How to help your team thrive in the hybrid workplace

Remote working helped businesses survive the pandemic and as staff now return to the office, it seems that many organisations are keen to retain a flexible working model. But how many are getting it right? With the hybrid workplace seemingly here to stay, we explain how to ensure your team thrives in a hybrid working environment.

For many organisations, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rethink on the workplace. Remote working became the norm overnight, yet as staff gradually return to the office, companies worldwide are choosing to retain a more flexible working model.

In part, this is because staff have embraced homeworking and want to continue post pandemic. In a labour shortage market, it’s clear that offering some remote working could help you attract and retain a more diverse pool of talent.

Not all tasks are ideal for homeworking however, and with employers looking to find a balance between remote and office-based staff, many have adopted a hybrid workplace model. This sees employees performing some tasks from the office, while also working some time from home.

And there are several advantages for employers. Research to date shows that a hybrid pattern can boost productivity and employee wellbeing. Furthermore, with fewer people in the office, it could be a good opportunity to cut down on office space and associated utility costs.

So, as employees alternate between home and the office, the pressure is on for managers to lead the way. With hybrid working set to stay, here’s how to get the best from your team in a hybrid working environment.

1. Employ a shared schedule

When it comes to implementing hybrid working, keeping on top of dates and deadlines is imperative. For managers tasked with organising team input, this means the calendar is king.

Not only will this help you spread staffing levels according to need, but it can also assist in organising tasks that depend on collaboration. Helping you schedule valuable face-to-face interaction while eliminating time wasted on daily chit chat.

Using a shared schedule is a great way to improve visibility for the entire team. This enables everyone to see when colleagues are available; when meetings are scheduled; or when projects are due to complete.

Establishing a clear project workflow is another ‘must’ for management. When some employees are working remotely, it is vital to pinpoint who is responsible for which tasks and have a clear understanding of what they should achieve.

Workforce scheduling tools can also help you improve productivity by managing shift rotations, encouraging breaks, and organising team projects from any location. These tools will be effective for both in-office and remote workers, ensuring you – and your employees – keep on top of daily progress wherever staff are working.

2. Use tools to optimise employee productivity

Unsurprisingly, your employee’s work life balance will be different under a hybrid model.

Working from home allows staff the flexibility to shape their professional schedule around personal commitments. For managers, however, it can be challenging to make arrangements that meet the needs of remote workers while also keeping teams on track.

And it’s not just reduced output that should worry team leaders. Working without the structure of an office routine can result in over work or burnout for some employees, which can also damage productivity.

Productivity monitoring software can help you keep on top of individual and team activity. By layering intelligent software over your existing digital apps, you will have a window into employee work practices.

This enables you to easily track trends in productivity, giving instant insight into peak periods and daily dips. Once you have a true picture of how people are working, you can schedule tasks intelligently to maximise productivity.

For example, internal meetings are a smart way to utilise those low productivity windows. This gives employees an opportunity to reduce the intensity of their workload while still making a useful contribution.

Using productivity monitoring tools in this way takes the guesswork out of managing remote and in-office teams – helping you build a company culture based on trust and communication.

3. Adapt your office space

With a reduced number of staff in the office, employers may find they need less space. By rethinking your office workspace to match hybrid working arrangements, you may be able to cut your office footprint, resulting in lower rental or real estate costs.

However, despite the fact that many businesses have opted for a hybrid model, 63% have not yet changed their office space to suit this new reality.

For the most part, this reflects the fact that companies are still reeling from the events of the last few years. Not all organisations see hybrid as the future of work and even for those that do – managing a flexible workforce can be tricky.

Given the choice, most employees would sandwich ‘wfh’ days around the weekend, meaning office space is overcrowded mid-week and empty on Mondays and Fridays.

Rather than providing employees with unrestricted choice, you may want to establish a rota for remote working, rotating this day so it’s not always a Monday or a Friday.

Alternatively, you could explore a ‘seat reservation’ system. This allows employees to select their days depending on office capacity. According to Gartner, 86% of corporate real estate teams expect to have this kind of arrangement in place by the end of 2022.

Whichever system you choose, as a manager, you’ll be balancing flexibility with the need to plan ahead, so you have clear oversight to organise resources effectively.

4. Introduce a four-day week

One final option in the hybrid workplace mix is the four-day work week. This simple concept sees employees working four days a week and getting paid for five, while handling the same workload.

Research from those companies trialling the system is promising for both employees and employers. Not only do employees maintain the same productivity, but they also note improvements in teamwork, job satisfaction and reduced stress.

By working smarter and utilising the latest tech tools, employees can take advantage of efficiency gaps in their current work model. Small changes such as using streamlined digital tools or automating tasks can significantly increase productivity.

To help employees better manage and optimise time management, Strenstone helps you utilise productivity tools to provide a simple dashboard interface for total visibility into workforce activity. This data driven feedback offers valuable insight on best practice for your individuals and teams – whether staff are working from home or in the office.

With accountability for all, and the tools to predict and improve performance, you will be equipped to help your team thrive in the hybrid workspace.

Contact us today to book a demonstration and see how we can help you transform the way you work and get the best out of your team.