Exemplary Hybrid Model Implemented Organizations

In the present, hybrid working has become a new norm. Lot of organizations has decided that hybrid working is the way to go forward. Going hybrid has become a trend in last two years. There are several exemplary organizations who went hybrid in the world and in the country as well. A lot of hybrid companies that show how they have moved to a hybrid work model in an open and transparent way. In this topic, organizations who went hybrid in the world and inside Sri Lanka and the takeaways from those stories are explained.

The world famous IT Company Microsoft has decided on October 2020 to execute a unique hybrid work model. From October 2020, Microsoft has declared regarding following the Unique Hybrid work model which consists of more 50% remote work and less time in office where permission from management is not required. If few employees want to work 50% remote and 50% in office then permission from management is necessary.  Those employees who permanently wants to work remotely they have to take permission from the management (Lenka, 2021). Not only that, Microsoft has given their employees the chance to choose multiple locations as their working destinations. Also Employees has the chance to decide which hours they are more comfortable to work (Microsoft, 2020). After going hybrid, 87% of employees say they’re more productive remotely or with a mix of in-office and remote work (Howley, 2022).

Google has also decide to move to a hybrid model from March 2021. Google has decided that most of the employees will be working remotely and when there is a requirement employee can come to the office. Google has done changes such as Cloud based storage, Collaboration tools, Endpoint security, Management Controls and Video Conferencing (Lenka, 2021). In a feedback done by Google, 95% of the clients and employees have suggested that Unique Hybrid Work model is the best approach to be followed (Jones, 2021).

Ford Motor Company, which introduced the 9 to 5 work time to the world has also adapted to a hybrid work model. Ford’s non site dependent employees had given instructions to work remotely and if there is an urgent duty, they have to come to the office. For the manufacturing based employees which the remote working is not possible, company is working on to improve the facilities, wellbeing, nutrition and even natural light in space. Authority is trying to give the factory employees a more home-feeling (Thomas, 2022).

In Sri Lanka, most of IT companies are adapted into a hybrid working culture following the pandemic and the economic turmoil. Companies like CodeGen have a two days at office and three days remote policy and Surge has an every Tuesday at office policy. I work at an electrical equipment manufacturing company called Eastlink Engineering. Non-site dependent employees have the option to work remote according to our work model as well.

Also there are many other companies which is adapted to unique hybrid models in the world (Walters, 2022)

Apple - Announced that its employees would work from the office 3 days a week and had the choice to work from home 2 days a week.

Shopify – The company is ‘digital by default’. Most employees are permanently remote but some work from their offices in Canada and Ireland.

Slack – Employees can work fully from home and are encouraged to work hours that work for them.

Spotify – Spotify has offices available, but employees can work from wherever they want. Spotify also pays co-working space fees for employees who don’t live in a Spotify location.

Twitter – Twitter allows employees to choose whether they work remotely or in the office.

Upwork – Operates a remote-first hybrid model and operate two office spaces in Chicago and San Francisco.

Quora – Most of Quora’s employees opted to not come back to the office so the company adopted a remote-first hybrid model.

Pinterest – Didn’t expect its employees to return to the office and operates a remote-first hybrid model.

LinkedIn – allows employees to choose their preferred work set-up

Conclusion

Hybrid workplaces might still be in flux, but they are rapidly becoming a much more permanent reality. Certainly, hybrid workplaces are more commonly endorsed post-pandemic as people learnt how to be productive and flexible no matter where their working station is. According to the above mentioned companies with successfully implemented hybrid work model, we can say that hybrid working is very open to the creativity in working. Creativity has affected in every mentioned company and they have adapted their hybrid model to their culture and made it their new work culture. Also the statistical results show that majority of the employees are happy with the new hybrid working culture. Employee wellbeing and the productivity of the organization increases because of the implemented hybrid model, It is a clue for the suitability of that model.

List of References

·   Howley, D. (2022), Microsoft CEO explains the 'paradox' of the remote work debate - Yahoo Finance, Viewed on 7th December 2022 <finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-ceo-on-hybrid-work-171834091.html>

·     Jones, S. (2021), Google CEO Sundar Pichai says 3 days in the office and 2 at home is a good 'balance' between in-person collaboration and time off from the commute - Insider, Viewed on 7th December 2022 <https://www.businessinsider.com/sundar-pichai-google-three-days-office-two-home-hybrid-work-2021-10>

·    Lenka, R. (2021) Unique Hybrid Work model- The future of remote work, Palarch’s Journal Of Archaeology Of Egypt/Egyptology 18(7), ISSN 1567-214x

·   Microsoft (2020), Our approach to hybrid workplace - Microsoft, Viewed on 7th December 2022<careers.microsoft.com/us/en/hybrid-workplace#:~:text=Our%20approach%20to%20hybrid%20workplace,work%20location%2C%20and%20work%20hours>

·    Thomas, I. (2022), What Ford, a 9-to-5 workweek pioneer, is learning about the hybrid office - CNBC, Viewed on 7th December 2022 <https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/28/what-ford-a-9-to-5-workweek-pioneer-is-learning-about-hybrid-work.html>

·       Walter, J. (2022), 10 companies embracing hybrid work and how they're doing it - HRD, Viewed on 7th December 2022 <https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/employee-engagement/10-companies-embracing-hybrid-work-and-how-theyre-doing-it/404975>