AWA Home > Optimising hybrid working
What we do
Hybrid working is an employment model that allows employees to split their working week between home and the physical office. But while hybrid working comes with many well-documented benefits, it also creates unique challenges relating to culture, retention, productivity, and more.
We work with leaders to implement multi-disciplinary programmes designed to overcome these challenges and help hybrid organisations thrive.
In a nutshell we…
- Agree C-suite vision and guiding principles
- Assess what’s currently happening
- Develop cross-disciplinary hybrid working strategies
- Develop and support your people managers
- Monitor, review and modify your hybrid working policy
We are trusted by industry leaders
Our research shows staff often work more effectively in a hybrid working model
The expectations of employees have changed and hybrid working is a pre-requisite for many. Offering staff the opportunity to work at home and the office is an essential part of providing a modern employee proposition.
Increased productivity
9.5 days
Extra days employers gain from hybrid working
Gain a competitive edge
42%
The proportion of organisations yet to introduce some form of hybrid working policy
Report: AWA Hybrid Working Index 3
Trusted by leading companies
“The diligence with which AWA explore our practices and provide us with insightful feedback is impressive, which is why we come back to them time and again. I have no hesitation in recommending AWA to any organisation, no matter how big, as they have demonstrated to us that they have the capability to meet any challenge.”
"We were looking for a partner with a demonstrable global track record, deep understanding of workplace strategy and change with a community of real experts globally.”
“With AWA’s help, we've been able to create a transformational space which supports our hybrid working approach and transforms our culture.”
"AWA has been a great resource of global data and research for us regarding agile, hybrid and the world of working. They are responsive, willing to question assumptions, and work as a partner to help us make good decisions."
"Mintel has worked successfully with AWA for over a decade on several major projects. We chose them for their expertise and experience at the cutting edge of understanding workplaces. They lead the industry with well-crafted research to understand the dynamic workplace landscape and help solve the real-world issues of operating successfully in a changing world."
“Leading a major change management project in complex international organisation is challenging undertaking. I knew it would involve multiple stakeholders, take wide-ranging collaboration and that we would need some expert, confident experience to help steer and deliver it. AWA has provided that, not by steaming in and dictating how things should be based on their ideals, but by listening to us, learning, understanding and advising."
"We were really keen to understand how the learnings and behaviours of Covid enforced home working would affect the post-pandemic return of staff and in particular to our Sheffield campus as we have plans to restack and refurbish the office space. AWA’s detailed and in-depth engagement process allowed us to reach out to all levels of occupants and really understand staff perception on what will be needed to create a new working environment that would align with business requirements and where changes in behaviour, management style and space might be appropriate."
BESPOKE STRATEGY
We provide a bespoke, scientifically-backed hybrid working strategy
We provide a tailored, scientifically-backed hybrid working strategy that answers the fundamental questions you are grappling with:
- How can company culture be maintained in a hybrid workplace?
- How do we find the right balance between working from home and the office?
- How can we use hybrid working to enhance productivity and employee wellbeing?
- How should we develop our leaders to manage hybrid teams?
- How do we maintain our community, trust and relationships?
“AWA have become our trusted advisors in helping us understand our workplace.”
ENGAGE EMPLOYEES
We engage and supportyour employees
We engage with employees across your organisation to ensure our approach is inclusive and holistic, and we’ll support you every step of the way to make certain your tailored hybrid working policies stand the test of time.
Gain expertise
We upskill leaders
Managing hybrid teams requires new ‘transformational’ leadership understandings and practices. We design development programmes based on our scientific research and our three decades of experience.
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84%
Proportion of staff at Amnesty International who feel productive or very productive since working with us to implement hybrid working
OUR IMPACT
How enhanced working practices at the BHF led to increased staff satisfaction
“AWA have become our trusted advisors in helping us understand our workplace.”
OUR IMPACT
Creating a new workplace design that reflected Bupa’s priorities
"I have no hesitation in recommending AWA to any organisation, no matter how big."
OUR IMPACT
How we equipped a leadership community to manage in the hybrid era
"AWA has always responded promptly, constructively and positively with solutions and alternative ideas for consideration."
HOW WE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT HYBRID WORKING
We uncover your DNA of work as a key to developing your future hybrid working strategy
01
Develop the future workplace vision
Hybrid working draws diverse opinions in the boardroom, so we work to debunk myths, contribute expert knowledge and facilitate the creation of a consensus. We support leaders to develop a shared vision of where they want their organisation to be in two years’ time.
02
Assess what’s happening
We discover how your company operates. We weave your DNA of work by establishing the facts on the ground by conducting workshops, holding one-to-one interviews, running staff surveys and carrying out desk utilisation studies. This enables us to gain a comprehensive understanding of your organisation’s workplace and infrastructure constraints, employee attitudes towards hybrid working, and a true reflection of office attendance.
03
Train your leaders to become hybrid working leaders
Using gamified techniques underpinned by the latest science on managing virtual teams, we upskill leaders so they understand the nuances and practices for leading hybrid teams and provide training for managers to discuss the implementation of a hybrid work modelling. It’s a fun, highly collaborative process in which we rethink teamwork and team dynamics.
By sharing data-based insights we evolve leadership thinking and craft new policies and practices to develop the ideal approach to hybrid working for your business.
04
Facilitate Working Together Agreements (WTAs)
We equip leaders to facilitate deep discussion to enhance team performance, while seeking to accommodate the life needs of staff members. In conjunction with the six factors, they establish how your teams should work together when they’re not together. They cover a range of topics including:
- Location of work
- Collaboration
- Time together
- Mental workload management
- Staff induction process
- How to build trust
05
Monitoring, learning and evolving
Business requirements change so hybrid working policies must be able to adapt. We work with you to develop a scalable framework and produce company-specific playbooks to embed the changes long-term. While everything looks good on paper, we know that implementing change requires skill and patience. We can work with you to deliver customised change management programmes.
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The end result
Our target is to enable your business and your people to flourish, having established hybrid work as a core part of your organisation’s culture.
We’ll ensure your business successfully adopts a tailored approach to hybrid working that meets your requirements. You’ll have a set of guidelines to turn to and a way to replicate the results across your organisation globally.
Get in touch to find out how we can help your company adopt hybrid working
WHY WORK WITH US?
At AWA, we’ve been helping organisations navigate a path to agile models of working for more than 30 years.
Our research
Our scientific research and understanding of neuroscience underpin all of our work
Our tailored approach
We understand the challenges your business faces, but don’t arrive with pre-conceived solutions
We’re global, yet local
We have a community of expert consultants across the world who can be relied upon to deliver industry-leading advice that incorporates local sensitivities
We’re fiercely independent
Our solutions and advice are objective and evidence-backed. We're on your side and uninfluenced by commercial drivers
Our experience
Since 1992 we've been at the forefront in supporting some of the world’s leading organisations to implement new models of work
OUR SUCCESS STORIES
We’ve helped our clients save millionsby adopting hybrid working
Our Impact
How we helped WTW save $100m per year and successfully merge two companies
Some of our thoughts on hybrid working
Frequently asked questions about hybrid working
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Hybrid working is an employment model that involves employees splitting their working time between the physical office and remote locations. Some hybrid working arrangements are fixed, requiring employees to attend the office on specific days each week. Others are more flexible, allowing employees to attend largely at their own discretion, based on their tasks and the needs of their team.
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Hybrid working comes with many benefits both to the employee and the employer. In terms of employee benefits, we tend to see the following :
- Improved wellbeing – hybrid working gives employees added flexibility and an improved work-life balance, both of which tend to produce higher levels of employee wellbeing.
- Effective increase in income – commuting costs can be substantial, particularly for those travelling into major cities each day. By reducing the number of days employees are required to be in the office, commute costs go down and disposable incomes go up.
And on the employer side of things:
- Reduced overhead costs – if there are, on average, fewer employees in the office each day, then the need for physical office space falls. This opens up an opportunity for organisations to save enormous amounts of money by reducing their office footprint.
- Larger talent pool – if employees are not required to be in the physical office each day, then the geographical constraints on hiring imposed by commute times & costs loosen substantially. This allows organisations to hire from further afield, thereby significantly increasing the size of the talent pool they are able to select from.
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A hybrid working strategy blends remote and in-office work, offering flexibility while ensuring operational efficiency. Benefits include:
- Increased employee satisfaction and retention.
- Enhanced productivity through flexible work environments.
- Optimised office space and reduced overhead costs.
- Better work-life balance and wellbeing.
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Adapting to hybrid working involves:
- Redesigning workspaces for both collaboration and focused work.
- Investing in technology to support seamless communication and remote access.
- Creating clear policies and guidelines that define expectations.
- Providing training and support for managers and employees to navigate the new model.
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To implement a successful hybrid strategy:
- Assess your organisation’s needs and employee preferences.
- Develop a clear hybrid work policy with defined roles and schedules.
- Equip your team with the right tools and technology.
- Foster a culture of trust, flexibility, and accountability.
- Continuously monitor and adjust based on feedback and outcomes.