The hybrid workplace model came with a lot of advantages and some disadvantages. The organizations who were aware of how an effective hybrid model works knew what steps they should be taking to tackle the problems faced by their people in that model. It has become important to identify the challenges which something new brings with it because it is going to be much easier to solve them once they have been identified. That is why we have come up with the major problems faced by people in a hybrid work model and how they can be solved.
- Self Organization – This problem belongs to the off-site team, that is, the team which is working from home. When a person is working from their homes, then the casualness of being at home affects their work as they do not wish to organize themselves. By organization, it means that they should have a proper workplace which is free of any kind of disturbances, they should know when to take the breaks and how long they should be. Also, the employees must be aware of how long they have to work. Doing so would not only help them get organized, but it will also add up to their productivity.
- Time Management – The teams working from both homes and offices must know that they are expected to perform as per the time restraints that have been imposed by their respective employers. During that time frame, they have to be at their productive best and make sure that the company is getting exactly the kind of work for which it is paying. However, the difficulty arises when the teams lose the sense of time because of factors like disturbances, unscheduled breaks and lack of supervision. This must be avoided so that the company does not suffer.
- Irregular Breaks – Another problem that occurs because of the lack of focus and determination from the in-house and work from home team. Taking breaks at an irregular interval has cost many companies some very important deals because the employees spent the precious time they could have used for providing inputs to their managers in taking a quick coffee break. This is highly unprofessional and is criticized by all the people who are working in a corporate job. Therefore, irregularity in the breaks must be avoided.
- Not Knowing When To Stop – It is understandable that some employees want to be the greatest assets for their companies by working tirelessly on every single project given to them. But working without taking proper breaks is certainly going to take a toll on the physical and mental health of those employees as they did not realize that the time has come for them to relax. Relaxation period is important for every person and it must not be avoided at any cost because it provides your brain the much needed break from the work you have been engrossed in.
- Lack of Collaboration With Office or Home Team – The team working from office would have to wait for the response from those working from home when the latter is busy in dealing with their household chores. Similarly, the team working from home would find it difficult to establish a proper channel by which the exchange of information can take place between them and the in-house team when the in-house team is busy with an important project and they could not be on the line with their counterparts. This lack of collaboration caused due to the communication gap has the potential to ruin an organization.
- Technical Issues – The technologies used while working from home are made by humans only and therefore they are vulnerable to the damage that can be done by the several technical and environmental factors. For example, the breaking down of a power supply line wire can affect your work because after sometime your computer would get discharged and you will not be able to do your work then. The same happens with the on-site teams when the office Wi-Fi is down and they have nothing to do for the best part of the day if the problem is not resolved.
So, these were a few problems which employees of different organizations have to face when they are made to work in a hybrid remote work model. These problems play a major role in affecting the productivity of an organization which could be responsible for the eventual downfall of that organization. The solution of these problems must be found out so that they cease to exist before doing any harm. Therefore, it is imperative for the employers to consider these issues as a matter of serious concern so that the productivity of their employees is not affected and factors like harmony, integrity and discipline at remain intact at the workplace.