Almost two years into the pandemic, the world is rethinking a lot of concepts that it took for granted in the pre-pandemic era. Perhaps the most divisive of it all is the future of work. While global trends indicate that Gen Zs and Millennials are less likely to give up the incredible benefits of remote working, it's true that from an employer's perspective, there are certain things that require hands-on interaction.

And so, where do we draw the line? Can hybrid workplaces–meaning a combination of physical and remote working systems–can be the solution? And most importantly, is Bangladesh ready to make this shift?

We try to find out.

What challenges can an organisation face in a hybrid environment?

According to Mohammad Aiyaz, Operations Manager of a digital customer service startup, challenges depend on the type of the organisation and industry. "Not every company can go into a hybrid nature. For example, a tech-based company will find it more convenient than a traditional bank to go into online collaborative work. Engineers and business-people can easily shift between online and offline work."

It is difficult to enforce honest communication which leads to sudden drops in work performance. "Issues which can be easily resolved off-line now require much more time in cooperation when tackling on-line. At the same time, coffee breaks - a good time to bond with colleagues - are not possible in a virtual environment. Brainstorming is much smoother in an office setting," says Tasfia Tasbin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a digital marketing startup.

In the case of solutions, Ashraful Shabab, a Management Trainee (MT) at the Human Resources (HR) department of a reputed global Multinational Corporation (MNC), says, "The first part is accessibility and safety. Not everyone has the same homogeneity of an office work environment at home. Hence, providing people with the right tools, ergonomic chairs and tips for ensuring minimal burnout was the first challenge that the organisation faced. In our MNC structure, partnering with our global counterparts and moulding proper strategies on a holistic level allowed all countries to crack hybrids together."

How to evaluate employee performance in a hybrid work culture?

From Ashraful's perspective on HR, performance on a general scale does not get affected much based on the overall working modality. He said that irrespective of the modality, everyone has to overcome certain challenges, show their grit and get the real results. He also emphasised on the importance of proper company evaluation: "The ones who can are deemed as proper performers and the ones who don't are provided avenues to be groomed and moulded properly."

Companies need to introduce different metrics, assign tasks properly, and monitor whether employees are meeting their targets or not. For example, Tasfia maintains a board system where there is weekly task distribution. The manager should care whether the deliverables are executed properly on time and done well - by each employee. Setting accountability is important otherwise tracking becomes difficult.

However, Aiyaz notes that the point to be noted is that this method of evaluation is relatively easier for job roles like engineering. Such metrics may fail to properly evaluate secondary help i.e. employees who are pivotal to the work environment, but who may not meet their own deadlines.

Is a hybrid work culture more effective than an office-only work culture?

It depends on the role and the company itself.

"For some roles like Supply Chain and Customer Development (Sales), a touchpoint at the factory or the markets is simply necessary - to have a proper connection with our customers and consumers," says Ashraful. "However, for roles which are more strategic and data-driven, a hybrid position has proved to be extremely effective as employees have the option of coming to the office for collaborative projects and staying at home to concentrate on work that needs to be done alone."

According to Aiyaz, younger people are more responsive to hybrid workplaces since they have understood the advantages of autonomy here and are more habituated to text-based communication. Older generations and conglomerates who are used to a pre-pandemic mode of work may find it difficult to adapt.

What kind of benefits have institutions found from implementing a hybrid office?

In his organisation, Ashraful has found a boost in performance and overall employee wellbeing since a hybrid workplace provides employees with the ability to control the balance between their professional and personal hours. This ownership allows a much more satisfying employee experience.

Tasfia has praised how time is saved in attending meetings online, otherwise lost to the incessant traffic jams. "This has also meant that our expenses are reduced in-office maintenance. Plus, the increased time means we get to spend more time with our loved ones and have space, which is very important. As the pandemic has shown, work is not the only important thing in life."

The winners in a hybrid setting will be the winners who can navigate both on-site and virtual worlds well. They are agile in communication, have strong personal relationships with co-workers and managers, have the flexibility and personal accountability.

Are there any negative repercussions of working in a hybrid setting?

"One major one would be a toll on mental health," says Ashraful. "And that's not just because of the pandemic. It's because of the overall change. Since a lot of people have a tougher time adapting to new ways of working (senior employees or employees who didn't have cross-functional exposure), this did have some negative repercussions."

At the same time, employees who already struggle with feelings of ostracisation may feel worse. For the managers, lack of information and communication from their subordinates can make them feel like they're losing control.

In such cases, if the organisation provides counselling services and a peer community to their employees, it can help ease the mind of their employees who can find a better headspace to focus on both work and wellbeing.

What to keep in mind before implementing a hybrid office?

A company is built by its people. Therefore, it is integral to ask their opinion if they're ready to embrace this change. Much weight has to be given to HR too. Surveys, polls, and honest communication are necessary before implementing any strategy.

A lot of employee experience digitsation needs to be present for a complete hybrid experience. Including proper accessibility and safety metrics. Also, making way for more hybrid collaboration is key. Ashraful adds, not a lot of employees might even need to come to the office; thus, specific seats for each employee may not be necessary."

It is also imperative to find the sweet spot of online and offline work for each role before the hybrid work mode rollout. 

Moreover, based on key employee insights on experience and regular performance appraisal in the new modality, the tweaks need to be done for the system to be perfect for all.

As Ashraful says, "The key thing to remember is that this modality needs to be beneficial for the people. So keeping them at the centre and working around it will always provide the best result."

Another critical thing to learn is to appreciate the value of time. Tasfia observed that in online meetings, some people tend not to value the time of the other party. If a meeting is supposed to be for 30 minutes, it should end exactly in 30 minutes.

What is the future of the hybrid workplace in Bangladesh?

Despite the ongoing popularity, a hybrid workplace is not a "one-size-fits-all" approach to solving the pandemic work crisis. Reality shows that not all industries and office cultures are suited to it.

But, that does not mean the hybrid workplace is going away any time soon.

Students, part-timers, and freelancers have been greatly benefited. Traffic jams, distances, and time constraints are no longer obstacles to finding work and enhancing their skill sets, which is what companies desire. Even in her organisation, Tasfia has found a considerable amount of talent outside Dhaka who operates completely online.

Also, given the fact that management will be filled by the younger generation who have adapted to the pandemic, perhaps one-day traditional industries too may see themselves adopting a hybrid approach.

The hybrid workplace model is here to stay. When Bangladesh may adapt it, remains the biggest question.