For 11 years of my 20-odd-year-old journalism career, I’d followed the hybrid work model long before we’d heard of the word hybrid in this context. I’d opted for this because I had a young son I wanted to spend some quality time with him without giving up my professional life. There was little chance I could expect such flexible hours as a full-time employee. In India, work usually meant working long hours in an office space—the easiest way to earn brownie points with most bosses was to stay at your desk, in plain sight, till the sunset for an added bonus. That is until the pandemic forced us to explore WFH and, later, a hybrid model.
So what can hybrid working mean? Most organisations have used the last two years to experiment with different permutations and combinations to find one that works best for their sector. While for some, it could mean having employees come into the office on a rotational basis, for others, it could mean having their workers operate from co-working spaces or homes.
For employers, it has led to hiring more talent from across the globe, lower real estate costs, etc. For employees, it has resulted in better work-life balance, hence better productivity. The advantages have been phenomenal, and both have fast recognised the benefits of this working style.
Conde Nast is one such organisation that quickly adapted to the work from home model—the new hybrid model is just a natural extension. “We are able to meet safely in small groups for meetings and conversations that need to happen face-to-face, and also continue to work from home. We work in a creative business, and sometimes being in the same space, brainstorming and sharing inspirations helps develop ideas—this is harder on platforms like zoom,” says Renuka Modi, director of operations, Condé Nast India.
Several companies have enjoyed success despite the challenges of the new normal. Atout France’s India chapter managed to pull off three of their biggest B2B annual showcases virtually over the last two years. “Webinars, e-learning modules, enhanced content creation, panels, immersive breakout sessions, from high tech to hybrid—we have, like most other establishments, dabbled in a slew of tools, platforms and mediums to continue to stay connected and keep the interest for France alive,” says Sheetal Munshaw, director, Atout France India.
By its very nature, the hybrid model also addresses several issues that had cropped up due to WFH and remote working. Some of these include employee burnouts, lack of bonding, loneliness, mental health issues, lack of mentorship, collaboration and the like. In fact, a recent LinkedIn study revealed that 55 per cent of young Indian professionals felt handicapped by the lack of sufficient opportunities due to “less face time with bosses and leaders”, with 86 per cent strongly backing the hybrid work model for its positive impact.
Interestingly, the biggest beneficiaries of this working model (besides most companies and their workforce, of course) are the co-working spaces operators. ‘The Future is Flex’—a survey by property advisory CBRE South Asia—estimated India’s flexible office spaces to expand 10-15 per cent year-on-year during the next three years, with Tier 1 and 2 cities driving the growth.
Take Dextrus, for example. The co-working space in Mumbai has seen a 100 per cent growth, with the second centre launched at Mumbai’s Peninsula Corporate Park, in the thick of the pandemic, witnessing a 95 per cent occupancy within 90 days of its launch. “We have several reputed institutions and multinationals who are a part of our community—ranging from banking, construction, logistics to cosmetics etc.,” says Robin Chhabra, founder and CEO, Dextrus.Given the pros, both Modi and Munshaw, like most, believe the hybrid model is here to stay. “Our head office was already transitioning into a hybrid model even prior to the pandemic; however, the pandemic has accelerated this process, and it is, in fact, a way of life for our Parisian colleagues already,” says Munshaw. There is a serious thought to deploying the same across the network in keeping with the local sensibilities and specificities. “In the India office, we find that it is the viable and conducive way forward especially given the travel time spent in the city, which could be put to much better use. However, it’s still a work in progress,” she says.
“OUR HEAD OFFICE WAS ALREADY TRANSITIONING INTO A HYBRID MODEL; HOWEVER, THE PANDEMIC HAS ACCELERATED THIS PROCESS. IT IS, IN FACT, ALREADY A WAY OF LIFE FOR OUR PARISIAN COLLEAGUES .”Sheetal Munshaw
Modi adds that the last two years have proved that it is possible to work efficiently and effectively from home, “but one has to see how it works for the business long-term. I think most businesses are more than willing to give it a try—and evaluate it as [the]needs of the business and its people evolve.”
It’s a whole new ball game for retail entrepreneurs, however, who’ve had to innovate and rely on digital solutions ever since the pandemic hit in 2020. While it appears the worst may have passed, keeping both the workforce and customers safe continues to be one of the biggest challenges. “Our staff is double vaccinated and masked, but really it depends on the comfort of customers, which is why we have both an online as well as offline presence,” says Pallavi Swadi, former finance professional turned designer and founder of the popular children’s wear brand COO COO.
“THE KEY IS TO TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES. TO EMPOWER THEM AS WELL AS TO SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS. YOU NEED TO FIND A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU.”Pallavi Swadi
As the retail sector continues to explore new technologies and incorporate AI into its business strategies, Swadi has managed to make the hybrid model work for her. “The key is to trust your employees. To empower them as well as to set clear expectations,” she says, admitting it may not be not as be as easy for others in the industry, “You need to find a system that works for you.”
Then there are some like Civic Studios who preferred to get their whole staff back in office as soon as possible. The research and production company creates “comic content for the janta”, making it essential for them to be in the same space, says Anushka Shah. “For an organisation such as ours, the feeling of sitting in the same room, brainstorming and cracking concepts cannot be compared to zoom calls. We thrive on conversations; hence it was important for us to return to the office,” she adds.
With the pandemic showing no signs of going away anytime soon and newer variants popping up every few months, the hybrid model seems to be the best way forward. And for a country like ours, as founder and CEO of Mirabilis Inc, Riddhi Wallia aptly puts it, “Our cities are bursting at their seams—a little less of us on the roads and in public transport will do so much good to those who need to be there.” What does the future hold? We will know when the future comes. 2020 taught us one thing, and that is to live in today, and by that accord, our present at work is hybrid.