Hybrid workplaces are increasingly becoming a new norm in the business world. While it isn’t an entirely new concept, as some businesses had adopted it before the pandemic, businesses that initially relied on physical workstations have a hard time adjusting. Nonetheless, hybrid work models are gaining prominence and are a favorable option for 72% of business leaders.
Essentially, hybrid work models are designed to support in-office and remote company employees. It gives employees the flexibility of choosing where they find comfortable working from. Below are 5 smart strategies to help you implement this work model in your business.
1. Prioritize Next-Generation Experience In Your Office Space
Traditional work offices focused on providing employees with a comfortable physical location to work from. This explains why business owners took time and preferred consulting professional office space brokers like Jeff Tabor Group before settling for an office space. While this remains a tradition, future workspaces focus on flexibility or the ability to facilitate in-person and remote collaboration.
Business owners should merge virtual spaces with physical workstations using technology to help employees complete their daily tasks. This calls for the installation of modern technologies and intelligent devices that facilitate collaboration without hurting employee experience. Businesses should adopt hybrid workplace solutions that allow a seamless transition between remote and in- office working experiences.
2. Create A Conducive Hybrid Culture
Company or business culture significantly affects employee productivity. You should have solid strategies for developing a workplace culture that favors hybrid work models. Despite the benefits of remote work models, you will be surprised to find that not all employees prefer working from home. Similarly, others don’t like working from the office. You should create a culture that favors all employees by:
● Identifying Eligible Employees – Not all employees can benefit from hybrid work. Electricians, pilots, and delivery persons can’t work remotely. There should be clarity on roles that are eligible for the hybrid model.
● Choose The Right Technology – You should invest in the right technology that allows maximum collaboration between teams and departments.
● Don’t Tolerate Bad Habits – Employees can take advantage of remote and hybrid work models and develop habits that affect productivity. You should not tolerate such when building a hybrid culture.
3. Pay Attention To Where Leaders Work From
The success of hybrid work models heavily relies on where leaders and departmental heads work from or spend more time. If business leaders work from the physical office, most employees will also prefer working from their desks. Most employees leverage the perceived benefits of working alongside company leadership.
Returning to physical office space because of leadership unintentionally makes hybrid work models ineffective. Business leaders should find ways of balancing their physical and remote working schedules. For instance, you can encourage departmental heads to work from the office once or twice weekly.
Encouraging company leadership to work from the office also creates an unbalanced culture and possible inequality in employee recognition. Ideally, employees who work closely with company leadership are visible and get more attention. This can disincentivize remote employees.
4. Find Ways Of Gathering Continuous Feedback
The pandemic was a period of rapid change that forced employers to keep checking on employees. Employers had to constantly check on their employees and evaluate how they were adapting to the unexpected remote work. Most employees attested to being distracted and reported decreased productivity during the first few months of remote work.
Businesses looking to adopt hybrid work models should do the same. You should evaluate how your employees are adapting to hybrid work and productivity. This should be done proactively, as hybrid work models make it impossible for employers to monitor employee satisfaction and engagement from face-to-face interactions.
5. Create Opportunities For Your Employees To Connect
While remote work had endless benefits, most employees battled isolation. Employers should provide opportunities for their employees to connect regularly. For instance, you can introduce policies that encourage all employees to meet occasionally in your physical office space. You can also use technological platforms like Slack to promote employee engagement and social interactions.
Endnote
Hybrid work models have become popular among companies and are likely to become the norm in the future. Before adopting this work model to your workplace, you should understand the various intrigues determining success to make an informed decision. For instance, you should consider your industry or niche, company vision, and employee perspectives.
