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The world is experiencing a tremendous change in all spheres of life, inclusive of the business world. Years ago, the only known way of working was getting an office space for daily activities. But this general knowledge has changed, for different reasons.
Notably, the emergence of the novel coronavirus pandemic has inherently contributed to the corporate world yearning for ways to ease the already tensed life of employees. The option of hybrid work has since been adopted as a way forward.
In some instances, workers can choose days believed to be their productive days to work remotely, and from the office space.
However, this work arrangement is not devoid of its cons. Various challenges could be encountered under the hybrid work arrangement, and in this case, three to consider:
Possible Lack of Coherence
This work arrangement can attract inconsistency in teamwork. It narrows down collaboration as employees are rarely present at work simultaneously. This will have an adverse effect on work progress.
This can also create an epileptic continuity, especially if an employee has to leave a task halfway for another person who might encounter a problem trying to complete the task due to dissenting opinions.
Slows Down Work Pace
The unavailability of workers on work premises, either online or physically at the same time, could cause the others on the team to wait for the other member on the team who is not onboard during deliberation for equal representation.
Each employee may have a fragment or portion to oversee, but the intermittent office presence can slow down productivity, and an organization with low output is already heading south.
High Cost of Maintenance
This arrangement means that two different platforms are needed for the two factions. A physical office arrangement is much needed, so also is that of an online outlet for the smooth running of activities.
All these would come at extra cost. Due to the high maintenance cost, the hybrid work arrangement is highly unsuitable for startups that are still finding their footing.
Employers should make work plans in such a way that certain days would be set aside mainly for collaboration
Solutions
To every problem, there are possible solutions. The following are solutions to the challenges mentioned above:
Employers should make work plans in such a way that certain days would be set aside mainly for collaboration, where team members are allowed to share work ideas and fill-in each other on the progress of the project at hand. This creates awareness in all members; should any member of the team would have to work remotely, work won’t be left in disarray and unattended.
Additionally, who wants an organization that unduly wastes time over projects that ought not to take forever? The answer is simple, nobody! Employers should leverage employees who are willing to adjust their work schedules to suit demand. In the case the need to work urgently arises, the employer should however discuss with the workers that don’t mind working under such circumstances, stating what they should expect, especially if it’d involve working overtime.
Coworking spaces may also solve the problem of the high cost of maintenance. Different types of coworking space allow for sharing of office space either for working individually or jointly; for example, those sharing the space might share the rent and cost of maintaining the space. Coworking is highly cost-effective. There is no need to worry about rent increment if another employee is added to the fold. For instance, renting coworking spaces in New York City has since become a normal thing. New York serves as a business hub for lucrative minds, with hundreds of these coworking spaces, you don’t need to break a sweat searching.
Employers should adequately prepare for the cons as much as they envisage the pros
Preparation
Adopting hybrid work arrangements by employers serves various desired purposes like cutting costs and creating a conducive platform for workers (such as the case during the pandemic). However, various challenges could be encountered if not properly managed and executed. Therefore, employers should adequately prepare for the cons as much as they envisage the pros.
Employers should make sure any change in the work plan is expressly communicated to the employees to prevent resistance. Also, enabling ground should be given to employees to help workers work at par; coworking space can solve this problem. Across various cities, there are numerous options that can best suit the budget.