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Hybrid working has become an extremely prominent topic since the coronavirus pandemic began, and it’s clear that the way we work will never be the same again.
Because of this, companies are now factoring this into their futures, by planning for hybrid working models. There are some business advantages to hybrid working, and employees seem to prefer it for the most part too.
If you’re thinking about employing hybrid workers in 2022, keep reading for our thoughts on the topic.
What is a hybrid work model?
Before we begin, let’s take a moment to break down what hybrid working really is.
Hybrid working is simply the combination of working in an office and working remotely. But the meaning can also extend to working hours – for example, if people feel they are more productive in the mornings, they can work in the mornings, just so long as they work for eight hours a day.
Types of hybrid working
There can be many variations in how employees choose their office and remote hours in hybrid working.
Remote-first working means that remote working takes priority over office hours. The company will keep an office space, but it is usually smaller than traditional offices because not all employees will be there at one time.
Many of these smaller offices may only be for meetings and collaborations and not even for work. Even if a company is remote-first, some employees may still be required to be in the office everyday depending on their role.
Office-first working is the opposite of this, in which the office is the main and preferred working environment, but remote work is permitted for maybe one or two days a week.
In between these two models is office-occasional working, which, as you can probably guess, is somewhere in the middle. Some office-occasional companies might expect three days a week, while others may only expect two, or employees may only be required to come in when collaboration is required.
Hybrid workers in 2022
The pandemic forced companies to adapt to hybrid working models, but even before that hybrid working was on the agenda.
Hybrid workers claim that they can work just as well – or usually better – if they stay in the comfort of their own home, while also avoiding the stresses of commuting and more.
Even if the effects of pandemic do improve in 2022, employees will still be likely to cause a fuss about retaining their hybrid working setups. Many aren’t so reluctant to about remote working, because it allows them to save money on keeping an office, by hybrid working often means paying up the same costs. Hybrid working appeals to employees because they get the best of both worlds – they can work from home, but they are also able to go into the office to keep in touch with colleagues and reduce the risk of disengagement, isolation, and loneliness.
How to employ hybrid workers in 2022
If you’re convinced that hybrid working will be the way to go in 2022, you’ll have to employ some hybrid workers, and you’ll have to make sure the company is set up to be completely suitable for hybrid working.
Cloud working systems will be essential, but there are still more considerations. Cybersecurity is an important one. If employees are working remotely, they won’t have the same firewalls and other perimeter defences. Working on the cloud in this way provides more opportunities for scary cyberattacks.
This wasn’t so much of a consideration at the beginning of the pandemic because employers didn’t really have a choice – they needed to keep things moving. Hackers also needed time to come up with strategies about how to formulate their attacks – and they’ve had their time now.
Hybrid workers will need to be issued safe devices from companies to defend against dangerous cyberattacks. You may also need to limit employees using public WI-FI networks, which may have compromised security. You may need enforce strong passwords as well.
Bottom line
The future for many companies is hybrid working – that much is clear. If you don’t already have one, it’s time to create a formal policy for hybrid working. This needs to be a clear guide for hybrid workers to follow.
The years of 2020 and 2021 have been challenging due to the pandemic and have led to many changes. But hopefully in 2022 these changes will begin to be something that we can embrace and make positive, like hybrid working models.
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