Of course, no one could have predicted that flexible/remote working would become something we would prefer. According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index 2021, 70% of workers want flexible remote work options to continue, which suggests this change in work trends is here to stay.
In this article, we will cover what hybrid work is and the changes occurring in numerous organizations due to the growing demand for flexible work conditions. We’ll also look at the benefits stemming from this setup.
What is hybrid working?
Hybrid work is an employee’s ability to work from home or anywhere else, outside the confines of the usual office setting.
There are certain factors that can enable remote/flexible working. The first one is the employer’s permission – it’s not something every organization can do. According to HSBC’s Future of Work study, 5% of companies don’t see a form of remote working in their future. The second is the employee’s ability to be productive while working remotely.
Currently, there are numerous variations to this hybrid working model. Some prefer to work mainly from home or another location and come in occasionally to have personal interactions with colleagues, while others prefer to be in the office more regularly. It is all flexible.
We have also seen a rise in digital nomads – people who travel while working. We have talked about this topic in detail in our article on Digital Nomadism.
Hybrid work has become make-or-break for employees
Hybrid working has quickly become an attractive perk when looking for new jobs. It is now a deciding factor when accepting a new position or changing the current one. According to Microsoft’s work trend index, 38% of employees are willing to take a 5% pay cut to be able to work remotely. Despite that, the study also states that 36% still believe that an office is the best environment for individual work.
Flexible working has become such an important aspect of working conditions that 25% of workers would go as far as quitting their job if remote work was no longer an option.
Why large organizations are adjusting to hybrid work
According to the report, another reason companies are moving to a hybrid work model is the economic benefits employers have seen with this transition. It is very cost effective compared to the traditional structure. Therefore, 66% of leaders surveyed are making arrangements to implement flexible working.
Some of the big players that have already made this shift includes Google, FaceBook, Airbnb and Amazon.
Other than convenience and cost benefits, organizations have experienced an increase in productivity as well. According to the HSBC study, 77% of high-growth companies claimed to have high productivity with the hybrid work model. Furthermore, 66% predict that hybrid work will help them expand into new markets.
Hybrid working isn’t going away anytime soon and the results show that workers don’t really want it either.
However, when working remotely, employees still need secure access to company resources. In some cases, they might be working from their own device and need access to their work machines.
This is where RealVNC’s software can help. VNC Connect provides organizations with secure, fast, and reliable remote access technology to help them enable a safe, secure, and reliable work life for their employees.
