Coronavirus spread like a wildfire in March 2020 and before we could fathom understand what was happening, people were falling sick and governments all across the globe ordered everyone to quarantine themselves in their homes. For most of us, it was the scariest of all times. We were scared and confused at that time and all we could do for the better of humanity was to stop the spreading of the virus.
Schools, colleges, and other work-related establishments were closed and during this time business owners and HR directors were forced to adapt overnight to the changes so thus all the employees started working from home.
Three years have passed since Covid-19 and remote and hybrid work has turned out to be the new norms for many organizations.
Hybrid work is an arrangement that combines remote work and in-person work, allowing employees to have more flexibility in where and how they work. While hybrid work has many benefits, it also presents some unique challenges. To make hybrid working a success, it is important to understand these challenges and adapt strategies to overcome them. Keep reading this article as we try to understand and answer the question of how to make hybrid work a success.
How do you make Hybrid working successful?
Setting Clear Expectations: One of the biggest challenges of hybrid work is that employees may have different expectations of what is expected of them. To avoid any confusion and misunderstandings, it is important to set clear expectations for all employees. You can do so by including clear guidelines on working hours, communications channels, and productivity expectations. By setting clear expectations, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
Communication is the key: Clear communication is an inevitable tip that applies in many spheres and a hybrid workplace isn’t an exception.
Communication must be a priority because wherever the employee is working, they need to be included in meetings, encouraged to raise their opinions and allow them to feel valued and motivated.
Poor communication raises the risk of division between in-office and remote employees, leaves information and knowledge gaps, and builds barriers to the connection between colleagues which also influences business performance.
Focus on the culture: One of the ways you can make Hybrid working successful is by creating a hybrid work environment around the company’s core values. Brainstorm ideas on how to invest in company culture and find opportunities to be creative. For example, if your company highly regards open communication between the employees, as a manager invite staff members for a virtual coffee to connect with each other. If one of the values of the company is teamwork, think about arranging team-building activities or suggest playing online games that would involve the whole team.
Provide the right tools and technology: To make hybrid working a success, it is important to provide employees with the right tools and technology. This includes laptops and premium subscriptions to software that enable remote collaboration. Investing in the right tools and technology can help ensure that everyone is able to work efficiently and effectively.
Focusing on results: Hybrid work is all about results and to make hybrid working a success, it is important to focus on results rather than how many hours an employee worked. This means setting clear goals and measuring progress based on outcomes rather than inputs. By focusing on results, you can ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives and that productivity is maximized.
Develop a sense of community: One of the biggest challenges of hybrid work is that it can be isolating and lonely. Oftentimes employees feel as if they are freelance contract workers who are there to get the task done. Miscommunication, zero teamwork are few of the side effects when hybrid employees feel distance from their team.
To combat this, it is important to foster a sense of community among the employees. This includes regular team building activities, gathering at social events, and other opportunities for employees to connect and build relationships.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, hybrid work has many benefits, infact I believe that hybrid work is the right model for today’s employees where they have an option to balance work and life at the same time.But with advantages, there are few disadvantages that are bound with hybrid work model.
To make hybrid working success, it is important to set clear expectations, establish communication protocols, provide the right tools and technology, foster a sense of community and focus on the results. By following tips such as these you can ensure that your hybrid work arrangement is productive, efficient and successful.