Robert Half, a specialised recruiter, has published a report investigating the rise of hybrid workforces, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, 89% of businesses agreed that hybrid working would become a permanent part of working life moving forward. Similarly, over 80% of employees expressed a desire to continue working from home some of the week (68% for one to three days), whilst just under 20% wanted to adopt full-time remote working.

Employers said that hybrid teams would allow their business to stay agile, and provide better flexibility and work-life balance for employees. Many employers also expect hybrid working to improve talent retention, providing the opportunity to redesign job roles.

However, employers also noted potential disadvantages to hybrid working, in particular, optimising engagement, monitoring workloads and maintaining company culture.

With the rise of hybrid working, the research states that employers are beginning to change the skills they look for in new hires, encompassing a mix of hard skills, such as technical abilities and soft skills, more people-based knowledge.

To read more on Robert Half’s (2021) report, click here.