Many things have gone back to normal as the Covid-19 pandemic winds down, and people resume their routines. However, the changes in some areas – particularly the workplace – are proving to be longer-lasting as many employers and employees realize there may have been a better way to do things all along.
Attitudes have shifted towards at-home and hybrid workplaces, with many businesses offering their employees more flexibility in how they want to operate. That means that when you’re organizing your workplace, you’ll have to decide whether you want an in-person model or if you want to offer work-from-home or hybrid options. All have positives and negatives depending on your business model.
What Are The Benefits Of Working From Home?
There’s a reason that many companies are considering switching to work-from-home models for some or all of their employees. In many cases, when managed appropriately, employees working from home are able to be more productive and focused.
A big factor is that it eliminates the need for a commute – employees don’t spend an hour or more in some cases on the road and are able to be productive for longer and without the transition period each day. This can also give them more energy and focus, thanks to not having to get up as early each day.
Additionally, this is a highly positive approach if you have immunocompromised employees or are otherwise worried about the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It can be challenging to insulate an office from viral spread, and having some or all employees working from home means a less crowded workplace and less spread.
Is this right for every company? No, especially those that require more in-person or customer interaction and companies that benefit from employees brainstorming together. It may be worth outsourcing a customer service division to boost your company’s efficiency.
At-home companies need to make sure they can handle the same volume of calls as in-person ones, and many tasks can be handed off to an off-site company. Handing over customer service calls, employment screening, and business processing like payroll and accounting are among the benefits of outsourced call center services.
What Are the Benefits of On-Site Staffing?
This is the system that most companies have been using for hundreds of years, so it must be doing something right. When you have a dedicated work environment, every employee is on an even playing field – you’re supplying the workplace and supplies, so you don’t have to worry about whether every employee has the necessary equipment.
You’ll also see the benefits of an environment fostering interaction and collaboration between co-workers and forming a more solid rapport. This is especially important if your company works on complex projects that can take many months to complete – it’ll be far easier to keep track of everyone’s role in the project if they can meet in-person regularly.
Of course, no system is without flaws, and in-person workplaces are declining in popularity because of the lack of flexibility. Long commutes can sap workers’ productivity, and it’s easy to get bogged down in keeping everyone in the same place and lose focus on whether that’s how they’re most productive as a unit.
Hybrid Approach Benefits
Many companies are switching to a hybrid model, with some employees staying in the office and some working from home. This is popular because it has the maximum benefits from work-life balance and offers the management a lot of flexibility. Work-from-home employees can be brought into the office temporarily for special projects, and employees who need to devote more time to things at home can switch to WFH temporarily.
This also cuts back extensively on operating costs, as the office doesn’t need to be running at full staff with all the associated expenses like power and data usage. The negatives are that your office might be out of sync at times, with key members of teams operating from different locations with different schedules and time constraints. Organizing before you switch to a hybrid model can help to avoid this.
The Best Option
Every business has different staffing needs. You’ll want to look at your company’s job responsibilities, the technology available for your workers both in-office and at home, the availability of the supplies they’ll need, and your employees’ physical and emotional health to make the right call.
The Right Model
Successful businesses are being run from all three models right now. Which is the right one for you? The one that lets your employees find their maximum productivity level without sacrificing work-life balance. When employees make the most of their time, everyone wins.
