The conversation around remote, in-office, and hybrid work has been drawn out for months. With factors like the labor market and employees demanding flexibility, many employers are still unsure of what the future holds for their offices and their staff.
There are benefits to being in a physical office space. There are benefits to remote work. Yet, trying to capture both by creating a hybrid environment can be a challenge. So how can companies win with more distributed teams and hybrid work models?
Asking the Tough Questions
Every company is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach (although this guide for creating remote-ish companies is a great starting point). Take time to consider questions like: What do your current employees want? What future talent needs does your company have that a wider geographic pool could help with? The future of work is full of opportunity, even if it looks different for everyone.
Two-Day Sweet Spot
Harvard Business School published a study indicating that the ideal structure for balancing remote and in-person work for optimal productivity is one to two days a week in the office. This was the stretch of time that provided maximum flexibility for employees to work remotely but reap the benefits of in-person interaction and collaboration.
Fluidity to Address Challenges
In making a permanent transition to hybrid work, companies will be faced with challenges, so flexibility is key. For those struggling with getting the social benefit of in-person time, consider having set days of the week for employees to work in the office and promote collaborative activities on those days. Others may need to create efficiencies that allow for tasks needing focus to be done at home while tasks where feedback is important to occur in-person.
Read more about navigating a hybrid work environment in this issue of The Mid-Point.
Inside this issue
- The Ideal Hybrid Schedule is 1 to 2 Days per Week
- The Biggest Challenges for a Hybrid Workplace—and How to Overcome Them
- What Are Distributed Teams? Benefits, Challenges, and Best Practices
- Best Places to Work 2022: Remote Tech Companies
- OAW Hosts Event with Pittsburgh’s Mayor Gainey!
As the debate continues around what the future of office work will look like, researchers find that spending one or two days in an office each week gives employees the flexibility they desire while maintaining social connection. Read More
As hybrid work emerges as the dominant model at many companies, much of the focus has turned to how to make it work best. When employees work part of the time in the office and part of the time remotely, what are the biggest obstacles to working efficiently? And how can you overcome those obstacles? Read More
Hiring brilliant individuals and building high-performing teams has always required thinking outside the box. And in the era of remote work, that includes hiring outside state and national borders. Global, distributed teams unlock an unprecedented level of flexibility and diversity for their organizations. Companies like Automattic, Zapier, and GitHub prefer distributed teams because it lets them hire the best (not just the closest) talent, gain multicultural perspectives, and keep their business up and running 24/7 with team members spread across time zones. Read More
Americans are leaving their jobs in record numbers to search for something better. So when it comes to the best places to work in 2022, what does that look like? While competitive salary and benefits are always important for attracting and retaining talent, in 2022 it’s all about work/life balance, wellness, flexible work culture, and growth. So we rounded up the 100 best companies to work at in 2022 based on work/life balance, well-being benefits, culture, and growth opportunities. Check out the top workplaces for remote companies that are hiring Midwest talent. Read More
OAW Hosts Event with Pittsburgh’s Mayor Gainey
Please join One America Works and the City of Pittsburgh for a Tech Leaders Roundtable with Mayor Ed Gainey. We’re excited to share best practices of emerging tech hubs from our work in other cities as well as hear from local Pittsburgh based companies about growth, needs, challenges and opportunities. This will be a great opportunity for Mayor Gainey to gain insight and hear directly from Pittsburgh’s growing tech community.
This will be a small, intimate gathering of regional tech leaders taking place on May 26th, 4pm at the Rivers Club. Please register here if you’re interested in attending!
