The Hybrid Workplace: What It Is and 5 Ways To Thrive There

The jobs of the future are happening now.

Here’s what work has been like lately.

Things changed, then they changed back — but not entirely — and it looks like they may change again.

It’s hard to say where all of this will land, but the hybrid workplace will be a part of it, and it’s a good idea to be ready for that.

The Hybrid Workplace

So what is the hybrid workplace?

It can be a nebulous term as it can mean different things to different businesses. In short, it’s a work situation in which you divide your working time between home and office.

Variations on the theme can include work-sharing spaces either as a substitute for work or home — or as a third working location. A lot depends on the specific needs of your job, employer, and the reasons for using the hybrid model.

Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic sent many people to work from home. As vaccinations became available, the cases receded. Some employers required all employees to return to the office, while others allowed dividing time between home and the office. Having employees work from home had both its advantages and disadvantages for both employer and employee. Still, it worked well for some businesses as it cut down on office space costs for the employer and commuting costs for the employee.

It also allowed employees flexibility in dealing with other aspects of the pandemic, such as children learning from home.

Some large businesses — particularly in the tech sector — have been encouraging hybrid work for the foreseeable future.

It’s a promising model for this changing world, but it can be a challenge for some people to make the most of it. There have been arguments both for and against it as far as productivity goes. Most of it comes down to failing to adapt to the hybrid workplace model.

How to Make the Hybrid Workplace Work For You

If you’ve not worked from home before, or if you have done so, but found the experience too frustrating, here are some ways to make hybrid work more successful for you.

Your Office Away From Your Office

While working from home, take the time to create a space that is clearly your office. While living situations vary, do what you can to have a dedicated, private space relatively free of distraction. Have a comfortable chair and a large enough desk or surface.

Also, make sure you have a lockable drawer or filing cabinet to protect job-related materials while not working. And keep your digital work life safe as well with secure passwords on all your devices — including your WiFi router — and a passing familiarity with safe online practices.

If you’re setting up in a work-sharing space, follow similar security procedures.

Keep To a Schedule

It’s essential your coworkers and employer know when you’re on the job. They may have questions. They may have information you need. The same goes for clients.

Even if your schedule isn’t a standard nine-to-five, whatever it is, make it clear and consistent when you’re in the office and when you’re working from home. Ensure people know where you are, when, and how to best reach you throughout the workweek.

Nothing will frustrate an employer more than not knowing where you are or how to get a hold of you quickly.

Develop a Cooperative Attitude

For a hybrid workplace to work, everyone has to work together and be on the same page. It does no one any good if people are off trying to do their own thing without taking advantage of support, input, and information from their coworkers.

It’s not like there is a shortage of tools at the moment. Between mobile devices, videoconferencing, cloud computing, and collaboration software, it doesn’t matter much where people are located.

Taking on a cooperative attitude also keeps you in touch with other people in your office — or if you’re the one in the office that day, with the folks working from home.

Take Initiative

Remember the phrases “self-starter” and “works well without supervision” from those old resumes?

Now is the time to make those phrases a reality.

Working from home relies on trust. Your employer, coworkers, and clients all trust that you’re doing your job while not in the office. Or that you’re doing your part in the office even when it looks a little short-staffed.

Don’t wait to be told to do something you know needs doing. Take the initiative and get tasks done without being asked. It will make the following tasks that come along easier.

Be Patient

It’s a new world.

COVID-19 has changed how we do a lot of things. It takes time to adjust.

Sometimes the adjustments aren’t for attitude or approach but in more mundane equipment or technological needs. Laptops and smartphones may seem ubiquitous, but not everyone has the needed software or the best Internet service.

Things will get better. Just be a little patient.

Hybrid Success Is Very 21st Century

Welcome to the future. There are fewer flying cars than I’d have liked, but given the hassles we’ve been having getting some people vaccinated, maybe we aren’t, as a society, responsible enough for flying cars yet.

But we can make the hybrid work model work.

No one expects people to slip right into the model without some figurative bumps and bruises. It’s a process.

But managing a hybrid work situation is undoubtedly within most people’s grasp and could improve company morale, boost productivity, and promote a healthier work-life balance.

It’ll be trial and error for some time to come, but success at the work hybrid model could be as much a defining aspect of the 21st century as the industrial revolution was back in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Just you see.

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2