Most employees prefer a hybrid work schedule, which is why 74% of companies either use or plan to implement a hybrid schedule. Hybrid work combines the best of both worlds — you can enjoy the flexibility of remote work and still get to socialize with your coworkers. If you’re considering a hybrid workweek, here are five models you can try.
[Read more: How the Remote and Hybrid Work Era Impacts Employers and Communities]
3:2 model
One of the most common setups is a 3:2 model where employees come into the office three days a week and work remotely two days a week. You could also flip this schedule and have employees work from home three days a week and come into the office for two days.
The benefit of this model is that all of your employees will be in the office on the same days. This makes it easier to schedule meetings and allows teams to coordinate.
Approximately 55% of employees want to work from home at least three days a week, so your employees may prefer this arrangement. But even though employees will be spending less time in the office, you won’t be able to downsize your office space, which can get expensive.
Remote-first model
With a remote-first hybrid model, your employees will spend most of their time working remotely. They’ll have the option to come into the office, but there won’t be an expectation that they have to do so regularly. And hiring decisions won’t be based on where someone is located.
The biggest benefit of this model is that it will allow you to significantly reduce your office space. In addition, this working arrangement will be attractive to many potential job candidates, allowing you to recruit top talent to your organization.
But you’ll have to invest in technology to make it possible for employees to work from home, and some employees may begin to feel disconnected from the company if they aren’t regularly coming into the office. This could negatively impact teams that need to collaborate on projects.
[Read more: How to Lead a Hybrid Meeting]
A staggered schedule allows your employees to split their days between working on-site and working remotely.
Office-first model
An office-first model means employees spend most of their time at the office and occasionally get to work from home. This schedule is a good option for companies that need their workers in the office most of the time but want to let them work from home occasionally.
An office-first approach can improve workplace collaboration and help maintain a positive company culture. However, some employees may feel burnt out and resent being unable to work remotely.
Staggered schedule
A staggered schedule allows your employees to split their days between working on-site and working remotely. For example, employees could work from home in the mornings and come into the office in the afternoons, or vice versa.
The benefit of this arrangement is that employees can work from home when they need to do more focused work. But then they can come into the office for meetings and work that requires them to collaborate with their team. However, you’ll need to set clear boundaries to make this arrangement work.
[Read more: 6 Team-Building Exercises for Hybrid Teams]
Bottom-up model
In this model, you’ll set a goal for how often employees will come into the office and let each team decide which days they’ll come in. For example, if everyone needs to come into the office two days per week, each team will pick the days that work best for them.
This schedule lets teams work together to figure out the plan that works best for them. The downside is that it may take a lot of work to coordinate meetings for cross-functional teams.
CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.
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