How to make the most of hybrid work arrangements

After more than two years of working from home, many Canadians are gradually returning to the office as more COVID-19 public health restrictions are lifted. While some may welcome the idea of no longer working from home, others might not be as keen to leave the flexibility of remote work.

For those still on the fence about returning to the office full-time, a hybrid work arrangement can be a solution, said Mohit Rajhans, a media consultant at ThinkStart.ca. This is a model that combines remote work with office work. A recent survey conducted by Amazon Business discovered that 43 per cent of Canadian workers said they would likely look for a new job if they were forced to work from the office on a full-time basis.

“We’re building, in real-time, this efficiency equation,” Rajhans told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday. “How are we going to be able to prove that we’re really competent enough to be able to handle this hybrid work situation, [that] it’s efficient for all different types of people, and it’s able to accommodate any type of scenario that is put in front of them?”

The shift to remote work has led to greater digital integration, Rajhans said. This places an emphasis on ensuring employees have access to the technological tools necessary to be productive, he said.

“Some people are just denied basic high-speed internet access and [unable] to efficiently do their work,” Rajhans said. “What we have to do is focus on how to scale up our workforce [and] how to make sure all people feel like they’ve got the flexibility that’s equal.”

Enhanced digital integration in the workplace also raises concerns around surveillance, Rajhans said. This can involve capturing images and videos that can be stored and shared over communication networks for the purpose of monitoring employees, as well as mining group chats, he said.

“Companies aren’t putting these tools in place just because they want to make life easier for you,” Rajhans said. “They also need to understand a little bit about what’s making the company successful.”

Rajhans recommends that workers read their job agreements to get a better sense of what this surveillance might look like. While there are upsides to a hybrid work arrangement, including not having to spend as much time commuting, a lot of work remains in making sure that everyone has access to the tools and knowledge necessary to make hybrid work both accessible and productive, said Rajhans.

“You can give us all the tools that we need, but if you don’t know how to use them efficiently, we’re really not tackling the problem,” said Rajhans. “We got to get some people a little more savvy at being able to utilize these tools properly.”

Watch the full video with CTV’s Your Morning at the top of this article for Rajhans’ explanation of how to make the most of hybrid work arrangements.