Hybrid Telecommuting Model: Advantages And How To Implement It

The advancement of technology and the consequences of the global crisis caused by the coronavirus have fostered innovative work organization models that favor both the employer and the employee.

Circumstances made us go from a fully face-to-face job to a completely virtual one, but as usual, certainty is in the middle ground, so the trend at the moment is opting for a hybrid model of teleworking that mixes both ways of developing our daily work tasks.

According to the data published in the latest report from the National Observatory of Technology and Society, before the pandemic, 74 percent of Spaniards had never teleworked during their working lives.

However, after circumstances imposed this new way of working, about 85 percent of the Spaniards surveyed would prefer to continue carrying out their daily work with a hybrid model, and 23 percent would be willing to do their work entirely from home.

What Is Considered A Hybrid Telecommuting Model?

A hybrid model of teleworking is one in which part of the employees work in person and another part remotely. It is also considered hybrid when the same employee performs his tasks from home on some days and from the office on others. 

This business model is gaining ground in our country, and it is an advantage since it facilitates time flexibility and family conciliation but allows employees to choose between one modality and the other, as long as the nature of their work allows it. 

Telecommuting solutions in Spain have not been especially popular for a long time; however, according to data provided by Gartner, 82 percent of employers have in mind to allow their employees to work remotely from time to time.

In addition, according to studies by the prestigious consulting firm, 96 percent of Human Resources managers have begun to worry more about the well-being of their employees and consider flexibility a key tool when it comes to achieving greater productivity.

What Are The Advantages Of A Hybrid Working Model?

The hybrid model offers the advantages of remote and face-to-face work. Hence, the benefits of its implementation are very numerous. It allows not only to retain talent but also to achieve greater productivity.

Better Harmony Between Personal And Work-Life

As we have mentioned, the possibility of combining face-to-face work with virtual work facilitates family reconciliation and balance between work and personal life.

When we can organize our time, we tend to be more productive, since the moments of work will be more intense and those of relaxation as well. For this reason, those responsible for Human Resources are betting more and more on these models. 

Higher Productivity

It has been proven that when employees are satisfied with their jobs and with their working conditions, performance and productivity increase considerably. It is what is known in Human Resources as the employee experience or the employee experience, and numerous companies are carrying out internal measures to improve it. 

Implementing the hybrid model of teleworking is one of them since flexibility significantly increases employee performance. According to the aforementioned Gartner report, 55 percent of high-performing workers have the ability to choose where, when, and with whom they work, while among those who have a static schedule and have to develop their work in an office, only 36 percent achieve that level of effectiveness.

Wider Access To Global Talent

Another important advantage of being able to use the hybrid model is that it allows access to a greater range of workers. Yes, we offer to telecommute; we can find our best recruits anywhere in the world.

In addition, with this flexibility, it will not only be easier to attract talent but also to retain it. The tendency of the digital nomad is to change jobs often. However, it is proven that a positive employee experience helps talent stay.

How To Implement A Hybrid Telecommuting Model

When implementing a hybrid teleworking model, it is important to study the characteristics and needs of each company and take into account the real possibilities of carrying it out based on the nature of the business and the preferences of the employees.

Once certified that its implementation is possible, we must take into account a series of criteria:

• Account for employee preferences – It is important, as much as possible, for employees to decide how they want to go about their daily work. If due to the characteristics of the company or the nature of the business, your expectations cannot be met, we will try to reach an agreement that is advantageous for all parties.

• Design an ideal employee experience: As we have mentioned, the employee experience is a strategy that Human Resources departments are imminently implementing since, according to statistics, it works.

To achieve a perfect employee experience, it is important that there is active communication between the employee and his superiors and between the workers. For this, surveys or other tools can be used, but the conversation is also important, either in person or through virtual tools. Good, two-way, and fluid communication is essential when it comes to keeping workers satisfied.

You also need to know the employee. According to statistics, 82 percent place a high value on the company knowing them and treating them like people rather than employees (Gartner). Understanding their needs will help implement the precise measures to increase their happiness and, with it, productivity.

For this reason, it is essential to take into account their preferences, starting to get to know them from the first day of work and paying special attention to their concerns and needs.

In the same way, maintaining a constant relationship and showing interest, especially in certain important moments of their private life, such as marriage, the birth of children, or birthdays, will offer them an unbeatable employee experience.

Achieving a perfect employee experience will translate into an extraordinary user experience, which will not only increase conversions but also optimize loyalty, obtaining a greater number of quality customers and, therefore, greater profitability.  

• Tools for teleworking: In addition to communication applications, it is necessary to implement different instruments to carry out work efficiently and simply. A virtual switchboard with CRM or ERP integrations and good Call Center software will allow you to carry out comprehensive management.

In addition, collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams help maintain internal fluid communication and offer the possibility of sharing files.

This application includes features such as chat, which is perfect for being able to talk to team members quickly. It also allows videoconferences and online or hybrid events in which numerous connections can be managed.

On the other hand, we will work with shared files in real-time, which can be modified by any member of the group that has permission to do so.

Thus, with Microsoft Teams, the employee experience will be optimized since the members of the workgroup will maintain a close relationship in a simple way, regardless of the place from which they carry out their work, which will facilitate collaborative work and, therefore, the effectiveness of the hybrid model.