The benefits of hybrid work policies and how to make it work.

Hybrid work models are often presented as a flexible approach to work that allow organizations to adapt to a changing workforce, and employees an opportunity to have more of a work-life balance. They are that, and more. However, along with the benefits of hybrid work, there are also potential challenges. Organisations should approach hybrid work policies proactively to maximise productivity and operational efficiency and have a healthy work culture and environment. Read on to learn more.

What you’ll learn

• What a hybrid work model is
• Benefits of hybrid working arrangements
• How to maximise productivity with flexible work policies
• Make hybrid work seamless with Adobe Acrobat

What is a hybrid work model?

A hybrid work model is a work arrangement where employees are provided the opportunity to split their time between working remotely (often from home) and working in a traditional office environment.

Employees may have the flexibility to choose where they work on any given day, allowing them to tailor their work environment to their tasks, needs, and preferences. Alternatively, employees may have an agreement with employers that they will work in the office on certain days of the week and work remotely on the other days.

Hybrid work doesn’t necessarily mean a 50/50 split of time in the office and working from home or remotely. There are many possibilities and combinations of days per week in either environment that can be mutually beneficial for both employers and employees.

Benefits of hybrid working arrangements.

Hybrid work policies, which blend a combination of in-office work with remote work, can offer several benefits for both employees and employers. Some of these benefits include —

• Potential savings.
  Both employees and employers can benefit from cost savings associated with hybrid work.
  Employers may be able to reduce overhead costs related to office space and utilities. Employees can save money on the costs of travel to work whether by car or public transport, parking fees, work attire, and the time spent commuting.

• Increased productivity.
  Hybrid work arrangements offer employees the opportunity to complete tasks in environments where they can work to their strengths, and at their most productive, for the task at hand. Higher productivity levels are often associated with remote working due to there being fewer distractions and interruptions than may be experienced in an office.

• Focused collaboration.
  Some people collaborate better when they’re face-to-face and in-person with colleagues, others prefer the time efficiency of remote collaboration via video conferencing, phone calls, messaging apps, and email. Either way, when people on hybrid work models need to connect and collaborate with colleagues, the time spent with each other tends to be more focused on the work at hand.

• Employee satisfaction, talent retention, and staff recruitment.
  The autonomy that comes with having some choice in flexible work arrangements, and the work-life balance can help contribute to employee job satisfaction. This is particularly so with employees who prefer working from home or remotely. Businesses retain staff who are motivated and satisfied with their work and this can lead to less staff turnover.
  
  Flexible and hybrid work policies can also help attract and recruit new employees who want the flexibility and work-life balance that hybrid working can offer them. Offering remote work options can also expand the geographical region for employers to recruit top talent. The possibility of working under a flexible hybrid work policy may open the door to a broader talent pool and people living in different geographical locations.

• Business continuity and employment security.
  Hybrid work arrangements can make businesses more resilient in the face of disruptions such as natural disasters, public health crises, or transportation strikes. By enabling employees to work remotely, companies can maintain operations even when physical office spaces are inaccessible if systems are already in place for employees to be able to work remotely. Employees have the reassurance that should there be a crisis or disruption to the access to their physical office, they can continue to work from their remote location.

How to maximize productivity with flexible work policies.

While hybrid work offers numerous benefits to both employers and employees, there are also some potential challenges that organisations should bear in mind when developing hybrid work policies.

To maximize productivity with people working to a hybrid model, consider —

• Remote technology.
  Hybrid and flexible work arrangements rely heavily on technology for people to be able to communicate, collaborate, and access work-related resources. Video conferencing, messaging apps, project management tools, and cloud-based software, such as Adobe Acrobat Online, are commonly used to support remote work.
  
  Reliance on technology for remote work does introduce the risk of technical glitches, such as internet connectivity issues, software or application issues, security of data and company information, and cybersecurity threats. To mitigate these risks, and help your hybrid workers stay productive, always ensure you have thought through the technology requirements for your people working from remote locations.
  
• Costs.
  Although there can be savings for employers in terms of office space, maintaining and supporting employees with the tools and resources needed to work remotely, particularly around technology can add costs.
  
  Options to optimise office space may include hot-desking or creating dedicated activity-based workspaces for when employees are in the office. Investment in technology and data security measures may be needed. Undertake a needs assessment of the technology and applications that are essential to employees when they are working from remote locations. Ensure they have adequate training in the technology and software they are using, and/or access to online tutorials so they can work as efficiently as possible when away from the office. Take full advantage of cloud-based solutions, such as Adobe Document Cloud, that can be accessed anywhere and anytime as much as possible.

• Trust.
  Trust is essential with remote work and flexible work arrangements. A strong foundation of trust must be developed and maintained between employers and employees. Employers need to trust that employees will maintain productivity, produce quality work, and meet deadlines. Employees need to trust that employers will support them with the tools and resources they need to perform their jobs from another location.
  
  Adaptiveness and flexibility are needed in terms of how people working remotely are managed and supervised. Often managers will need to adjust their leadership styles to accommodate hybrid work arrangements. Keep communication between employers and employees constructive, open, and transparent. Employees working remotely need to be able to show employers that they can be relied upon to perform work remotely by delivering work as expected of them.

• Communication.
  Effective communication and collaboration are crucial in hybrid work environments to ensure that remote and in-office employees can work together seamlessly. Hybrid work setups can lead to communication gaps between remote and in-office employees. Misunderstandings may arise, and it can be more challenging to build rapport and maintain a cohesive team culture when some members are not physically present.
  
  Establish clear communication protocols and emphasise the importance of regular communication. Create schedules for virtual meetings and use collaborative platforms and applications to facilitate teamwork and information sharing.
  

• Collaboration.
  Spontaneous interactions and brainstorming sessions often occur unexpectedly in an office environment as people interact. That kind of spontaneous collaboration and creativity can be limited in a hybrid work environment.
  
  Be strategic. Plan and prioritize collaborative activities for days when everyone who needs to be there is in the office. Schedule face-to-face meetings, brainstorming sessions, workshops, or team-building exercises and take advantage of the physical presence of colleagues for collaborative work.

• Employee equality.
  Hybrid work arrangements may inadvertently create disparities among employees. Those working remotely may, at times, feel isolated or left out of important discussions or opportunities for advancement compared to their in-office counterparts. People working solely in the office may feel it is unfair that some colleagues are allowed to work from home.
  
  Treat remote workers and in-office workers equally and fairly in every way. Allocate tasks based on roles, responsibilities, and abilities to help prevent any feelings of unfair treatment. Encourage camaraderie and promote shared values between employees working in different locations. Hold team-building activities both virtually and in person to normalize different working arrangements.

Make hybrid work seamless with Adobe Acrobat.

Portable document files (PDFs) are the go-to for all types of business documents due to the ease of sharing and accessing them across devices, retention of formatting, security features, and more.

Explore what you can do with various Adobe Acrobat applications. We’ve got solutions for working online, in apps, and on the go. For example —

• Adobe Acrobat Online.
  With Adobe Acrobat Online, you can edit a PDF file, convert files to and from PDF, password protect a PDF to add security, request signatures in PDFs, and more.

• Adobe Acrobat Standard and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  Check out the free trial of Adobe Acrobat, if you don’t already have an application subscription. Try out the multitude of tools and features, including the ability to share PDF files with people in other locations to review, comment, and edit.

• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  With the free Adobe Acrobat reader, hybrid workers can view and review PDF files from smartphones, laptops, and tables.

• Adobe Mobile Scan.
  Help remote workers scan and create PDF files wherever they are. With the free Adobe Scan mobile app paper copies of documents, images, and even whiteboards, can be scanned directly into a searchable and editable PDF file from a smartphone.

Related content.

Learn more about how to use Adobe Acrobat with hybrid working. Some related content includes —

• How to Use Remote Collaboration Tools and Features in PDFs
• How to Boost Productivity with Remote Work Tools
• How to create an employment contract PDF