Last year, almost the entire working population of the Netherlands switched from working full-time at the office to working entirely from home, without a (hybrid) middle ground. But it is expected that everyone will switch to hybrid working in the near future. So don't delay any longer in determining a hybrid business model because with the advent of hybrid working, creating clarity is more important than ever.

Where working from home and office is defined, hybrid working has several models to choose from. The choice for a model depends on various factors such as the flexibility of your employees, the nature of the work and the need to physically come together. These factors can vary from team to team and therefore, it is quite possible that within one organisation, several hybrid business models are chosen. 

Model 1: Employees work in the office with limited flexibility.

The physical office is the basic workplace for employees. The office is where meetings, training sessions and other gatherings take place. It is the place where teams come together and work together.

Although the majority of collaboration takes place in the physical office, this model also pays attention to digital tools. It is important that the information shared in the office can also be distributed when an employee is absent due to circumstances.

Model 2: Employees work in the office with ample flexibility. 

This model is very similar to model 1. The physical office is still the basic workplace. The difference with model 1 is that in this model you get the flexibility to also work at home for a maximum of two days per week. 

It is assumed that you come together when necessary. To provide everyone with the right and sufficient information, digital tools are important and a hybrid meeting must be facilitated.

Model 3: Digital work with a physical office. 

The digital workplace is the basic workplace. The cooperation runs on digital tools and is virtually independent of the physical office. Even within this model, there is still a physical office, but this is only used when absolutely necessary.

The right digital tools are important to enable hybrid collaboration. So, research the range of online tools and select a tool that suits your team or organisation. It is advisable to involve employees in the choice of tools. What do they find important and where is the need? What works or does not work according to them? By involving employees, you ensure commitment and support.

Model 4: Digital workplace without a permanent physical office. 

Cooperation within this model is based entirely on the digital workplace. Employees work from home or from coworking spaces. If a team needs to meet physically, this is possible and a space is rented for this as well. 

As with Model 3, the choice of digital tools is crucial. Which tools work depends, among other things, on the nature of the work, the composition of the team and the experiences of employees.

Summary

The last three models require clarity for employees and bring challenges for managers. Where or via which online tool do meetings take place? How do you facilitate hybrid meetings? Which tools will you use to future-proof cooperation as a team? And how do you keep your employees involved and motivated?

So choose a model that fits your team or organisation and work it out in detail so that employees know what is expected of them. Create support and commitment by involving employees. At Welkom we would like to help you with that! With our pioneering session, we will examine with your team or organisation how hybrid working can be optimised. We formulate a goal and discover together where the opportunities and challenges lie. Which tools are suitable for you or not, and which tools fit in. While experimenting, you will experience the different forms of hybrid collaboration.