Hybrid Working: A Guide for Your Business

The concept of office work has been redefined over the past year and a half. The pandemic demanded a quick shift to remote working as we adapted to an unprecedented situation. There’s been a move back to traditional office working, though it appears many elements of WFH are here to stay, so businesses need to learn how to adapt to a hybrid working model. Read on to learn the recent trends in hybrid working, and how you can upgrade workspace and communications to create a productive and inspiring working environment.

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working combines remote, semi-remote, and traditional office working. The move to combine remote and traditional work is designed to support your employees by maintaining the level of collaboration and communication expected while offering both a great physical workspace and the option to work from home.

The Benefits of Hybrid Working

Over the last 18 months, we’ve all tested the advantages and disadvantages of working from home first hand. We’ve enjoyed losing the commute and being able to wear our slippers to meetings, but the advantages of office work have been missed: minimal distractions, easy collaboration, a welcome change of scenery, and the socialising we all craved during the lockdowns.

As a business owner, you might want to downsize your office space to free up cash flow for new talent and innovation. Some employees have enjoyed the flexibility offered by working from home, and enforcing a return to the office may encourage them to seek work elsewhere. Others may be eager to get back to the traditional working environment. By embracing hybrid working you can scale your business how you choose, while both attracting and retaining employees.

Is your workplace ready to offer hybrid working?

Get started with the following hybrid working tips:

• Define your policy for hybrid work. Will you set office days for your staff? Or are you aiming for complete flexibility? To keep your team on track, they need to avoid timetable chaos and hot-desking mishaps.
• Your offices are your hub. So, they need to be attractive and motivate your team: collaborative spaces for meetings, space for socialising, and the calm that may be missing from a busy family home.
• An effective communication network is the backbone of all hybrid working models. Without this, your workforce is at risk of disorganisation and isolation. A great hybrid model will combine an adaptive in-person office and the technology required to link your entire workforce, ensuring everyone is seen, heard, and those working remotely don’t compromise on collaborative opportunities.

Try Cloud PBX for Free

Hybrid working is here to stay, so you need to select the right communication solutions for your business. Switching to a cloud phone system is an essential first step. A PBX in the Cloud is similar to a traditional phone system, but with a host of benefits to seamlessly blend home and office communications with no need for hardware or on-site maintenance. Why not claim your free trial at microtalk.co.uk today to see how a Cloud PBX can benefit your office and remote workers?

With a Cloud PBX from Microtalk, your employees can manage their calls via our mobile app, a softphone on a computer, or a traditional desk phone. As the PBX is separate from personal lines, both you and your employees can keep a work-life balance. The flexibility offered by a PBX also means you can source talent from across the globe. Alongside the features you expect from in-office communications (from call routing to recording to international calls), a Cloud PBX is an easy way to increase employee engagement and gather feedback. Microtalk offers real-time data insights, email reports, and more, meaning you can easily evaluate your employee experience and productivity.

More and more employees are demanding flexibility from their workplace, so to retain the talent you need to learn how to effectively implement a hybrid working model by investing in office space and communications. While the former may take some time, Microtalk is ready to provide cost-efficient, tailor-made, and reliable cloud communication services, no matter the needs or size of your company. Learn more at microtalk.co.uk/cloud-pbx.