The pandemic era of working from home is coming to an end, and in its wake, a new working style has emerged – ‘Hybrid.’

Working on a hybrid basis means you can work from home and the office based on your preferred working patterns. A 2023 survey of UK office workers actually found that over 40% of people saw their companies shift to a hybrid setup since the pandemic.

So, with Hybrid on the rise, how can you maximise the benefits of working on this basis and reduce the downsides? Let’s run through some best practices for yourself to get the most out of hybrid working.

Why is Hybrid on The Rise?

There are a few reasons why hybrid working is becoming more desired by workers and employers:

Social: We humans are social creatures, and working from home has allowed us to eliminate those consistent social interactions. In the office, you’re not talking to a piece of text or an image on a screen but another person with hobbies and interests outside work – just like yourself. You might not all agree on everything all the time, but that’s good!

Health: There are numerous health benefits, be it the structured morning routine, social environment, or getting up and about to move to work. A study by Vitality found that hybrid workers had a better quality of life compared to remote workers in numerous health domains, such as mental health, diet, and proactive engagement with work-supplied healthcare benefits.

Productivity: Collaborative work is far more effective and encouraged in an office. You can just walk up to the person’s desk, chat, and sort it out. It is much faster and feels less like you’re bothering someone when you can physically see if they’re busy.

Flexibility: Hybrid working allows you to come in on any given day of the week, allowing you to pick and choose what suits you. There may be exceptions to this, with monthly/quarterly team days often expected for all staff to be in (if possible). On those occasions, however, it will usually be planned well in advance.

Hybrid Work – The Best Practice Way

Balance personal needs with work

Personal and work commitments need to coexist. If you must do the school run on alternate days or have a weekly doctor’s appointment, then agree to work from home on those days.

If your company needs you to be in the office on days that don’t work for you, explain your predicament to your manager and find a way forward. Nine times out of 10, they will understand and support you.

Office working on personally difficult days will only build a sense of resentment, so utilising the hybrid arrangement allows you to get everything done and feel focused and productive in your work.

Be physically active in and out of work

Physical activity is conducive to a healthy lifestyle overall. Working from home when you have exercise planned at lunch or in the evening can be smart if organised in advance.

On the other hand, the office is a good place to try different sports and make new friends. Never tried climbing? Someone in your office probably climbs regularly. What about rowing? It’s worth an ask. You could be missing out on a running partner for motivation, and five colleagues could be in the same situation without everyone realising it.

There may even be activities your employer is happy to contribute towards to encourage team building. Incentivisation to work in the office is becoming more commonplace, so why not take advantage if your employer is reasonable and has already created some of these opportunities?

Good office cultures grow by knowing people’s interests beyond the office.

Plan office days with your teammates

Collaboration and having fun are fundamental to an efficient, happy team. Aligning your days in the office with a mix of people you work alongside and enjoy the company of can create a valuable experience.

Using a Doodle poll (or similar) is easy via your company’s messaging platform, such as Slack or Teams. You can pick convenient dates to work in the office and then organise your meetings to fall when you’re all together. You’ll find that meetings are a lot more productive and fun in person!

As you’re in the office, what’s stopping you from going for a coffee or lunch with someone you hang out with? Some companies also manage a staff social budget, so you might even get a free meal out of it!

Travelling for 45 minutes to an empty office isn’t pleasant for anyone, so why not proactively plan with your team to get more out of the office day?

Keep your Hybrid routine consistent

Consistent routines can feel arduous at first but after a couple of weeks, you will thrive with structure in place. Getting up at 7am on one day to visit the office, followed by rising at 8.30am the next day to work from home, will create poor sleeping patterns.

Your sleep is super important to how you feel and perform, and a regular morning and evening routine is critical to getting the best sleeping patterns possible.

‘Head Down’ time

One of the most frequently cited benefits of working from home is that it helps those with large workloads and/or complex tasks to find deep focus and get important things done without as much distraction.

If you have your meetings during office days, you can more efficiently deal with the questions and updates your team might require from you, leaving any planned homeworking days with a clearer mind and less mind clutter to focus on that whale-sized project work.

Best of both worlds

The office can be a great environment to work in, and in the post-COVID era, the power has never been more in your hands. If you want to avoid working in the cold office environment of old, you can change that.

Businesses are listening more than ever to the needs of their team. If your office space lacks features, then mention it. The right company will make that change to make your workspace more fun and comfortable. You aren’t at your most productive if you’re unhappy.

Working from home allowed us to experience many benefits, such as increased flexibility, less commuting time, and a higher standard of comfortable and productive work. But, working from home has also removed the opportunity for in-person socials, collaborative work and has blurred the lines between your workspace and your home, which for some isn’t ideal.

Hybrid work accommodates the benefits of both worlds, and businesses operating a hybrid model will empower their team to make the most of the different working styles to promote a happy and productive experience individually – and as a team.

Words: Marcus Pindard-Baden

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