the convenience of working in the office.
How Manageable Is a Hybrid Work Setting?
While it might seem easy to manage this kind of work arrangement, the managers need to monitor the performance of the employees constantly, and they need to make sure that the work done is up to standard. It’s also challenging to watch the employees working from home.
Another thing that can easily get in the way is the company’s culture. In some companies, it’s tough for the employees to make an excellent first impression. It’s for this reason that employees prefer to always work from home. They feel more comfortable and feel like they have more control over their work.
The other problem that some companies have is that they don’t know whether or not the employees are working from home or working. This can become a big problem, especially if the company has strict deadlines and does not meet them.
In general, when you set up a hybrid work arrangement, it’s best to set clear-cut expectations and clear-cut goals.
The Alternative: Co-working Spaces
If you want to know the other option for your employees, you can always set up a co-working space. While it might be a bit more expensive than setting up a remote work arrangement, it’s still much cheaper than renting an office space. The employees can also get together and share ideas that are beneficial to one another.
With this arrangement, you can set up a workspace that caters to the needs of your employees. In other words, they can benefit from working from home while also getting the benefit of working in the office.
Setting a Co-working Space
If you want your employees to work in a co-working space, you need to set it right. To make matters easier, you should hire an interior designer to set up the office space. You can even set up individual spaces for the employees to work in. The design should also be based on the needs of the employees.
If you want to encourage collaboration, you can set up common areas and private rooms for the employees. If you want to create a peaceful environment, you can set up areas with couches and plants and private rooms with desks.
Conclusion
Hybrid work arrangements will be the norm, at least until we’re entirely out of the woods that is COVID-19. The longer a company can treat its employees like this, the better it is for them. The quality of work will be better, and the employees will be more productive.
If you’re looking for shared offices in Charlotte, CoCoTiv has got your back! We offer different office spaces that can host groups of people, and we even have areas for those who do podcasts—all for affordable prices. Contact us today to book a room!