The People Have Spoken: They Love the Hybrid Work Model

 

Hybrid work has become very popular. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 52% of employees now prefer the hybrid work model. A hybrid workplace offers a lot of flexibility, but some candidates might prefer to be 100% remote or 100% in-office. Here are five key points to mention if your candidate isn’t completely sold on the hybrid model yet:

1. Strong communication
2. Employee satisfaction
3. Sense of community
4. Health
5. Work-life balance

1. Strong Communication

Good communication within teams and between colleagues is crucial to success, and job seekers know it. A common fear associated with remote and hybrid models is potential distance-induced misunderstandings. Consequently, let candidates know that your communication channels and communication habits, both virtual and in-person, have been optimized, and that everyone receives the same information, whether at home or at the office. Make sure the hybrid model itself has been discussed internally so you can properly pitch it to candidates, which brings us to our next point:

2. Employee satisfaction

Some people might feel like they would feel more satisfied in a non-hybrid environment. Telling them what your current employees love most about hybrid work (the flexibility or the lack of monotony, for instance) could help sway them towards you. If you’ve got employee satisfaction data from internal surveys to back up your claims, even better. You could also arrange for the candidate to have a videocall with a current employee who loves the model, helping you promote it.

3. Sense of community

Try to convey your work environment in the best and most accurate way possible in your communications with potential future employees. Let them know what virtual and in-person team-bonding activities your team has organized, be it sports, memory games or escape rooms, for example. This will make it clear to them that your organization knows how to instill a sense of community among its workers, despite the occasional physical distance.

4. Health

The pandemic has pushed the hybrid work model to levels of popularity so far unreached. With Covid still lurking, some candidates may feel apprehensive about going to the office, even for a couple of days a week. In this situation, it’s important for you to communicate the measures taken at the office to ensure everyone's safety (limited attendance at the office, increased cleaning frequency and social distancing rules, for example).

5. Work-life balance

A common complaint from remote workers is stress caused by an improper work-life balance. They find it hard to switch off. The hybrid model empowers them to clearly separate work spaces from living spaces on office days. It also allows them to skip the commute on remote days, giving them more time for sleep and leisure. The hybrid work model helps to facilitate a better work environment for employees by reducing fatigue, improving productivity, and allowing for a better work-life balance.

Conclusion

As Covid-19 restrictions are being relaxed in many regions, businesses are adapting everyday working arrangements to the evolving sanitary guidelines and to what fits their organization the best. If your company has adopted a hybrid work model, we hope the tips above gave you cues on how to pitch the hybrid model to candidates. Click here to discover which 4 skills you should be looking for when interviewing prospective remote or hybrid employees.