Remote work has evolved to be the norm in today’s world, given the benefits and advantages for both companies and employees, such as cost-saving, less commute, more family time, and more. IWG survey found that 80% of employees chose jobs that had flexible work options over those without such options. So we have both Hybrid Work or Remote Work as well, but which is better for your employees and companies in productivity wise.
Post-pandemic, many companies plan to let employees split their time between working from home and a central office depending on their responsibilities and tasks. This has given aid to a new type of work model: Hybrid work.
According to Mercer, 70% of employers plan to adopt a hybrid work model, while 20% will return to a predominately office-based model, and the others will go all-remote work jobs.
Adopting a hybrid work model instead of an all-remote model can be an interesting battle between companies and employees who have enjoyed working from home until now. Let’s break down everything needed to know which work model is better on an individual basis.
What Is A Hybrid Work Model?
Hybrid work is a mix of in-office work and remote work. A hybrid work model, also known as part-remote, is one where people work in both ways, a conventional in-office work style and working remotely simultaneously.
Hybrid work models are used by 63% of high-growth companies.
This means that the employee will work some days from the office and some days work from home, but this solely depends on the job and its responsibilities.
What Is A Remote Work Model?
Remote work is an umbrella term that includes many different types of work models such as “work from home,” “telecommuting,” “online work,” etc. are used to describe all-remote work models.
The remote work model, also known as the all-remote work model, involves going full-time remote. The difference between remote and hybrid working is that remote working involves working from home at all times, where you never go to an office and see coworkers in person, only during yearly retreats.
Pros of Hybrid Work Model
1. Best of Both Worlds
One of the biggest advantage that so many people enjoy about a hybrid work model is that employees receive the best of both worlds. They can have some time working from home and still go into the office to see their work colleagues.
This is great because having that human interaction with your coworkers allows for building rapport in a team.
2. Avoid Loneliness And Anxiety
The office brings individuals a lot of micro-social interactions that can be taken for granted. It can be isolating working from home all the time, so it’s essential to think about whether that isolation can affect your mental health.
However, a hybrid working arrangement means that individuals can work alone at home and sometimes be social in the office.
Cons of Hybrid Work Model
1. Lack of Visibility
A major con is that individuals think they will be overlooked when it comes to promotions. With employees spread out through homes and the office, they fear only those spending more time with upper management can receive a promotion or a raise.
2. Communication
Additionally, having that rapport and friendship in a working team can be challenging to build in a hybrid environment. For example, employees might not be in the office or working from home on the same days, so it is likely there are employees who never meet each other.
Pros of Full-Time Remote Work Model
1.Work Schedule
One of the most spoken-about pros is that remote workers have complete control over their schedule. This allows them to work when they want to work and not when someone says they must work.
44% of employees say that part of their team is full-time remote. (Buffer)
2.No commute
Also, another pro is that there is no commute! Many remote workers enjoy the non-existent commute because they save money on their gas bills and any train tickets they may have needed to purchase before. This, in turn, helps with balancing out the work-life balance.
3. Reduced Risk To Infections
People who work in a remote setup work from home or somewhere far away from the office, thus keeping infection-related concerns at bay as employees and teams do not interact face-to-face.
Cons of Full-Time Remote Work Model
1. Time Management
If efficient time management is not a person’s skill, working from home can be difficult because they are solely responsible for themselves and their tasks. This means they still need to make sure they’re completing all the work they need in a timely manner.
2. Communication
If a team comprises many individuals around the world, then communication can be difficult because of time zones. Additionally, individuals might find it challenging to speak with their team if their internet goes down, even if there are apps to support remote communication like Zoom, Slack, etc.
3. Maintaining Boundaries:
This became a big problem for many individuals during the pandemic because employees began working more than their standard eight hours and ended up burning out quickly. Also, employers began bringing about unrealistic deadlines with projects or would still send out emails in the middle of the night.
Is Hybrid Work Model better than Remote Working?
The answer to this question solely depends on the individual. For example, someone who belongs to software development or product teams might find it beneficial to go remote. The person can do their job without traveling too often and will be able to spend more time with their family.
On the other hand, a company that has a lot of people on-call or has a lot of customer service representatives may not do very well with a remote workforce as they need these resources on-site.
However, there are essential aspects to consider when deciding which one is the best option. One of the biggest questions to ask is: “Where am I most productive?” Of course, getting the job done is the most important thing because then, people are more likely to get ahead in their careers and life.
Which is Better – Hybrid Work or Remote Work?
Overall, a hybrid working model is a great way to have the best of both worlds. It allows individuals to have that remote working experience while still gaining the social factor of in-person working.
Hybrid work combines remote work with in-person meetings and interaction with your colleagues. It gives the advantage of having more face-to-face contact with your team while still working remotely when needed.
Speak to your manager and figure out the best schedule for you. It might be that working three days at home and two days in the office is best for you and your work-life balance. In the end, choosing between hybrid or full-time remote work is a personal decision.
Senior Writer, has been with Rottenpanda.com since 2017. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, Nick specializes in finding interesting topics, gathering details, checking facts, and making complex subjects easy to understand. In addition to writing articles, Nick loves traveling, pets and happily married to Lucy.
