Many times, we talk about the future of work. The fact is, we are already shaping the present of work. And it looks hybrid. A hybrid work model, also known as ‘working from anywhere’, is a combination of working from home, going to the office headquarters, and having access to a variety of workplaces. The philosophy behind working from anywhere is that employees should have the means to decide where to work depending on the activities they need to carry out. The trend is powerful and infectious, but the main question is: what are the benefits of adopting a hybrid work model for an organization? In this blogpost we describe three of its main benefits.
1. Improved employee experience
Employees’ desire for more control, flexibility and freedom is at the core of hybrid work models. This delivers immense value for work-life balance and well-being. Having the possibility of choosing their workplace gives employees the option of working next to their gym or arrange a meeting with a customer in a convenient location for everybody invited. This was a dream for most people before 2020 and it is starting to happen now.
Working from anywhere has many perks, including the reduction of time spent in one of the most time-consuming activities that nobody likes: traffic jams. The Netherlands is infamous for its traffic jams during rush hour. In Amsterdam, in 2019, leaving the office during the rush hour would take employees additional 17 minutes for a 30-minute trip (this equals the possibility of watching 99 episodes of ‘Game of Thrones’ throughout the year!). Working from anywhere will give time to employees to decide how to spend their precious time.
2. Contribution to sustainability
A study published by the BBC in 2020 highlighted the surprising fact that the gas emitted by commuters count for around 25% of the global CO2 emissions. Adopting ‘working from anywhere’ will have a good effect on our planet. Having access to a variety of workspaces reduces the need to commute for long distances, potentially replacing car with active modes of transportation like walking, biking and electric scooters.
Besides, a hybrid work model contributes to the ‘15-minute city‘ which advocates for giving people the possibility of having access to their needs by cycling, walking or using public transport within 15 minutes or less. Not only does the 15-minute city reduce CO2 emissions, it also reconnects people to their neighborhoods, contributing to the revitalization of areas.
3. Lowering costs
Last but not least, adopting a hybrid work model means that individual and collaborative work will take place at the headquarters, at home, and in a variety of flexible workspaces. This requires a real estate shift that goes from ‘paying for availability’ to ‘paying for usage’. Adding a flexible layer of bookable workspaces, organizations can reduce their fixed expenses, in terms of permanent rentals or ownership of buildings.
According to prior research, the average occupancy of fixed office real estate is 44%. By adopting a working from anywhere strategy that provided a 50% of flexibility, an organization with 1000 employees would save 47% in real estate costs. If you would like to know how much your organization can save, have a look at localdesk’s savings tool.
Working from anywhere is revolutionizing our lives and cities. Are you curious about it will impact your organization, your life, and the lives of your colleagues? Stay updated on this and more on our LinkedIn page!
