Why Infosit chose hybrid-remote work: 5 benefits that our employees saw in practice

Greater autonomy over our schedule and our workplace are the biggest advantages of our hybrid mode of working. Still, it brings challenges that we must address, to achieve a balance between working remotely and working in the office. It requires communication, cooperation, and team support, so that all employees feel included and connected. I think Infosit does this well. [Anamaria Š.]

Remote work has become an integral part of our lives, and it’s here to stay. The COVID pandemic made it widespread, pushing companies to experiment with different models as they sought to ensure safety, maintain productivity, and keep employees engaged.

McKinsey found that 20 to 25 percent of workforce in advanced economies could work from home in the range of three to five days a week—which is four to five times more remote work than pre-COVID-19.

As a remote-friendly company, Infosit developed a model that combines remote and hybrid elements. We’ve had it in our company even before the pandemic hit. Employees that want or need it work remotely most of the time. We keep meetings, team planning and brainstorming sessions in the company office, located in the coastal town of Poreč. Those who prefer to work from the company HQ can do that at any time.

Over the past five or six years, Infosit has seen benefits of this arrangement for both the company and the employees.

1. Broader opportunities in finding employment and talent

When open to remote work, companies can choose from a bigger pool of experts to hire. A person living in the Croatian capital Zagreb can work for a software company based in Poreč and be a perfect professional and culture fit. Under an office-only policy this person would be excluded from consideration.

Same goes for employees. If they can work remotely, they can access a larger selection of jobs, way beyond their commute area. Removing geographical limits means that great employees have better chances of finding fulfilling jobs, and better companies to work for.

In our case, it also means that an employee can move to another city, country or even a different continent, and still work for Infosit. We’ve had several successful examples of this in the last 15 years.

When I first started, I worked remotely from my hometown of Rijeka. After a while, I moved to South America and kept working for Infosit. The year after I returned to Croatia, I continued to work mostly from home and going to the office as needed. This setup allows me to balance between productivity and convenience. [Mirta Š.]

2. Flexibility: Less stress, more enthusiasm for work

Hybrid work allows flexibility in the sense that, within reasonable limits, employees can choose where, when, and how they will work. In other words, work can be done from home, from a rented co-working space or a summer house by the sea. With that, Infosit offers a degree of flexibility with work schedule, meaning that working hours can be adjusted to the employee's preferences.

If implemented well, this model will result in happier employees, which often means better coping with stress, and more enthusiasm for work.

Nowadays, with all the advantages of remote working, there should be a balance between working remotely and working in the office. Employees should have a say in how the ultimate combination will look like. It is also important for the employee to be flexible, so that if there is a need to spend more days in the office, to adapt to that. I believe that both the employee and the company should be open and adapt to the needs of the job. I found that Infosit does that very well. [Dean M.]

Flexibility is one of the fundamental values ​​of the Infosit culture. In today's dynamic and unpredictable world, it enables us to cope with everyday challenges more easily and to work more successfully.

3. Sustainable work-life balance

The possibility of combining remote work with that in the office opens up opportunities for building a satisfying work-life balance. It can be tuned in the way that an individual needs at a particular time or stage in their life. Flexibility and autonomy in planning the work can contribute to a sense of control.

Many jobs that are performed remotely have an adjustable schedule. This means that an employee can start and end their working day as best suits them, as long as they deliver top-quality work within deadlines. Over the last five or six years, we have found that greater freedom in time management contributes to the balance between our personal and professional lives. Infosit values work-life balance highly, and that is consistently seen in behaviours across the organisation.

As your life and career unfold, your priorities change. If you have children and want a quality life for your family, you start valuing your work-life balance much higher. At Infosit, we work a lot, and we do great things, but we have the flexibility and a healthy, sustainable balance. [Damir M.]

4. Time & cost saving: Freeing up valuable energy

It is seen as one of the biggest advantages of remote work. When employees do not have to travel to the office every day, they save both time and money that are otherwise spent in getting to and from work. Many have found that avoiding traffic jams and stress associated with long commuting leaves them in a better state of mind. That often translates into more energy for work, family, friends, and hobbies.

A growing number of people in software and creative industries seek to build a lifestyle as digital nomads. Others have found that eliminating commute time allows them to free up valuable energy that can be used to improve their health and wellbeing. Organizations with remote work options can align with these types of needs and expectations more easily.

When you work from home, it means you can sit down and start working at 8AM and finish at 4PM. You can use the time you save on commuting for a walk in nature. In my case, it would be at least two hours a day. [Marko M.]

5. Productivity boost

It’s been questioned whether remote work can be productive in the long run. For us at Infosit, the answer is simple. It all depends on how you manage the team, and on the responsibility of employees.

Some people have fewer distractions when working from home. For those who need to focus on urgent, daily or specific tasks, it can mean more focus and better performance.

It's great when you can do the familiar, operational stuff from your home office. When you need to find a solution together, when the work is more intense and involves more people and communication, then it is better to do it live. In those situations, being in the office means you will get the information and input faster. [Marko M.]

It is important to note that some people are more productive when working at the office, surrounded by colleagues and a particular routine. Hybrid models allow companies to adapt the work environment to the needs of the individual, which can result in increased productivity.

Face-to-face collaboration is a must at times when we are starting to build something new. We usually come across challenges that can be solved in a week or so; sometimes it will take an entire iteration. In those times, it’s useful to be able to pull someone by the sleeve, to let someone look over your shoulder and see what you're doing, to be able to discuss things at that very moment. From a business perspective, these types of office interactions can hardly have an equally successful alternative. Live contact is difficult to replace; some things will simply be done faster in a live team session. [Marko M.]