Hybrid Work at idealo: Just a trend or here to stay?

In the last couple of years, “Hybrid Work” has become a heavily discussed topic. The Covid19 pandemic forced many companies to switch to remote work. But was that just a temporary solution or has there been a permanent change in the world of employment?

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, we have proven that idealo is successful in a hybrid work mode with a high share of remote work. Freedom and trust are the motivating factors that determine the culture of our company. And we believe that we are happier and can work more effectively when the job fits our individual lives. That’s why we offer our employees the freedom to choose their workplace. We are convinced that flexibility is fundamental for hybrid working. Our employees are of course always welcome to work from our light-flooded office in the heart of Berlin. But we also offer permanent work from anywhere in Germany as well as temporary from abroad. For so called workations, we work together with our partner WorkFlex to ensure that the process as well as the up to 182 days our employees can work from abroad per year run as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. And what can we say? In the first year of introduction, our employees worked 220x from a total of 48 different countries! The total numbers for 2023 are yet to be published as the year is still ongoing, but we can already say that the numbers have increased for sure.

The challenges of a hybrid work model

All peachy then? Almost. There are of course certain challenges the reality of hybrid work brings. Things like effective collaboration and team spirit of a workforce that is spread all over the world. Another key aspect of the transition to hybrid working for us is also to ensure that employees do not suffer any disadvantages in their careers because of hybrid working. Times spent physically in the office have no impact on personal development opportunities within the company. Also, we introduced various initiatives to ensure that our team stays connected and engaged. Amongst others, we have regular virtual coffee chats, team building activities, online workshops as well as fixed days throughout the year when we all come together in one place. Face to face.

The positive feedback in our employee surveys and from candidates as well as the growing demand for flexibility in the job market show us that hybrid work is more than just a fad — it is a sign of changing times and requires that we change the way we think about workplaces.

At idealo, hybrid work is more than an option. It’s a lived reality. And here to stay.

Explore the advantages of hybrid work and become a part of our idealo team: https://jobs.idealo.com/