Picture this: a workday where you're not chained to a desk, where your office could be anywhere from your cozy living room to a bustling coffee shop. Hybrid work has emerged as a beacon of flexibility and efficiency. But with its myriad of benefits come its own set of challenges.
However, the key to unlocking the full potential of hybrid work lies in leveraging the right tools. In this blog, we'll delve into seven essential technologies that are indispensable for thriving in the hybrid workplace. From communication platforms to project management tools, hybrid workplace technology will empower you to embrace telework effectively and capitalize on its vast opportunities for success.
Table of contents:
What is a Hybrid Workplace Model?
A hybrid workplace model is the blend of on-site and remote work to give employees the freedom to decide where they want to work- at home, in the office, or on the go.
The Types of Hybrid Workplace Models
The flexibility and reliability of hybrid models enable businesses to embrace hybrid work in diverse ways. There are three types of hybrid working models:
In-office
Office-occasional
Remote-first
In-office
The "In-office" model means employees work at the office, with limited work-from-home options and strict work hours. It's the traditional way businesses operate. But as hybrid work becomes popular employees prefer more flexible options.
According to a new study conducted by Gallup, six in 10 employees with remote-capable jobs want a hybrid work arrangement. About one-third prefer fully remote work, and less than 10% prefer to work on-site.
Office-Occasional
The occasional office model gives employees the flexibility to work both on-site and remotely. Typically, office occasional workers have 3 ways of working.
Certain employees work remotely and the rest work on-site
Employees work on-site part of the week and remotely for the remaining part of the week
All employees work remotely and meet in-office when necessary
Remote-First
This model entails employees primarily working from home or other locations outside of the traditional office setting. Numerous organizations have embraced this approach, leading to a reduced need for physical office space. Consequently, they can allocate more resources toward acquiring and implementing hybrid workplace technology effectively.
The Pros & Cons of Hybrid Work
The increased flexibility and work-life balance provided by hybrid work environments lead millions of companies worldwide to adopt hybrid work models as an operational standard.
The Pros of Hybrid Work
According to recent statistics:
82% of employees reported that the ability to do hybrid work has made them happier and more motivated at work.
55% of employees desire remote work at least three days per week.
63% of high-growth organizations employ hybrid work models.
74% of U.S. companies are using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid work model.
The Pros of Hybrid Work for CEO’s
The advantages of hybrid work extend far beyond convenience. According to IWG's U.S. CEO State of Hybrid Working Survey, CEOs who integrate hybrid work into their operations reap numerous benefits:
Cost Savings: A staggering 89% of U.S. CEOs with hybrid arrangements report significant cost savings. This includes reduced expenses on office space (25%), fewer in-office amenities (33%), and lower costs associated with shared office spaces (32%)
Enhanced Reputation: A whopping 96% believe that their reputation as CEOs has improved thanks to implementing hybrid working.
Increased Employee Happiness: Three-quarters (72%) of CEOs note a boost in employee happiness with hybrid work arrangements.
Improved Productivity: Two-thirds (63%) report an uptick in employee productivity since adopting hybrid work models.
Higher Employee Retention and Attraction: A significant 59% of CEOs state experiencing improved employee retention and attraction rates.
Widened Talent Pool: Almost half (48%) indicate that hybrid work has enabled them to expand their talent pool, providing substantial value to their businesses.
The Cons of Hybrid Work
Some of the drawbacks of a hybrid work environment include:
Decreased collaboration between teams.
Less access to work resources and equipment.
Disrupted processes.
Reduced cross-functional collaboration and collaboration.
& more.
To mitigate the potential drawbacks of hybrid work, companies need to invest strategically in hybrid office technology to create a flexible and streamlined remote environment.
What is Hybrid Workforce Technology?
Hybrid workforce technology is a set of software, hardware, and solutions designed to optimize and seamlessly blend remote and office work environments by supporting remote collaboration.
Choosing the right hybrid workplace technology is crucial to create an effective hybrid work environment.
7 Essential Hybrid Workplace Technologies
Adapting to hybrid and remote work environments comes with multiple challenges for businesses and employees alike. To ensure that a hybrid approach works for your business a single solution isn't enough, in our experience a comprehensive approach and streamlined approach to implementing hybrid workplace technology is crucial for success.
Communication & Collaboration Tools
Having hybrid workplace technology that supports communication and collaboration tools is crucial to ensure success within your hybrid workforce. These solutions must work well regardless of location, enabling project tracking, file sharing, instant messaging, and facilitating both one-on-one and group communication via video and audio.
Smart Offices
The concept of smart offices was emerging even before the pandemic, enhancing telepresence for remote participants. These offices are a crucial part of having hybrid workplace technology as they leverage solutions and analytics to improve efficiency and foster connectivity between on-site and remote team members.
This includes everything from video conferencing solutions and meeting room booking to analytics on space utilization.
People Analytics
The elimination of daily commutes has inadvertently extended workdays. People analytics can optimize this extra time, identifying less productive tasks and providing insights into work patterns, helping businesses recruit effectively and manage workloads.
Customer Engagement
The shift towards a buyer-centric sales model, accelerated by hybrid work, emphasizes the importance of leveraging omnichannel customer engagement strategies. This approach integrates various communication channels, enhancing the customer experience by offering support through their preferred platforms.
Document Management
Effective document management is crucial in a hybrid workplace, ensuring that documents are secure, easily accessible, and manageable across various locations. This facilitates seamless collaboration, maintains business continuity, and improves productivity by making information readily available.
Employee Learning Applications
The pandemic has transformed onboarding and training, necessitating digital and remote learning solutions. Personalized digital training, powered by AI (Artificial Intelligence), can tailor learning experiences to individual roles and goals, making training more relevant and effective.
Security
Ensuring security must be a priority for any network, especially with the rise of remote and hybrid work setups. These environments present new challenges and complexities. Traditionally, access to business-related networks was tightly controlled, and data was accessed through centralized mechanisms.
However, hybrid workplace technologies have had to adapt to accommodate remote workers and cloud migration, leading to the decentralization of applications and data. As a result, sensitive data is now accessible to distributed employees, necessitating parallel security measures, especially if you operate in a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environment.
When employees move their tools in and out of work, relying on a single approach or tool is seldom sufficient. Instead, companies must adopt a comprehensive approach to security.
How BTI Can Close Your Business Communication Gap with Hybrid Workplace Technology
BTI offers a comprehensive suite of business communication services to eliminate any communication gaps and allow you to reach the full potential of hybrid workforce technology by providing, maintaining, and installing the right technology for hybrid working. Our services include:
Unified Communication Systems Installation
Our certified technicians set up advanced communication systems and hybrid workplace technology by integrating voice, video conferencing, and instant messaging for clear and efficient remote communication.
Network Design and Optimization
Dependable networks are crucial to ensure a smooth functioning of hybrid workplace technology. Our IT experts design and fine-tune your network for seamless data flow and reduced disruptions.
Ongoing Maintenance and Support
Count on our IT support team for regular maintenance and to swiftly address any communication issues, keeping your hybrid office technology and communication solutions up-to-date and running smoothly.
Cloud-Based Solutions
We offer scalable, flexible, and accessible cloud solutions to support your hybrid workforce technology, facilitating easy migration or integration with your current setup.
Premise-Based and Private Cloud Solutions
For organizations seeking the security of onsite solutions with the adaptability and remote management benefits of the cloud, BTI's Globalview support is the perfect fit.
With GlobalView Support services you have experts monitoring, maintaining, and supporting your IT, communication, and security solutions to ensure your solutions are always safe and performing at their highest capacity.
Fully Managed Solutions
Our experts collaborate with you to tailor a total solution that aligns with your budget and objectives, handling installation, configuration, maintenance, and support so you can concentrate on your primary business.
BTI: Your Next Hybrid Workplace Technology Provider
Now that you know the benefits of hybrid workplace technology, what are you waiting to do to adopt hybrid models? At BTI, we have more than 35+ years of experience helping small businesses and enterprise-level organizations leverage the power of hybrid office technology and other business solutions.
If you are looking for a reputable and trustworthy partner that can take care of all your business technology needs, you are in the right place!
Contact BTI today to get the most out of hybrid work models in your business!