5 Tips for Fostering a Successful Hybrid Workplace By Benito Keh
April 21, 2022
What are some tips for a successful hybrid workplace?
- Involve employees in planning
- Be empathic
- Think of your remote employees first
- Invest in the right tools
- Create a community
Due to the host of changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to the working environment, businesses everywhere had to adapt quickly. Those who survived the initial wave were most likely able to transition from office work to remote work relatively well. Today, companies are slowly going back to the office as restrictions ease. Being more aware of the benefits of remote work, not everyone is excited about going back to the office and would prefer to stay at home. If you’re a leader, we’ve prepared some tips for a successful hybrid workplace to help you out.
A hybrid workplace is a combination of office and remote work, where some employees can work from home while others work in the office. This set-up should help companies accommodate employees who are not near the office and those who are willing to go back to face-to-face work. But how do you make sure the set-up will be successful? Learn more by reading below!
Involve Employees In Planning
As you start making plans to create a hybrid workplace set-up, you should let your employees speak out about their concerns. Open the plan to them from the get-go so they can express their thought, ideas, contentions, and grievances. This way, you would be able to quickly address any problems and improve the plan based on their ideas. By doing this, you keep the entire team on the same page and planning becomes a collaboration instead of an executive decision.
Be Empathic
Just like when we all first started working from home, going back to the office after roughly two years would require some adjustment. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to consider this and be empathic to your employees. Acknowledge the humanity of every member of your team and help them adjust to the new working conditions.
Some organizations show their care through their employees in a hybrid working environment by offering parental and mental health support. By leading with empathy, the success of your hybrid working environment is guaranteed.
Think Of Your Remote Employees First
When you implement a hybrid working environment, it’s easy for employees working remotely to feel left out or ignored. You can address this by increasing employee engagement with them. Try to check in with them some more, ask for their opinions and feedback, and provide them all the assistance you can give to help them feel like a part of the team. By doing this, you maintain the unity of the organization even when some are not physically present.
Invest In The Right Tools
It’s been a while since you’ve been in the office, and the equipment you have may already be outdated or obsolete. Before going back to the office in a hybrid work environment, make sure all your equipment is ready for use. Hybrid work environments also work better using cloud-based technology to allow all workers to contribute in real-time. If you have the resources, it would benefit you to transition to a more cloud-based setup.
Create A Community
To make sure that the team stays connected and maintains a certain bond despite being in different locations, try to create a community online for them. Empower them by making communities, starting activities, or supporting causes that are in line with their interests. You can use some online tools like Slack to conserve open communication within the team.
Key Takeaway
With these tips for a successful hybrid workplace, you should be more ready to make the transition from remote work. Always think of how you can keep the team united despite the distance instead of favoring only those who show up at the office.
If you need more help in transitioning, you can ask Ferrotech owner, Benito T. Keh! He is a veteran entrepreneur who wants to share the secrets of his success with young entrepreneurs like you! You may contact him here if you want to get in touch!
