Hybrid work may be HR’s key to retention

While leaders like Elon Musk and Tim Cook are pushing employees to return to office either full- or part-time, employees are happy with the time and autonomy they get from remote work. 

Luckily, throughout the pandemic, many companies have adopted a happy medium in hybrid work. To get the most out of in-office and remote work benefits, many workplaces are turning to a hybrid work schedule to meet employees in the middle.

Hybrid work’s benefits can help balance the benefits of in-office and remote work – and it can be even used as a tool to attract and retain top talent.

Hybrid work is on the rise

Before COVID-19, the term “hybrid work” was not in many people’s vocabulary, and remote work was considered a luxury, not a necessity. Now, remote work and hybrid work are a part of our daily language and many workers list flexible work as essential when they’re looking for a new job. 

According to research from Gallup, while only 32% of employees with remote-capable jobs were working in a hybrid model, that number has jumped to 52% for 2022 and beyond. 

In 2019, pre-pandemic, 60% of employees with remote-capable jobs were working fully on-site. Now, less than a quarter (23%) of employees expect to work fully in-person for 2022 and beyond, and only 9% list in-office work as their preferred work location.

Although many employers would prefer employees work on-site to manage productivity paranoia and other woes that fully-remote work has caused, hybrid work has become a happy medium for employees and employers.

A fix to retention woes

Nearly all (95%) of HR leaders believe that a hybrid model can be used as an effective recruitment tool, according to IWG’s HR Leaders & Hybrid Working Report. More than half (60%) believe that hybrid work increases retention, and 80% say that it increases employee satisfaction.

What’s more, that satisfaction can have a big impact on wellness. Ninety-five percent of HR leaders say that hybrid work leads to a happier, more loyal workforce.

“HR professionals view hybrid working as not only key to staying ahead in the race for talent, but an integral part of a winning business strategy that has the well-being and productivity of a company’s employees at its core,” said Mark Dixon, founder and CEO of IWG.

Best practices for a hybrid work model

The benefits of a hybrid model are great for employers and employees, but implementing a hybrid work model can be hard to navigate. Here are a few tips to help you create and maintain an effective hybrid schedule. 

Prioritize meaningful face-to-face interactions. Ninety-seven percent of HR leaders think that there is a connection between productivity, wellness and in-office work, but just being in the office isn’t enough. Make sure that the days that employees spend in the office are meaningful by promoting collaboration and planning in-person meetings to boost creativity.

Stay flexible. One of the top benefits of hybrid schedules is flexibility. If possible, allow for flexibility on what days employees can come into the office. Hybrid work can help working parents, too. Fifty-five percent of HR leaders say hybrid work helps address childcare issues that can lead to turnover if left unaddressed. In order to support employees with other obligations, stay flexible in your hybrid model to ensure a good work-life balance.

Keep employees connected. One of the biggest challenges of fully remote work is the disconnect between employees and missing the synchronization between employees when they’re in the office. Make sure employees are connecting with each other by allowing time for social bookends before meetings or one day a month when all team members are in the office for team-building activities.