During the last several years, organizations have been developing a more flexible work model and hybrid cultures that give employees the chance to work both remotely and from the office. The COVID-19 pandemic popularized this set-up and made the hybrid work model a must for companies all over the world — that is, if they want happy employees. While there are disadvantages of hybrid working and risks of hybrid working, hybrid workplace benefits and opportunities of hybrid working outweigh them.
If you are wondering, “What is the hybrid remote work definition,” hybrid culture examples, or hybrid workforce meaning nowadays, hybrid workplace examples include a considerable percentage of the workforce participates in the so-called “hybrid, work from home” model. In fact, a recent Accenture report found that 63% of “high-growth” companies have adopted a hybrid or “work from anywhere” model.
In order for this new way of working to function well and produce results, businesses have had to develop hybrid work model best practices so that the transition is smooth and effective for all employees. Over the last few years, experts have looked further into how an organization can create its own healthy hybrid culture. Keep reading to learn about some best practices and tips for making your hybrid workforce more functional and sustainable for everyone involved.
Focus on the Onboarding Period
When an organization transitions to a hybrid model, leadership has to empower employees and put trust in them. However, with more flexibility comes more responsibility. People that work from home (or anywhere with stable internet) have to find ways to remain productive. Performance management in a hybrid workplace doesn’t have to be laborious. Providing tools such as hybrid work from home policy samples, establishing hybrid workforce best practices, and sharing workplace learning strategies is key to collaborating and navigating what works best for thriving in a hybrid workplace.
In order for an organization to develop a productive environment, it has to enable and encourage the employees from their very first day in the company. That’s why improving the onboarding period is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful hybrid work model. During those first few weeks, you have the opportunity to not only teach a new hire how to do their job, but also to show them the kind of culture you encourage in the workplace. Great onboarding also means higher retention. 69% of employees that have a good onboarding experience are more likely to stay with their company for at least 3 years.
Additionally, if you want to promote a more flexible work model, your training program should probably be somewhat flexible as well. This might look like giving employees the power to control some parts of their onboarding process. For example, if a new hire needs to complete some training remotely and some training in-office, something as simple as working around their schedule early on can develop mutual trust.
Set Clear Goals and Expectations
Aligning all teams within an organization was always tricky, but with the new hybrid work model or hybrid work policy sample, it has become even more challenging — and even more crucial — than before. More communication, collaboration, and planning is needed for all employees in a hybrid workforce to understand the company’s goals, mission, and vision for the future. Consider implementing a hybrid workplace policy template, offering hybrid work model examples, or sharing hybrid work model policy examples with your staff to ensure a clear understanding for operational alignment.
With that said, most companies that work in a hybrid model tend to neglect this fact and leave their employees in the dark, or at least not as engaged as they should be. The more diverse and widely distributed the workforce is, the more communication it needs to remain interested, engaged, and aligned with the goals of the organization and the objectives they need to achieve.
This is why managers have to truly invest in their employees with a hybrid work model. They need to put in the time to have honest and productive meetings where everyone can ask questions so that all teams are in-tune and working towards the same end goals.
Prioritize Engagement and Communication
If you want your hybrid workforce to excel, you should first take into account how this set-up affects engagement and productivity. One of the most notable downsides of remote work is reduced employee collaboration. When people work remotely, they have significantly less interaction compared to when they’re working in the office.
A 2022 Nature: Human Behavior study found that remote work led to more siloed communication and collaboration. Remote and hybrid work set-ups can also lead to feelings of loneliness and perceived separation from one’s own team. In order to negate that effect, organizations first need to be aware of it. Then they need to develop specific strategies (such as weekly meetings, joint training sessions, etc.) that will encourage employees to talk and engage with each other.
Along with that, having one mandatory day at the office per month is also an excellent way to enable your employees to get to know their team members and establish better relationships in the long term. Good communication remains one of the biggest challenges for companies that have a hybrid work model, which is why having a user-friendly internal communication tool (like Docket!) is essential for promoting more meaningful conversations and cutting down on ineffective meetings.
In Conclusion
In this digitized post-pandemic world, many people looking for a job prefer the hybrid workforce model. Organizations need to continue learning how to make this model more effective, productive, and satisfying so that it can bring positive results for all stakeholders.
Docket is hybrid workplace technology for meeting intelligence that was created with remote and hybrid workforces in mind. With features like shared meeting agendas, recurring meeting history documentation, and a multitude of options for organization and communication, your hybrid workforce will feel closer than ever. Check out our different plans to get started to better support your hybrid work 2022.
