Working remotely - or coming back to the office – isn’t an easy call for businesses. In fact, it’s pretty controversial. Some people have loved the freedom from commuting, the flexibility, and the autonomy whilst others have battled loneliness and isolation, struggled with competing priorities, and experienced burnout.
Most businesses seem to be opting for some kind of hybrid solution. But mixing in-person and remote workers presents new challenges. On top of continuing to cover substantial property costs, businesses are likely to have to face up to concerns from remote workers that they’re being excluded or passed up for opportunities.
Providing a level playing field and a consistent employee experience for allworkers, wherever they work, is going to be critical to the success of hybrid working. There is no one-size fit all answer. Businesses will have to experiment with a range of solutions to find how they can best address the specific needs of their unique community and culture.
Here are some ideas that you should think about experimenting with:
It may sound obvious but make sure everyone has the right equipment and set up to work effectively. Carry out risk assessments on remote worker’s home offices and consider offering a payment to help them create a super slick, performance-boosting setup at home. Add even greater flexibility by refunding coworking memberships and purchases made in coffee shops
Reorganise the office to maximise connection and collaboration. Specific days could be locked in for in-person meetings and collaboration, whilst other days earmarked for remote work. In-person days might centre around brainstorming sessions, team-building workshops, and one to one performance conversations while remote days would be for work that people can best tackle individually
Provide complete clarity on the use of digital tools and technology. Buffer for instance created 10 agreements for using slack. Unlike in the old days when everyone was in the office, distributed teams won’t always be online at the same time so you’ll have to consider how people can collaborate and share ideas over a longer period of time. There’s no shortage of tools on the market – video conferencing, project tracking, social messaging platforms, and so on - and many have been specifically built to improve remote worker communication. It’s worth doing a bit of research and selecting the ones that will enhance collaboration in your unique culture
Bring newbies into the office for their first few weeks with you to immerse them in your culture and specific ways of working. The office is all about the people who work there so there’s no point bringing them into an empty shell. Make sure they have heaps of opportunity to meet, in-person, a variety of co-workers – leaders, bosses, teammates, etc. – giving them the opportunity to build strong, impactful relationships from day one. You may also want to consider appointing them a buddy – a go-to person that will take the time to share how things work around your place
Try out small things that foster togetherness and build deeper connections, wherever people are based:
Consider holding team meetings as if everyone is working remotely. This will ensure home workers don’t miss out on side conversations and the dynamics of the in-person meeting room - simply request that people in the office connect from their desks
Don’t schedule back-to-back meetings or dive straight into the issues of current projects. Help people build a shared sense of understanding by building time in-between meetings to chat
Hold quick team-building exercises at the start of meetings to create a shared sense of purpose and unity. There are loads of quizzes and short activities that work well remotely – consider things that specifically help people to develop greater levels of empathy and understanding for each other
Sharing meals builds deeper bonds so try out zoom lunches where remote and office-based teams eat together or ordering pizza for everyone working late, not just those in the office
Make sure there are lots of opportunities for people to connect virtually for fun. There are dedicated digital tools that will encourage people to lean into sharing their worlds
Support people leaders to adapt to hybrid leadership. They may be used to holding team meetings and one-to-one coaching sessions in-person, but leading hybrid teams brings different challenges. Help them to focus on inputs, values, and behaviours rather than time spent at the desk. And give them time to work on their skills in online communication, engagement, coaching, and leadership
Crank up communication – it’s easy to forget to communicate with those people you can’t physically see. But, if anything, remote workers will need even more communication to keep them connected and motivated. Make sure you use a wide range of communication methods that don’t leave home workers feeling second best. Video company meetings and consider having a live link section where you bring remote workers into the conversation
Maybe now’s the time to think about adding even greater flexibility to the way you approach work. Are there any further changes you can make that will underpin your culture and drive the success you’re looking for? Consider trialling things like unlimited time off or a 4-day week and see if they help you to achieve your goals
A hybrid setup is hard to get right and the truth is you probably won’t nail it the first time around. The key is to test and learn – experiment with new approaches and adjust as necessary but equally don’t be wedded to things that just don’t work.
We’re working with businesses to help them do more than just get through the current pandemic. We help them see this time of disruption as an opportunity to introduce more human ways of working that put talent and people at the heart of business success. We create communities that are deeply connected to purpose and set up new ways of working that nurture creativity and human connection.
Get in touch if you’d like to find out more about how we can help future-proof your business for success in 2021 and beyond.