With the world put on hold for the greater part of 2020, businesses are left to wonder how to pick up where they left off.
However, a growing number of employees may not want to resume operations like before. Remote work became a trend over the pandemic as a way for businesses and employees to keep going.
Now that the world is reopening its doors, many are beginning to see that remote work may be more than just a trend and here to stay but in another form: hybrid work.
In essence, hybrid work arrangements mean that some employees work onsite while others work remotely.
Hybrid work statistics are still being gathered since it’s still a relatively new trend. Businesses that want to thrive in the post-pandemic world and avoid being part of the Great Resignation should keep up with the latest hybrid work trends.
The infographic below conveniently compiles everything we know so far about hybrid work to get you up to speed on how businesses worldwide are moving forward while leaving traditional processes behind.
General Hybrid Work Statistics: An Overview
In general, businesses and employees worldwide understand the benefits of hybrid work. However, not everyone has made a complete transition yet or adopted it.
According to a study from PWC, 83% of employers have stated that their shift to remote work was successful, leaving a silent 17% potentially struggling to find their footing. Microsoft also found that business owners have already begun preparing for the shift in work arrangements, with 66% considering redesigning their office to adapt to these changes.
Many others have instituted remote working policies to make the shift clear. According to Accenture, 63% of rapidly growing organizations have initiated a “productivity anywhere” model, allowing employees to get their job done wherever they choose. Moreover, they seem to favor hybrid work, with 83% wanting to adopt the new arrangement in the post-pandemic world.
Businesses that stick to traditional work processes—i.e., requiring their employees to work onsite—might soon become extinct. Owl Labs found that only 11% of European companies want their employees to work onsite again.
The Impact of Hybrid Work on Companies
Reduces overhead costs
If fewer people are reporting to the office, businesses would naturally question why they have to spend so much on their usual space—TravelPerk found that 12% have already started looking for smaller office spaces. The benefit is that businesses can save money on paying rent and other costs associated with operating in a physical office.
Improves bottom-line
Owl Labs found that, despite being in different leagues, 73% of enterprises and 55% of SMBs agree that the hybrid arrangement makes companies more profitable. This makes sense, given that more companies realize that they may not need a larger, more expensive office space and still be able to recruit talent worldwide.
Increases productivity
Without the social aspect of working onsite with colleagues and the hassle of commuting, more people have been able to focus on getting things done—58% of executives who responded to a McKinsey study noticed that their workforce was more productive with the hybrid work setup.
Wider talent pool
Since proximity to the office is no longer a concern, businesses can now recruit talent from more places with a remote working option. According to research from Zippia, online job searches skyrocketed a whopping 460% from June 2019 to June 2021, presenting a supply of professionals business owners worldwide can hire.
How the Workplace is Changing Due to Hybrid Work
The hybrid work arrangements have forced businesses to reconsider how they operate. Whereas appearing at the office five days a week was a requirement before, business leaders are now laxer about when employees report to the office. Below are ways of how hybrid work affects the workplace.
Redesigned Offices
The drastic changes to the number of employees physically present prompted companies to analyze their office space needs.
According to TravelPerk, only 37% of businesses have adjusted their office space for hybrid work so far. Surprisingly, 10% said they need a larger office space to accommodate their new hires. On the opposite end, 12% have decided to move to a smaller office. Some don’t even have their own office, with 6% occupying co-working spaces instead.
Office Days and Remote Days
Hybrid work arrangements have some employees work onsite while others remotely, which means employees aren’t required to be at the office every day. According to TravelPerk, 76% of employees have said that while they need to go to the office every week, they don’t need to report onsite Monday to Friday.
More Employee Freedom
Since employees are empowered to choose whether to work onsite or not, 20% of respondents to the TravelPerk study felt that they were more productive. This could help solve the problem of employee retention since 85% of respondents from the Accenture study mentioned that they’re more likely to stay with a company longer if they can be productive anywhere.
Focused Hiring
Although most business functions can be done online, TravelPerk found that 18% of hiring managers still prefer conducting interviews in person rather than virtual. This may be due to the need to read the candidate’s non-verbal cues to get a more accurate read on the person—something that webcams just don’t fully put into light.
With the growth of the “productive anywhere” strategy, 32% of businesses are now more focused on candidates’ skills than proximity to the office. This greatly opens up the possibility of hiring top talent from all over the world.
Challenges to Adopting a Hybrid Work Arrangement
As beneficial as hybrid work arrangements are, not all companies are adapting them easily—63% of respondents from a TravelPerk study mentioned that their companies have yet to make any impactful changes to adjust to the modern work setup.
Data from Microsoft suggest that there may be an imbalance between those ready to adopt a hybrid work arrangement and those who aren’t. There is a disconnect between business leaders and employees—75% of leaders say that the business already operates with flexibility, but only 57% of employees agree.
The same study reported that 42% of employees don’t have the office supplies they need to adequately work from home yet, with one in ten mentioning they have poor internet connection for the job.
What Do Employees Think About Hybrid Work?
Employee sentiment about hybrid work arrangements is mixed. Per the Accenture study, 83% of employees said that the model would be optimal and 82% of employees claimed that their productivity has increased since adopting this work arrangement. However, others still experienced some drawbacks.
In the TravelPerk study, 26% of respondents mentioned that they were tired of interacting with people through webcams, and 14% agreed that lack of face-to-face interactions has led to lower quality communication among teammates.
While 89% of respondents have developed a sufficient home office for themselves, 11% mentioned that there are still too many distractions to overcome at home. A modest 5% of respondents agree that there’s nothing they dislike about the arrangement.
The Impact of Hybrid Work on Health and Wellness
Hybrid work arrangements have their share of pros and cons when it comes to employees’ well-being. Below are both generally positive and negative impacts of this arrangement.
Mental Health Benefits
According to TravelPerk, 26% of employees said that the hybrid working arrangement has allowed them to achieve better work-life balance. Now that they’re home more, 16% can spend more time with their families, and 12% mentioned that hybrid work has positively affected their mental health.
More Time for Self-Care
One of the perks of remote working is enjoying the comforts of home. Among the respondents in a research by Kantar, 69% feel more relaxed at home; 57% say they have more time to work out, and 52% mention getting more sleep.
Greater Chance for Overwork
Back then, it was easy to leave work at the office once clocking out. But now, the boundary between work and home life has blurred.
Although working from home has made employees more productive, it comes at a cost. According to Owl Labs, men are over 40% more likely to work an additional 10 hours per week, while women continue working the same amount they did pre-pandemic.
Social Isolation
Despite finally having time for themselves, some workers still feel that it isn’t enough. Without the rapport that can be built while talking to someone face-to-face, 27% of respondents in a Scalable report have mentioned that working from home made them feel isolated.
Stress
One factor contributing to a person’s stress is having to commute. The benefit of hybrid work is that workers no longer have to worry about that. But that doesn’t mean that all remote workers experienced less stress overall.
A study by Microsoft found that 37% of the global workforce think that their employers are asking too much from them, with 54% feeling overworked and 39% feeling exhausted.
Making It Work
Just as companies struggled to continue amid lockdowns in 2020, they might face similar problems as the world reopens in 2022. Much of the information gathered seems to contradict one another, meaning that employers and employees are still adjusting to the new working arrangements.
Based on the hybrid work trends, its effectiveness varies depending on how businesses adopt it. Some have opted for shorter work weeks, encouraged their employees to choose where to work by creating remote work policies, and even hired remote talent from across the globe.
If you’re looking for a trusted recruitment agency in the Philippines to expand your business, you’re in the right place. Contact Manila Recruitment for effective offshore staffing solutions. They will find the best talent that suits your business’s needs as you reopen your doors for the new normal.
