Over the past year, the business landscape underwent many changes, including the adoption of digital operations. As more and more people moved to digital workstations and started working from home, it quickly became clear that it was a beneficial choice for them and the company at large. It’s clear, however, that this setup doesn’t work for everyone all the time.
To adjust to these changes, companies have to accommodate those who thrive in and out of the digital realm. If you want to do that effectively, you have to create a hybrid workplace that brings everyone together — and without the chaos. Accomplishing that goal will keep your hybrid workforce productivity high, ensuring you can continue meeting your goals year after year.
Ready to get started? Here’s how to create a hybrid work environment without sacrificing productivity.
Harness the Chaos by Using Effective Hybrid Remote Work Models
From the outside, a hybrid workplace model can inspire visions of utter chaos. Thankfully, that’s hardly the truth as long as you properly plan your approach and organize your teams to best suit your organization’s needs.
To find your perfect balance, you can explore hybrid remote work models from your favorite companies. Look at how they manage their teams and tasks, then emulate their approach to achieve great success.
You might want to emulate a company that has dedicated at home and onsite workers or allow for a flex approach that puts the decision into your employees’ hands. Either way, you’ll want to determine what your hybrid working definition looks like and then share it with everyone on your team.
Create a Schedule to Bridge the Gaps Between Employees
A company-wide hybrid working policy means fewer workstations than employees. While this keeps your equipment costs in check, it could result in conflict if too many people decide to come into the office at the same time.
To avoid that scenario, plan to use a schedule to determine when employees will grab a desk and work onsite. You can set up the schedule for your teams or allow them to hash it out amongst themselves. Just be prepared to resolve any conflict that might arise if multiple teams or individuals decide they need to come in at the same time.
One idea may be to assign days alternating colors to create an easy-to-remember schedule. (Example, on blue days, sales and marketing will be in the office. On white days, the engineering team will be in.) Align this type of scheduling with intense meetings like brainstorming sessions to better facilitate participation.
Note the difference between a flex schedule and a hybrid office. Companies that have a flexible schedule allow employees to change work locations throughout the day and work during un-structured business hours–often outside of the traditional 9-5. If you want to maintain additional structure, be sure to outline office policies regarding mid-day transitions. Perhaps it would be acceptable if employees worked from the office in the morning and commuted home during lunch. Alternatively, it may work best that everyone be allowed to transition whenever they prefer.
Confirm Your Tech Stack Works for Absolutely Everyone
With a hybrid working policy and working from home, you need a tech stack that can stand up to the challenges. Otherwise, you could find workplace productivity plummeting as employees try to find workarounds for the ineffective systems.
You’ll likely need to invest in a full suite of collaborative tools and software that allow for open communication and resource sharing. Beyond that, the tech stack needs to securely store important documents, track projects, and manage relationships with all your clients. Remember to bring in tools that help you make the most of your meetings, like Docket, so that you can collaborate better than ever before.
To figure out what will work, look at your company’s hybrid workplace to find the systems that support your operations best. Then, give them a try to see what sticks.
Create Multiple Feedback Channels to Improve Your Hybrid Workplace
Use feedback from your employees and clients to verify that the processes and systems you’re using work as intended. If they have any ideas for improvement, promptly address them to keep productivity maximized.
For your processes, you’ll have to find a workaround that makes up for the workplace’s lack of direct observation. Your managers and other leaders cannot simply look around the room and see how things are going, after all. Instead, you may need to employ checkpoints for each project that give team members a chance to provide updates.
As far as your tech stack goes, you may not need to change it too much if the systems have the requested functionality. Instead, focus on training and support to get everyone on the same page. In the end, no matter what roadblocks you see while reviewing feedback, respond to the problems fast to avoid drops in productivity.
Gauge the Success of Your Hybrid Workforce Using Key Performance Indicators
Unlike an in-person office environment, leaders and managers can’t take a quick glance around a room to know if things are working or not. It is critical to set up multiple checkpoints and feedback loops to make sure problems surface fast and are addressed quickly. Making this a discussion point at every weekly meeting or retrospective and asking individuals during regular one-on-one meetings can help to provide management teams with the information they need to solve problems before they negatively affect a productive working culture.
Feedback is just one tool you can use to see how your hybrid working model is helping you achieve your company’s goals. Another way to do that is by using key performance indicators to gauge the success of your workforce.
You might want to measure lead acquisition, sales, or revenues, for example, and track the progress your team makes quarter after quarter. Then, go back and compare those metrics to before your company transitioned to a hybrid working model.
When you commit to taking the right approach, you can create a workplace environment that works for everyone on your team. Although it might seem counterintuitive, their productivity will likely increase as a result of your efforts in developing the perfect hybrid workplace model for your company.
