Back in May, Tesla CEO Elon Musk infamously ordered all employees (even those who had been working remotely before the pandemic) back to the company’s Palo Alto HQ “a minimum of 40 hours per week”, otherwise they were “phoning it in”.
The vast majority of organisations and workers beg to differ, and according to a report by McKinsey, the future of post-pandemic work remains hybrid in nature with nine out of 10 organisations opting for a blend of remote and on-site structures. In the US, 70% of office workers are now back in the office one day per week, and despite rumblings of return to office orders, for the most part companies are continuing the post-pandemic legacy of splitting time remotely and on-site.
Why? When done right with the proper structures and supports in place, hybrid working can benefit both employer and employee. Here’s how.
Workplace dispersion
According to global management consulting firm Korn Ferry, a skilled labour shortage affecting both developed and developing countries could shift the global balance of economic power by 2030 if left unaddressed. In Europe, the UK and Germany will feel their talent shortages most acutely, with a projected deficit of almost 4.9 million workers by 2030.
The solution to this? Tapping into the global workforce to access a bigger talent pool. Software developers in particular are becoming the first global role with companies like Coinbase and Shopify now recruiting internationally to fill technical roles.
The bottom line
From vast campuses and prime city real estate to soaring energy prices, having employees on-site five days per week costs more, and downsizing physical office space gives organisations the agency to decrease overheads while increasing their profit margins, without making fundamental changes to the nature of their business. It also saves on commuting and food costs for employees, however, the most notable saving is time: an employee who works at home for half the week can save up to 11 workdays per year in the time they would have spent commuting.
Diversity and Inclusion
A hybrid working model which fosters a more flexible approach to working hours, and allows workers to take greater accountability for completing tasks has proven to be hugely beneficial for attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce. This includes women (who are predominantly tasked with managing and mitigating domestic and familial issues) and workers with mental health issues, particularly anxiety disorders, who are increasingly able to manage their conditions without taking time off or attaching any stigma to their personal circumstances.
Workers like it
Hybrid working can give employees the best of both worlds as long as employers don’t encourage a culture of being “always on”, or expecting employees to constantly be available for meetings or video calls. One of the biggest advantages of hybrid working is how it has transformed everyday life. From reducing commuting times to allowing workers to relocate away from expensive cities to more affordable suburban or rural areas and put down roots in their local communities, many feel they have little to gain from working in an office five days per week.
Looking for your next hybrid role? Check out the Tech.EU Job Board today.
Creative Services Manager, kevin, Berlin
Account-to-account payment infrastructure solution, kevin. was created to swiftly change costly card payment to payments, without using any third-party providers, and supports more than 6,000 merchants in 15 markets, including Sweden, Finland, Poland and Spain. It is currently recruiting for a creative services manager to oversee and efficiently manage design planning across the business. Although based in Berlin, this is a remote role with a flexible working schedule. See the full spec here.
Technical Architect, GDIT, remote
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) is looking for a technical architect with experience architecting solutions on cloud, web-based frameworks, and a variety of COTS and open-source technology platforms. In 2018, GDIT began a multi-year effort to modernise the information systems of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and is now looking for someone who can engage with internal teams to understand and architect technical solutions, and well as leverage technologies to design and develop scalable solutions. Fully remote, this role requires less than 10% travel. Apply now.
Project Analyst, AMA European Consulting, Paris
This hybrid role based in AMA European Consulting’s Paris office is seeking an analyst to join its team. The ideal candidate will be able to lead design workshops and feasibility studies, collate and formalise user needs, have good knowledge of web programming standards (NET, C#, JavaScript, CSS3, JQuery, HTML5, AngularJS, etc.), APIs (JSON Rest, XML), SharePoint application platforms, MS Windows 2016 Server environment IIS as well as databases (SQLServer, Oracle). Find out more here.
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