The modern workplace has gone through several transformations in recent years. In 2019, in-office work was considered the norm. In 2020, there was a massive shift toward remote work, followed by discussions about the hybrid office model in 2021.
In 2022, the hybrid office model has quickly become more commonplace than ever, defining how offices will continue to work long into the future.
One of the main features of hybrid office environments is the flexibility that employees have to work from home or at the office, with a frequency they can determine autonomously. Companies that adopt the hybrid work model can take advantage of several cost-effective benefits, including:
- Productivity Increases
Giving your employees the option to work from home or the office will empower them to balance their workloads and take ownership of their workday. For example, they now have the flexibility to work on team projects in the office and focus better on solo tasks at home. Working at home enables them to complete assignments without being interrupted by co-workers or other typical in-office distractions.
They also have the flexibility to come into the office in case there are distractions at home, such as children being home from school for the week, noise from construction or home renovations, or visiting relatives.
In other words, the hybrid model provides the opportunity to stay productive under virtually any circumstances and the ability to switch locations to suit the employee’s changing work needs.
- Operating Costs Lower
Businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs. The hybrid workplace model offers many opportunities to significantly reduce operating expenses. For example, you won’t need the same amount of physical space, allowing you to reallocate the office space or downsize.
You’ll also be able to cut down on office supplies such as pens, paper, and filing cabinets and reduce spending on equipment maintenance, repair, and replacement. There will likely be a decrease in your energy bills too.
Although not a corporate operating cost, your remote employees will also save on commuting expenses such as gas, parking, and public transit.
- Improved Employee Satisfaction, Culture, and Retention
The hybrid work model often leads to happier employees who have the autonomy to choose a work environment that suits their work-related needs. On some days, hybrid workers can choose to work from home, but they also have the flexibility to come into the office for team meetings, events, or tasks they can’t complete at home.
This gives workers a high level of job satisfaction and an improved work-life balance, building a positive company culture. Happier employees tend to stay at companies longer, leading to better employee retention rates and reducing recruiting, hiring, and training expenses.
- Better Talent Attraction and Recruitment
When you require workers to come into the office every day, you’re limited to hiring local workers. A hybrid office opens you up to a broader pool of talent from anywhere in the world, especially for in-demand roles that can easily be done remotely, such as accounting, sales and marketing, and tech.
Also, with an increasing number of companies transitioning to the hybrid model permanently, much of the best talent will avoid applying to companies that stick to the traditional in-office model.
- Employer-Employee Trust Improves
Allowing your employees to work remotely without constant supervision demonstrates a level of trust that they’ll be as productive as they would be in the office. As a result, your hybrid workforce will likely have greater respect for your organization, keeping them more engaged and invested in helping the company reach its goals.
Managers will also save time by not having to monitor employee productivity, allowing them to concentrate on more critical tasks that build company revenue.
- Visibility into Employee Performance Is Better
Optimizing employee performance is critical to your company’s long-term success. The hybrid work model gives you improved visibility into productivity through shared technology and collaboration platforms that allow your employees to work remotely. This technology gives managers a clear picture of employee activity, allowing them to identify who’s meeting deadlines and hitting milestones.
With this information, managers can assess employee performance more accurately and take action to improve weaknesses and fill gaps. They can also reward high-performing employees and address potential issues with workers who struggle to complete tasks.
- Continuous Learning Possibilities Expand
Successful companies understand that ongoing training and skills upgrading are crucial to long-term success. The hybrid office allows remote employees to focus on online training and opportunities for learning outside of the distractions of the physical office, leading to a workforce with a more diverse skill set.
More skilled employees also improve job performance and growth prospects, breeding your company’s future leaders who will help maintain your company’s sustainability in the future.
- Improved Working Relationships & Team Collaboration
Modern productivity and communication software allows for seamless team building and collaboration between office and remote workers. Digital conference tools allow for quick meetings, knowledge sharing, mentorship sessions, and regular one-on-one chats with employees to develop strong relationships.
The hybrid working model also provides the flexibility for face-to-face interaction across departments, teams, and workgroups in the office when required. Actual in-person contact helps employees foster deeper bonds, trust, and engagement, enhancing innovation and collaboration.
- Well-being & Mental Health Increase
Working from home gives employees the opportunity for better mental health. The hybrid model reduces or eliminates many daily stressors associated with the in-office model, such as commuting, working through lunch or rest breaks, or staying in the office late to meet deadlines.
Remote colleagues who feel disconnected, isolated, or lonely working from home still have the opportunity to come into the office for in-person interactions that will help protect employee mental health.
The hybrid office environment allows everyone to determine when to work in the office or at home, allowing them to choose a frequency that suits their work style. This arrangement creates a positive impact on mental health outcomes.
- Better Employee Work-Life Balance
Many companies promote a healthy work-life balance in their recruitment messaging. The hybrid work environment makes achieving and maintaining it easier than ever.
A positive work-life balance lets workers synchronize their personal lives with their workdays. For example, when working from home, remote employees can use breaks to carry out tasks such as dropping off their kids at school or visiting the doctor. This gives them control of their daily calendar, helping them focus on projects during working hours. It also eliminates the need to leave the office and commute home to carry out personal or family tasks, severely impacting productivity.
- Employee Health & Safety Improves
A positive work-life balance that comes with the hybrid workplace model also helps prevent burnout and minimizes stress. This is crucial to maintaining mental health and well-being and avoiding related physical conditions such as hypertension, chronic pain, and heart problems. Being overly tired from work and commuting stress will also help protect employees’ immune system, resulting in fewer sick days taken.
Allowing work-from-home can also mean fewer days absent when an employee’s child is ill or when the employee has a medical appointment. Plus, a hybrid employee who can visit their doctor regularly will likely be healthier, reducing time off being sick.
Even if hybrid workers do develop a minor health ailment, such as a cold or sore throat, they’ll be able to stay productive without taking an entire day off. They’ll also already be isolated at home, eliminating the risk of infecting others in the office.
Realize These Benefits with ACI’s Hybrid Workplace Program
One of the easiest ways to transition to a hybrid workplace and take advantage of these benefits is to partner with a company with the experience, expertise, and technology to help your company succeed.
For over 40 years, ACI has helped companies transform their daily tasks with efficient, cost-effective document scanning and Business Process Automation (BPA) solutions. We’ve designed our solutions to be completely customizable to your company’s needs, delivered with a customer service experience unparalleled in our industry.
Our Hybrid Workplace Program can help you achieve a smooth shift into a hybrid office model with a step-by-step strategy that makes business process automation effortless, allowing for business continuity and zero interruption to your team’s productivity during the transition.
Basic cloud document conversion and retrieval
Start enjoying the benefits of the hybrid office quickly with these three cost-effective solutions that use cloud-based technology to streamline and optimize your business processes:
Document Conversion
A remote workplace staple, converting paper documents to digital forms the foundation for any hybrid office transition. This solution involves scanning hardcopy documents to digital format and establishing a central content management repository in the cloud for quick and easy access through ACI’s FileManager™ solution. Digital documents such as AP invoices, AR remittances, bills of lading, and human resource records can be retrieved and processed using strict access protocols to maintain security. ACI arranges document pickup and transportation to our secure facility for scanning, saving your team time and effort.
Mailroom Conversion
Move closer toward a streamlined digital workplace by automating your mailroom. Digital mailrooms operate the same way as document conversion, with the added benefit of ACI picking up your physical mail from a secure lockbox and converting it into digital documents at our secure facility. This allows hybrid workers to quickly read and address incoming mail from any connected device.
Remote Deposit Capture
ACI’s convenient Remote Deposit Capture Lockbox solution helps streamline your AP processes and protect your cash flow by automating the capture and deposit of all your cheque remittances. We’ll collect the cheques on your behalf and deposit them electronically into your account at your preferred financial institution. All captured data is available for you to load into your finance system for complete, transparent payment tracking.
Advanced cloud business process automation
Once you have the basic digital document processes in place, complete the transition to a fully hybrid office with business automation solutions that allow some of your key departments to run seamlessly on an easy-to-use digital platform that provides optimum collaboration and productivity:
Accounts Payable Automation
Automating your AP department helps free your staff from repetitive manual processes such as mail handling, data entry, and hardcopy approvals while increasing efficiencies and cutting costs. Review, approve, and pay invoices faster than with manual processing with ACI’s AP Assistant™, helping you strengthen supplier relationships and prevent penalties from late or missed payments.
Travel & Expense Management
Enhance the employee experience and minimize corporate risk with ACI’s Travel & Expense Management solution, a valuable extension to AP Assistant™. Allow your employees to quickly and easily submit their expenses remotely while eliminating hardcopy filing, long delays, and policy compliance errors. Managers can immediately review, approve, and reimburse expenses and access reports that allow them to quickly review spending, identify trends, and use that information to negotiate discounts.
Accounts Receivable Automation
ACI’s AR Assistant™ helps companies improve cash management by making the payment process fast, simple, and stress-free for their customers, enhancing their experience and resulting in repeat business. You’ll also get real-time snapshots of your customers’ and partners’ payment habits, helping you learn more about what’s happening financially within your company.
By implementing these automated solutions step-by-step, you’ll have a hybrid office environment that will help you streamline processes, reduce costs and improve long-term profitability.
Click here to learn more about how our Hybrid Workplace Program can support your transition to a hybrid office model and help make your business more profitable today.
We’ve also created an informative guide to help your organization in its transition to a Hybrid Workplace model. Click the button below to get your very own copy of the guide.
