Even though vaccination drives are going at full speeds, the world is not returning to normal functioning any time soon. Among the drastic changes the world has ever seen, the major one has been charged in the workplace settings. Pre-pandemic it was all about working full time in the office, but post-pandemic two new work models gained prominence – remote and hybrid. Irrespective of the work environment, one thing that has remained consistent is the task management tool.
Before we get to know the benefits and drawbacks of all three models, let us briefly know remote and hybrid work. A remote model deals with employees working from home or virtually anywhere with availability over the phone, chat, voice, or video call. A hybrid model combines part full time and part remote working environment models. It is all up to both the employer and employees to choose a work methodology that fits the business ideology the most.
Should Remote Working be Continued in 2021?
Looking at the big giants, it is a matter of debate for large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Fujitsu, Twitter, and Fujitsu to decide whether to continue with remote working, and if yes then until when. Some of them plan to continue until the end of this year, some have allowed remote working permanently, some to start full time soon, while others prefer to go the hybrid way. Each working methodology appeals to some workers while posing challenges for few others even with a great task management tool in place. Let us compare models to understand the ideal option for a business, but prior to that let us see factors behind what working style to adopt.
3 Factors Influencing Return-to-Work Choices
The return to work situation is dependent on a variety of factors ranging from personal to professional choices. Let us look at those factors and their impact in choosing a work methodology backed by an ideal task management tool.
Personal situations are a major driver in making informed decisions regarding what work methodology to choose. Employees staying with families prefer remote working, employees staying with roommates prefer full time, while hybrid work model is preferable by both.
Also Read : Top 3 Software Tools for Easy Remote Working
Company culture is the second critical factor when opting for a return to work option. Even if a company gives choices to the employees to choose between working full time, remotely, or hybrid, coworkers prefer doing what other employees do.
Work choices made by colleagues is the third most crucial factor to consider influencing return to work decision. It is a collective decision impacting individual decisions, whether to work full time in-house, work remotely, or a hybrid work style.
3 Types of Return-to-Work
1. Working Remotely
Remote working refers to not commuting to the office, but instead working remotely or virtually. The model requires no physical presence of employees in the workplace.
Benefits
# Cost and time saving due to absence of commuting
# Higher flexibility with flexible work hours containing breaks
# Maximum personal time and space with family and friends
Drawbacks
# Most detachment from work without physical presence
# Working completely alone without any coworkers around
# Relies heavily on Internet to get the job done
Ideal For
People having personal responsibilities to fulfill like family and friends or have to commute to far off distances.
2. Full Time
Full Time working refers to commuting to office, and working full day at the office. The model requires the physical presence of employees.
Benefits
# Least detachment from work due to physical presence
# Working with colleagues ease communication and coordination
# Relies lightly on Internet with people and resources around
Drawbacks
# No cost and time savings due to presence of commuting
# Lower flexibility with inflexible work hours and fixed breaks
# Minimum personal time and space with family and friends
Ideal For
People staying with roommates away from family and friends or do not have to commute to far off distances.
3. Hybrid Methodology
Hybrid working refers to partly commuting to the office, and partly working from home. The model requires part time physical presence of employees in the workplace and part time presence virtually.
Benefits
# Staying connected with employees in terms of physical presence, communication, and coordination
# Optimal flexibility with flexible work hours containing breaks
# Optimal personal time and space with family and friends with no distractions during office hours
Drawbacks
# Detachment from people when working remotely with no physical presence
# Working partially alone at home without any coworkers around
# Relies moderately on Internet to get the job done when based virtually
Ideal For
People who are not just career focused but even aiming for a perfect work life balance with personal time to spare.
What to Choose When?
Think of what the majority of employees are most comfortable with. Ask them what option they individually prefer and the reasons behind selecting the same. Compared to their choice, do track their performance against the option they want to choose. If their productivity did see a rise with their preferable work option, then do validate their choice to be the right one.
With most employees selecting an option, it could be ideal to implement it on an organizational level, given their performance did enhance with that style. Alternatively, give an individual employee the choice of selecting an option that has brought top productivity out of them. Along with that, do keep into account the optimal workspace with the number of employees in an organization. Most importantly, take into account the personal circumstances of employees along with their technical abilities to work with a task management tool virtually.
