Remote working has skyrocketed, almost overnight and many companies are grappling with what the future of work really looks like. Hybrid working models, which offer a blend of in-office and remote work, are emerging as a top contender. They allow employees to reap the benefits of both worlds—collaboration and camaraderie in the office, flexibility and autonomy at home—and give companies more recruitment and retention power. However, as a recruiter, I have noticed that job descriptions offering a hybrid working model are scarce in the UAE. Many managers are still hesitant to embrace hybrid working, believing that it may harm productivity and company culture.
Despite the challenges, hybrid working is here to stay. According to research firm Gartner, by the end of 2021, 86% of organizations will have adopted some form of hybrid working model. Moreover, Deloitte predicts that at least 30% of the workforce will be working remotely multiple days per week by 2022. These numbers are hard to ignore, and companies that fail to offer hybrid working options may struggle to attract and retain the best talent. There is also a growing demand for hybrid working among employees. In a recent survey conducted by HR research and advisory firm Bersin, 75% of employees said they preferred a hybrid work model, while only 14% wanted to return to full-time office work. Accenture’s research echoes these findings; its survey of 9,000 workers across 11 countries found that 83% of respondents wanted a hybrid model even after the pandemic, citing flexibility and work-life balance as their top reasons.
There are certainly challenges to implementing a hybrid working model successfully. Companies must invest in the right technology and infrastructure to support remote work, and managers must learn how to communicate effectively with a dispersed team. But as the research clearly indicates, the benefits of hybrid working—both for employees and employers—are too large to ignore. Companies that embrace hybrid working and find ways to make it work for them will come out ahead.