Kirsty Phaal, Dimension Data

The working world still seems a little unsure about what is best – fully remote, fully in-office, or a mix of the two. While each business has to come up with policies that suit its environment and that are based on its unique needs, research shows that hybrid is fast becoming a favoured approach. Offering employees flexibility around when and where they work, some of the big benefits of hybrid work include improved work-life balance, better use of time and reduced operating costs. At the beginning of 2023, Gartner forecast that around 39% of global knowledge workers would be offered hybrid work arrangements by the end of the year. And, according to Gallup, hybrid work is en route to becoming the most prevalent work arrangement in most offices.

E4’s HR and transformation executive, Phylla Jele, agrees. During the attraction and recruitment process, candidates are increasingly asking about the business’ working model because they want to get a sense of what the employee experience will be like before they sign an offer of employment, she says. Hybrid has moved from being a perk to being an employee expectation. But this isn’t a negative for modern businesses. Hybrid working arrangements have become a competitive advantage because they allow businesses to expand their talent pool as they are no longer limited to hiring candidates that live in a certain area.