Liquid and hybrid work: what it means for companies

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There is no doubt that the world is changing. And it is doing so in leaps and bounds thanks to the implementation of new technologies. Many years ago it was predicted that teleworking would become a reality sooner or later. The possibility of working remotely for a company from anywhere was something unthinkable just a few decades ago.

While this transition was taking place naturally, a global pandemic broke out, accelerating the implementation of this work model throughout the world. Companies and workers have had to adapt and many have even maintained it permanently.

It's not new to hear about hybrid work and liquid work. Both are work approaches in a business team and although they have some things in common , they are not the same. Let's review the differences between both and their advantages for businesses.

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What is liquid work and hybrid work?
Liquid work
To talk about liquid work, we must go back to the concept of "liquidity" that was coined by Zygmunt Bauman in 2000. This sociologist spoke of a liquid modernity, a liquid society and a liquid love. These are all key concepts in a world eager for novelty, where everything is temporary and few things last for a considerable period of time, including jobs .

That is to say, at the present time the term "liquid" is used to australia number data define that long-term relationships are becoming less and less common . Bauman did not apply the concept specifically to companies, but it was soon applied to a dominant trend in many companies for years , which has been spreading across different countries and sectors.

Liquid work makes it easier for companies to have the professionals they need at all times . In other words, workers are not tied to a single company and their work rotates between one and another. They can even do so within the same company, moving between departments and different projects. The goal of staying a long time in a company, even as a desirable milestone, disappears with this concept.

Younger people facing their first working environment no longer aspire to spend their entire life in the same company, as was common in previous generations. In fact, according to a study by Malt, the number of self-employed workers in Spain has increased by 40% in the last decade . In addition, it is becoming more common to talk about trends such as the gig economy, i.e. occasional jobs that are short-term and where contractors are responsible for specific tasks within a project.

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Hybrid work
Hybrid work, on the other hand, is a model that combines digital tools with traditional formats to provide the possibility of working remotely and on company premises. This allows employees greater flexibility and freedom, as they are not fully bound to a physical environment.

It is a model that has also grown exponentially since 2020 . In addition, a recent study carried out by LinkedIn on the future of work revealed that 40% of Spaniards are betting on the hybrid work model . And far from what one might think years ago, this modality does not reduce the productivity of workers and allows them to reconcile professional and personal life .

Hybrid work offers many advantages, but also challenges that companies have to overcome. Although it is a commitment to comfort and gaining quality time, it requires a high degree of commitment and adaptation to ICT on both sides. Many large companies such as Microsoft or Santander are betting on it, and they are already a reference for many others.