The hybrid workplace offers many advantages, but neither employers nor employees are blind to the risks and potential negative effects of telecommuting:
Advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid workplace
next
The hybrid workplace will be a mix of working from home, being in the office and working from anywhere. The key for your organization is to find the right mix.
The next normal will be more place- and time-independent than ever. The key for your organization is to find the right mix. That will require employees and organizations to be highly digitally savvy.
Read more: The digital dexterity
The hybrid workplace is a search for the right balance that works for all parties involved. Making clear agreements is crucial to avoid misunderstandings and awkward situations. At the same time, trust (giving and taking) is more important than ever. But just as digital tools continue to evolve, so too will the hybrid workplace and the agreements around it will continue to evolve and will need to be reviewed regularly.
Advise everyone to activate the webcam as standard practice when video conferencing. Video reduces the distance between people. It allows us to read facial expressions and body language, and it reduces the risk of people multitasking during virtual meetings.
tip
Er is geen gebrek aan digitale kanalen om met collega’s te communiceren. Chat, videobellen, email, posts (in bv. Teams)… Naast al die reguliere kanalen zijn er ook nog de informele kanalen: WhatsApp, Facebook…
Wie contacteert u nu best via welk kanaal?
Goede afspraken maken goede collega’s. Maak dus duidelijk welk kanaal waarvoor gebruikt kan en moet worden en geef aan wat niet kan vanwege security of andere redenen.
CUSTOMER CASE
During the lockdown, Lecot gained 20% more customers
“We went from 3,000 to 3,600 paying customers a day. Professionals who couldn’t turn to their trusted suppliers went online to find a solution. And that’s how they found us. Our digital channels were ready to offer them a seamless experience as well.”
- Eddy Evens, CIO at Lecot
tip
Use the right channels
“When employees enjoy autonomy, they work more efficiently, reach better results, and become more productive. Knowing this, organizations have more confidence in telework.”
Marijke Verbruggen, Professor Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven
Marijke Verbruggen,
Professor Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven
“Working from home also has effects on your employer brand: you are seen as more attractive by job seekers and thus attract new employees more easily.”
Video conferencing
There is no shortage of digital channels for communicating with colleagues. Chat, video calls, email, posts (in e.g. Teams)... In addition to all those regular channels, there are also the informal ones: WhatsApp, Facebook...
Who do you best to contact via which channel?
Good agreements make good colleagues. Clarify which channel can and should be used for what purpose and indicate what cannot be used for security or other reasons.
- Some of the communication is lost
- Collaboration is more difficult
- Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is reduced
- There is less social cohesion
- Leading from a distance is a lot more difficult
- Reduced sense of belonging to the organization
- The company culture can end up being diluted
- Negative impact on the long-term innovative capacity of your organization
The negative effects
The advantages
- Less traffic congestion
- More leisure time
- Better work-life balance
- Increased efficiency and productivity
- Less CO₂ emission
- Increased sense of self-determination and
autonomy - Higher employee satisfaction
- Less staff turnover
The hybrid workplace offers many advantages, but neither employers nor employees are blind to the risks and potential negative effects of telecommuting:
Advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid workplace
The hybrid workplace will be a mix of working from home, being in the office and working from anywhere. The key for your organization is to find the right mix.
The next normal will be more place- and time-independent than ever. The key for your organization is to find the right mix. That will require employees and organizations to be highly digitally savvy.
next
Marijke Verbruggen,
Professor Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven
“Working from home also has effects on your employer brand: you are seen as more attractive by job seekers and thus attract new employees more easily.”
“We went from 3,000 to 3,600 paying customers a day. Professionals who couldn’t turn to their trusted suppliers went online to find a solution. And that’s how they found us. Our digital channels were ready to offer them a seamless experience as well.”
- Eddy Evens, CIO at Lecot
During the lockdown, Lecot gained 20% more customers
CUSTOMER CASE
There is no shortage of digital channels for communicating with colleagues. Chat, video calls, email, posts (in e.g. Teams)... In addition to all those regular channels, there are also the informal ones: WhatsApp, Facebook...
Who do you best to contact via which channel?
Good agreements make good colleagues. Clarify which channel can and should be used for what purpose and indicate what cannot be used for security or other reasons.
Use the right channels
tip
The hybrid workplace is a search for the right balance that works for all parties involved. Making clear agreements is crucial to avoid misunderstandings and awkward situations. At the same time, trust (giving and taking) is more important than ever. But just as digital tools continue to evolve, so too will the hybrid workplace and the agreements around it will continue to evolve and will need to be reviewed regularly.
Video conferencing
tip
Advise everyone to activate the webcam as standard practice when video conferencing. Video reduces the distance between people. It allows us to read facial expressions and body language, and it reduces the risk of people multitasking during virtual meetings.
- Some of the communication is lost
- Collaboration is more difficult
- Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is reduced
- There is less social cohesion
- Leading from a distance is a lot more difficult
- Reduced sense of belonging to the organization
- The company culture can end up being diluted
- Negative impact on the long-term innovative capacity of your organization
The negative effects
The advantages
- Less traffic congestion
- More leisure time
- Better work-life balance
- Increased efficiency and productivity
- Less CO₂ emission
- Increased sense of self-determination and
autonomy - Higher employee satisfaction
- Less staff turnover
Marijke Verbruggen, Professor Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven
“When employees enjoy autonomy, they work more efficiently, reach better results, and become more productive. Knowing this, organizations have more confidence in telework.”