‘Hybrid’ has become a common word in the mid-pandemic era we’re living in. It’s a staple part of surviving the business world at the moment.

After the pandemic began, there was an immediate shift to daily routines. Many companies have had to pivot into webinars and virtual platforms to operate their businesses as usual. One of the significant challenges of the pandemic was the shift to virtual platforms and work environments.

“We suddenly give employees a choice of where they want to live, how they want to work, when they want to work, using these modern digital tools” (Forbes) Larry Ellison, of Oracle, commenting on the future of businesses and remote work.

The question is: will this transition last after the pandemic period? Realistically, the pandemic entirely altered how we run, operate, and view business practices. The landscape of work environments will most likely remain hybrid even after the pandemic period. 

In the end, when you look at the data, it’s clear that the benefits of a hybrid environment outweigh the cons for most businesses. It becomes cost-effective, allows for diversified staff, benefits employees, easily connects your business, and expands reach—to name a few.

Benefits to Remote and Office Balance

Hybrid technology offers a split opportunity for a work environment to appease everyone. It satisfies the needs and desires of employees and employers alike. Hybrid technology allows for options versus everyone going to one office location.

Switching to hybrid with a combination of both virtual and in-office work can satisfy everyone.

Cost-Effective: The opportunity to have a split work environment becomes cost-effective for the company and employees. You save on transportation for your commute as an employee. Employers can minimize budget costs by reducing employees in the office.

Work Life Balance: Employees can work within their schedules. You can have a conference, and some can attend in person and others from home. Stay at home parents can balance childcare with work. 

Unified Team: If you have a hybrid work environment, it can unite your team. It allows for non-local employees to join remotely to office meetings. The flexibility of work or home can increase attendance at meetings. It offers vast opportunities to engage with other employees to unite your company.

Hybrid offers the best of both worlds. It comes with numerous benefits and advantages. With the right technology, you can create a positive, productive, cost-effective work environment.

Increases Virtual Events and Engagements 

Virtual and hybrid events were not as expected before COVID. Companies before the pandemic resorted to primarily in-person events. Until COVID propelled the trend into a necessity and long enough for businesses to reconsider previous practices.

The success of Virtual Components

An astonishing “79% of companies now expect to host events that include a virtual attendance option. Even in-person events regain their normal precedence.” (Martech 2020) The majority feels the need to add a virtual component to their events — proving how effective hybrid events are. You wouldn’t expect high numbers for hybrid events if they weren’t generating attraction and profit.

Expands Reach

Virtual conferences are a perfect way to showcase speakers and engage in critical collective discussions or topics. You can invite speakers from all over the world and expand the potential for ideal speakers.

Save on Costs

Not to forget, conferences are typically expensive, costly for people to attend, and take extensive planning. In contrast, hybrid conferences achieve the same goals, but they cost-effectively for the event organizers and attendees alike. Businesses and corporations can drastically cut marketing expenses by adding a virtual platform or component to their business conferences.

You can modify your current marketing strategy to involve more virtual components in your events. It will immensely improve your reach potential while saving money. 

Expand Your Employee Demographic

One of the best parts of going hybrid? You have access to a global network of potential. You are having an international team versus just solely in the primary location of the business, giving you better chances of finding quality and qualified employees. 

You can create an inclusive and diverse team by expanding your virtual presence and accessibility — all thanks to advanced technology.

Encourages Diversity and Equality

For some statistics, “Women are also more likely than men to report being more productive from home. Remote work can also allow working mothers to stay in the workforce” (Ideal), which increases equality in the workplace and expands opportunities to qualified candidates. You don’t want to miss out on the perfect candidates to apply to your business if they have expenses such as childcare.

Additionally, hybrid work environments allow stay-at-home parents to work within their schedules to balance work and childcare, making it easier on parents and creating a happier and healthier workplace. 

Again, it opens up the potential within the workplace when there’s a level of flexibility between in-person and virtual.

Diversify Your Office

Another benefit is the expansion of a diverse work team. When you expand your reach to hire employees, you’re opening up the possibility of fresh perspectives, new ideas, and different viewpoints that can positively impact how you evolve as a business. Diversity only enhances a work environment, and hybrid allows companies to connect from wherever.

Lastly, a hybrid work model can strengthen organizational performance by attracting top talent, and help your organization stay agile in the coming years—all due to expanding your employee radius beyond the physical location.

Will Hybrid Work Environments Thrive in the Future?

How do employees feel about hybrid work environments? People are split between the balance of a hybrid workplace. The verdict seems to straddle both options. 

“According to a survey by Microsoft, over 70% of teams want flexible remote work options to continue post-pandemic, while over 65% are craving more in-person time with their teams” (AI Journal). These stats alone signify the divide between in-person work environments and remote work.

Some people miss the connection of working in person and like the structure of going into a work office. Others like having a separation between work and home. Employees often enjoy attending live events and personally engaging with others. 

However, on the flip side, many people, especially with families, enjoy the flexibility. People like to avoid a long commute and prepare for a workday every day. For these folks, hybrid is a win.

Hybrid technology isn’t slowing down since there’s a split among preferences, and it’s the best option to satisfy everyone. Chances are, moving forward, we will see divided virtual and in-office environments offering an exciting new era of traditional work environments.

As Ellison said, “It’s not like we’ll never go back to the office, but we’ll never go back to the office 9 to 5” (Forbes).

What’s the best part about a hybrid environment?

You can have the best of both worlds.