5 Tips for Hybrid Working:
After more than a year of working from home, scores of people find themselves returning to the office. But instead of a complete shift from remote to onsite, a substantial number of companies have adopted a hybrid work week.
What is hybrid work? It’s where an employee comes into the office on certain days each week (typically three) and works from home the remaining days.
While the merits of this arrangement remain to be seen, employers and employees alike hope it offers the “best of both worlds” for all parties involved. Specifically, companies aim to recapture the collaborative benefits of teams working face to face without eliminating the flexibility and quiet environment employees enjoy when working remotely.
But as we make this transition, many of us have discovered that splitting time between two locations creates a new set of challenges. Like how that sticky note sitting on your desk at the office does you no good when you’re at home. Or how difficult it can be to make it to the office on time when you’ve gotten used to rolling out of bed at 7:45.
To help you avoid these pitfalls, we’ve assembled our top tips.
Hybrid Working Tips for Success
1. Make Sure You Have Everything You Need in Both Locations
It’s hard to wipe that smudge off your glasses when you left your microfiber cleaning cloth at home. And that’s just one item in a deceptively long list of things we depend on to get us through the workday.
In addition to vital equipment such as dual monitors and an ergonomic keyboard, consider outfitting both workspaces with an identical set of incidentals like a phone charger, aspirin, tape dispenser, stapler, earbuds, etc. No matter how seemingly inconsequential, if you use it at home, chances are you’ll need it at work, too.
2. Create a System for Shuttling Essentials
Imagine fighting rush hour traffic only to realize you forgot your laptop.
To help avoid this, invest in a quality laptop bag and devise a method - like writing a checklist - to make sure everything that shuttles between home and the office is present and accounted for.
Our suggestion? Each evening prior to an “in the office” day, pack your bag and run a quick inventory of its contents. That way, you’re not searching for something important at 7:05 a.m.
With regard to your lunch, we’d also recommend packing that the night before, then place a sticky note on your bag reminding you to grab it from the fridge before you start your commute.
Then, at the end of your workday, instead of throwing everything in the bag and heading out the door, take a few mindful moments to think through what you’ll need to take home.
3. Wake Up Early Every Day
Sadly, the days when you woke up without an alarm are gone. But there is an upside.
Now that you have to get up early three days each week to account for your commute, we recommend you get in the habit of waking up at that time every day. On your remote days, that offers an extra hour or two to work ahead on your projects. Or you can use that time to get things done around the house before your workday starts. Then when 5 p.m. rolls around, you can relax
and enjoy the evening.
4. Optimize Your Schedule Based on Where You’ll Be
Most will agree that some tasks are best done at the office while others can be completed more effectively at home. Therefore, it makes sense to arrange your hybrid work week based on where you’ll be working on a given day.
Brainstorming session with your team? Schedule that for a day everyone will be in the office. Quarterly report? Save that for when you’ll be home where it’s quiet and you can concentrate.
5. Maximize Opportunities for Work/Life Balance
By now, you’ve probably noticed that one of the benefits of working from home is that it’s often easier to manage your personal life.
For example, the four-hour window where the HVAC repair guy might show up is infinitely easier to accommodate when you’re sitting at home anyway.
But what about taking advantage of the days you’re in the office? Over the past year, many of us discovered one of the challenges of working from home was building up the motivation to leave the house when we needed to. As such, cupboards coast-to-coast grew bare and home repair projects got put off week after week.
Since now you’re forced to leave the house two or three times per week, make the most of it. Plan to hit the hardware or drug store at lunch and then swing by the grocery on your way home. It will save you time and ensure when you’re looking for something to eat on your work from home day, your choices won’t be limited to pizza delivery.
We hope these tips help you make the most of your new work arrangement!
