Implementing new processes in any workplace will, in most cases, bring about differences of opinions and create new challenges for both employees and employers; and introducing a hybrid work model is no different. Many employees have likely already been exposed to some form of flexible working arrangements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what are the challenges that have presented themselves and how can businesses overcome them to ensure that employees remain engaged, whilst minimising any negative impact on business operations?
Enticing workers to return to the office
Following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are bringing employees back under flexible working arrangements; but what happens when too many employees want to maintain the flexibility of working from home? And how will that impact business operations?
Surveying employees to find out what is needed to entice them to return to the office will help to ease any apprehension, and finding out why employees don’t want to return to the office is the first step to adjusting protocols so more people will want to return. Creating a “why we come to work” document can help to highlight the benefits of in-person work, and remind employees why it supports increased connection, collaboration, creativity, and workplace culture.
Poor communication and transparency
Poor communication within workplaces is widely acknowledged as one of the main factors in employee morale issues. Beyond impacting morale, lack of communication can lead to confusion and isolation among remote workers who feel out of the loop. Sharing all formal communication in writing, even if the same information has been discussed in a meeting, means both employees in the office and those working from home have equal access to important information. Holding regular and consistent meetings, providing clear and efficient means of two-way communication, and having in place reliable systems to keep everyone informed will ensure transparency in the hybrid office.
Maintaining close working relationships
Close working relationships allow employees to be innovative and work collaboratively, preventing silos of knowledge from forming within teams. By organising in-person meetings, whether work related or more of a social catch up, where all team members can interact in person and have casual conversations will help to build good relationships in the office. It’s important to keep video conferencing hardware and software fully operational and up to date. Accessibility to high-speed, easy-to-use technology for those meeting in person and those dialling in can greatly enhance working relationships. Managers and employees who arrange and host virtual meetings should also be appropriately trained on hybrid meeting best practices to ensure remote workers feel included and part of the team.
Managing a consistent work-life balance
Hybrid work can promote work-life balance with reduced commute times and less stress, especially for employees who have conflicting priorities such as families or other important obligations. However, remote work can also cause employees to work increased hours and find it difficult to switch off when the office is only a few metres away at any given time.
The importance of managers explicitly telling employees about the signs of burnout, including exhaustion, poor sleep, physical aches and pains, and negative feelings about work, cannot be overstated. Burnout can be prevented by focusing on one task at a time, and developing a culture of appreciation so individuals and teams are able to celebrate small steps toward a larger goal. It’s also important for managers to promote regular breaks, exercise, sleeping schedules, and a clear end time for the work day for employees. A fake commute where remote workers walk around the block, cycle, or perform some other daily ritual that separates work time from the rest of the day can help prevent work from creeping into overtime.
Favouring in-person employees over remote employees
Remote workers have less time being seen in the workplace, and research suggests that even proactive, hard-working remote employees may earn smaller pay raises, fewer promotions, and score worse on performance reviews than employees who attend the office in-person. Managers should be trained on performance monitoring and utilising evaluation tools that allow for an objective work appraisal of all employees, regardless of whether they attend the office or work from home.
Remote employees should also be encouraged to actively maintain work relationships through regular catch-ups outside of scheduled work meetings. Since remote workers can’t bump into colleagues in the office in the usual way, it’s even more important for remote workers to check in often in order to be equally considered when new projects or promotions come up.
We continue our hybrid work thread next week, where our blog looks at the benefits of flexible working arrangements and how business can utilise a hybrid work model to the betterment of the business and its employees.
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