Hybrid Working: What Have We Learnt So Far?

The past years have demonstrated the evolution of how work can be conducted. It’s no secret that the pandemic forced us to look at the way businesses operate and whether employees should return to the office five days a week.

The adjustment of opinions and attitudes around remote working has given rise to the widespread adoption of ‘hybrid working’ - with 66% of our audience now conducting a hybrid working model. Following the release of our 2023 salary survey, it was revealed that 76% of EAs and Legal PAs/Legal Secretaries have a hybrid working arrangement, followed by 75% of Marketing Assistants and 68% of PAs.

Just shy of a 40% uplift from 2022 figures, wherein 27% of our audience conducted a hybrid working model, flexibility has truly become the new norm and demanded benefit of new and existing employees.

What’s the demand?

When posed the question ‘What’s most important to you in a job?’, our audience responded with an almost even split between flexible working (30%) and salary (32%). The mere 2% difference demonstrates the impact hybrid working has had on our work-life balance. The newfound form of ‘structured freedom’ aids employees on a practical level, with significant cost and time savings, replacing hours once lost to the commute.

Following a year of economic turbulence, the option of hybrid work is a welcomed notion for a myriad of workers. The demand from employees stems from those with compelling circumstances, such as disability, safety, health, environmental matters or financial concerns; swiftly followed by those with a desire to increase productivity and maintain a happy work-life balance.

The benefits of hybrid working:

Hybrid working provides the balance between interacting with colleagues, cementing workplace culture and boosting dopamine across the team, alongside dedicated time for concentrated work. Having the freedom to experience a change of scene induces creativity, fresh perspectives, and arguably boosts productivity.

For business support professionals, in particular PAs and EAs, wherein organisation and time management are a crucial part of the role, hybrid working offers a chance to reset boundaries and schedules. As noted by Megan James, Executive Secretary at ILSPA, PAs are often faced with the challenge of working with individuals with a different working style, resulting in interruptions, information going amiss, schedules having to be changed, and tasks being demanded at the last minute.

Without a physical presence in the office, conversations about what and when things are needed can happen in advance. Proper check-ins can be arranged, and changes to schedules can be appointed via email with fewer physical interruptions. With this in mind, it allows PAs the time to concentrate on the nitty-gritty tasks such as preparing emails, scheduling meetings, drafting letters and reports.

Social mobility:

Across the greater recruitment landscape, hybrid working benefits social mobility and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiatives. The option to hire those outside of the usual parameters of the office allows businesses to seek out desired talent, resulting in an increased talent pool, and an employee map that expands beyond the usual hiring zones.

For D&I, having a structured and supported hybrid system can aid those with disabilities, allowing employers to manage their working lives in accordance with their own needs. By removing the dependency on both working time and place of work, it effectively opens new types of global roles that were previously less viable for certain employees. Removing these geographical barriers makes global roles, truly global.

For a hybrid working model to succeed in the workplace, there are three key elements to consider:

• The need to align the leadership team to the policy: getting the dominant decision makers to pin down the essentials such as the approval process, travel and reimbursement policies and so on, as well as how you’ll integrate workplace culture and team building.
• How hybrid norms are determined: how many days are required in the office? Will a video protocol be implemented to conduct meetings in a structured manner? How strict will the hybrid structure be?
• Building capability and discipline across the business: teaching managers how to connect and manage a remote team, alongside ensuring that all employees understand and adapt to changing technologies, allowing them to work asynchronously.

For business support professionals, especially those in PA jobs, or EA and Office Manager roles, adjusting to hybrid working requires a swift transition to a ‘mobile’ office. The employees you can rely on, those in business support are the backbone of any business - if anything’s amiss, you know they’ll have the solution up their sleeve.

Behavioural changes:

The implementation of structured freedom requires behavioural changes to take place across the business. The way in which we communicate has changed exponentially, with online channels becoming the new norm. This adjustment to online communications is especially vital for PAs and EAs, wherein relaying information back and forth in a clear and concise manner is such an essential part of the role. Mastering the art of assertive communication is particularly crucial for PAs supporting multiple bosses. A form of ‘communication modernism’ so to speak, those conducting hybrid roles, must ensure that information doesn’t go amiss and that each executive is kept up to date when working from a physical or mobile office.

Workplace culture:

With relationship building being such a crucial part of the business support landscape, the reality of hybrid works brings the question of how we replace those ‘water cooler’ conversations into play. Establishing relationships in a technological capacity calls for managers to use office days to implement team culture, as well as to encourage employees to not shy away from messaging colleagues across digital communication channels. Creating collaboration in a remote world is as vital a concept than ever, certifying that colleagues aren’t isolated.

The future of hybrid working:

The rhyme and reason of hybrid working has seen us transform the way we live. In short, the continuation of hybrid working means less overhead and higher productivity. With large corporations downsizing, restructuring office space to better utilise unused conference areas, companies are left with the capacity to invest elsewhere.

Looking forwards, the question remains of whether businesses will place focus on building hybrid working cultures that foster human connection, by integrating various models of communication into organisational processes and workflows.

The success of hybrid working arguably lies in giving people what they want. The companies that win are those that offer autonomy and flexibility - an employee-led future so to speak. This year, following months of economic uncertainty, employers succumbed to the current candidate-driven market, with 60% of our audience receiving a pay rise, and 53% a bonus.

Understanding that flexibility and pay fuel a team's loyalty and sense of belonging set the precedence for increased hybrid working in the future. In the candidate-driven market, loyal, experienced employees, with a dedication to the business, are the top demand.

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