Since the pandemic, there has been a shift in the methodology of what constitutes a productive work environment for their employees. Since the business world has acclimatized to a new normal, a debate has raged over what kind of model works best - hybrid or fully remote work.
It is understandable, then, that many businesses have moved to a more remote model. While some businesses still require at least some presence in the office, employees, for the most part, have shown some preference for working from home.
However, there are pros and cons to both. Understanding what those are can help any business owner overcome the uncertainty of how effectively a fully remote or a remote/office hybrid model works for their organization.
The Remote Work Model
In a fully remote work environment, employees are given the opportunity to work from anywhere. This would include regular employees, team leads, managers, and so on. These people are not tied down to a specific space, so they could work from home, a coffee shop, co-working spaces, and even more.
Pros
There are a few benefits of this model. Typically, when companies don’t have a specific time for employees to clock in and out, employees are free to work not just in the location of their choice but during the hours of their choice as well. Many employers that run this model typically will not mind this approach so long as the work assigned gets completed by their deadlines.
There is also no set commute. There’s no need for you to waste gas if there is no desire to, and it’s an opportunity to save money for other necessities. There is also a lower likelihood of distractions from coworkers, mainly if there is a tendency to hang around the water cooler, so to speak.
From the employer side, the hiring pool has opened up to more than just the immediate area. Location is no longer a factor when deciding on talent to hire.
Cons
However, just because there are these and other benefits of the remote model doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its drawbacks.
The biggest concern many employers have is productivity. While most employees can be productive and even thrive in a fully remote environment, some might struggle. Sometimes, this might be due to difficulty separating work from home life.
Another is that even though the distractions from coworkers are no longer be a factor if there are specific business hours for the organization, distractions from kids and pets are a significant factor.
The Hybrid Work Model
The hybrid model tends to lend itself to a combination of a dedicated office space run by the organization and either a home office or the location of their choice. Currently, this model is more common than all in-office or fully remote. However, there might be better options for some businesses.
Pros
Within the hybrid model, there is an ease of information within the organization. So long as proper communication channels are established. Many employees want to remain informed about what goes on within the organization if messages are covered in emails or on team messaging apps like Slack or Discord.
However, the time spent in the office means more opportunities to interact with coworkers to more effectively complete a project. This interaction can also apply to upper leadership as well. This also will provide a bit of variety to the daily or weekly routine.
Cons
The most obvious drawback would be the required commute. Even though commuting might not be required on a daily basis, this can affect employee performance, especially if the office is in a city with a lot of traffic and the stress that can come with that.
There is also a higher risk of employee burnout, resulting in employee turnover. This can come across as a fear of looking lazy compared to the rest of the team, sometimes resulting in these employees working overtime and taking fewer breaks.
The hiring pool for recruiters and managers is also significantly smaller. Instead of focusing exclusively on talent and skill, the location must also play a role. This restriction might cause a drop in quality in how a business can interact and do business with customers.
All-in-all
Depending on the requirements of the business, any organization can make an informed decision on whether the fully remote or hybrid model works best for the organization. Keep in mind that this is a partiallist. Organization must make a fully informed decision on what would work best for them.
Human Resources For Both The Hybrid and Remote Model
If you are looking for a professional in Human Resources that can help provide a concise plan to implement a hybrid or remote work model for your organization, contact Executive Compass, an executive-level HR specialty firm strategically designed to navigate business in today’s complicated and ever-changing working world. From recruitment and onboarding to employee benefits, organizational development, and employee relations, there’s no step in the business life cycle that Executive Compass is not equipped to handle. Contact Executive Compass by visiting executivecompasshr.com, calling 760-504-6352, or emailing serena@execucompass.com.