Mastering the Hybrid Office- Tips for Effective Hybrid Work

Jun 02, 2024

The pandemic accelerated the rising popularity of hybrid working — which is a combination of remote and in-office work. As of 2023, up to 28% of employees have a hybrid work environment. That’s a huge portion of the workforce.

The hybrid working model isn't without its challenges, though. For example, employees often need to adjust workflows and invest in suitable equipment for the home. But the rewards of hybrid work can include savings (related to fuel and other costs), increased opportunities, better work-life balance, and other benefits.

Here are some ideas for how to master the hybrid office model and be an effective, productive employee.

It is often recommended that hybrid workers develop a routine and stick with it. Predictability can have a positive impact on efficiency. For instance, it may be best if you can select which days of the week you’ll spend in the office and keep those constant from week to week. Similarly, when at home, schedule times for meals and reserve certain portions of the day for focused work, setting aside other times for calls and meetings, if possible. This should help in managing your time more effectively. One approach to consider is scheduling meetings, brainstorming sessions, trainings or other collaborative efforts during office days. This will free up your remote working days for focused work that fits within any established routine.

Another useful tip is to consider carrying over certain office habits into the home environment. One such habit is attire.

Many people believe that wearing office-like attire brings associations with work, and likewise creates more of business-like mindset at home. In any case, while it isn't necessary to dress in full office attire when working from home, it could be a good idea to wear something that wouldn't look inappropriate, say, if you were to turn on your camera and participate in a meeting.

If possible, establish a dedicated working space at home. A separate room would be optimal. If that isn’t an option, set up a desk in a room where you can close the door. This is especially important for those who share an apartment or home with others.

Avoid working from a bed or couch. Rather, opt for a proper desk. This not only gives you more space to work comfortably but also allows for healthier posture (more on that later). Similar to how dressing appropriately may put one in a more professional mindset, having a dedicated working space can have beneficial effects on focus and efficiency.

There is a lot to be said about a healthy desk setup. As a rule of thumb, you should remember that you should sit straight, with your back fully touching the chair's back. Your feet should be lying flat on the floor, with legs bent at 90 degrees. The computer screen should be at eye level, and you should be able to view it without bending your neck. Your keyboard and mouse should be a distance that allows you to use them without slouching.

Luckily, many solutions are made with ergonomics in mind. One of the most important items for a home office is a chair. Don’t skimp on getting an office or gaming chair that enables healthy posture for a full day of work.

More and more people are also investing in height-adjustable desks that can function as standing desks. Standing for at least part of your workday can do wonders for your posture. It’s and option you may want to seriously consider.

Other equipment and peripherals — e.g., ergonomic mouse, keyboard, and monitor — are also important. If you use an external monitor, consider getting one with a flexible stand or purchase a mounting arm that enables adjustable viewing angles.

Find more tips on healthy laptop use and laptop setup ergonomics in this article!

When working at home, pay attention to proper lighting. It is very important to ensure you get a sufficient amount of light when working on digital screens. The best light is the natural kind, so if you have the option, set yourself up next to a window. To avoid reflections, make sure your screen isn’t directly facing the light source. Even if you can work by a window, you’ll also need a desk lamp for when it gets dark.

Proper lighting at the home office is important for other reasons, too. In many cases, working remotely translates into many videoconference meetings. Good lighting is essential to ensuring that others can see you clearly. Likewise, you'll need to place your light source behind your camera, with the light source directed at your face. Just remember to choose a light that won't be so bright that it will wash out colors or make you squint.

As a hybrid worker, a laptop will be your most essential tool, and you’ll likely be using the same machine both when at the office and at home.

One laptop uniquely well suited to hybrid workers’ needs is the ultraportable Zenbook S 13 OLED. Equipped with a stunning 13.3” 3K ASUS Lumina OLED display and packing a punch with a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor and up to 32 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage, it has plenty of power to carry you smoothly through your workday wherever you are. at work. It has a rich lineup of I/O ports, with two Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, an HDMI® 2.1 port, and an audio jack. And all of this is packed in a mind-blowing 1 cm-thin body that weighs only 1 kg. The Zenbook also boasts an elegant, sophisticated look that looks good in any environment.

Online meetings, downloading heavy files, and online research can become a challenge if you have a weak internet connection. Your employer will handle the office, but home internet is your responsibility.

To ensure a fast and reliable internet connection, consider installing a WiFi 7 / WiFi 6. This modern wireless connectivity technology ensures plenty of bandwidth and snappy download and upload speeds for smooth online experiences.

Remember to test your signal and place the router strategically to have as good a signal as possible when at your dedicated home workspace. If you cannot move the router and don't have a strong WiFi signal, consider adding another extendable router for better coverage.

The final tip goes back to the subject of developing certain habits and time management. Always remember to take time off. Modern work schedule is designed to provide employees with sufficient off time during workdays to regenerate and gather strength for the next day, then usually two days in a row of break as well which is an office rule you should bring home during your work-from-home days.

It may be tempting to react immediately to emails coming in outside of your working hours or to get small tasks done during the weekend to get ahead of schedule. This might not be a very good idea, however. Remember to give yourself a mental break. You need rest, you need family time, and you need time for hobbies which makes a hybrid work style sustainable.

What was a novel work benefit just a few years back is now an everyday work reality for a very large portion of the global workforce. And there seem to be no signs that hybrid work will disappear soon — if anything, it’s getting implemented in more and more places. It does, however, require different habits and behaviors and a bit of an investment into a home office setup. ASUS has everything you need to facilitate a powerful, ergonomic remote work station for your home. Be sure to check out the lineup of thin and light ASUS laptops via the button below!