Hybrid working, or the combination between working from home as well as the office, is for most of us, our not-so-new normal. It’s the future of the workplace, so it’s important to make sure that your employees are thriving.
What have we learned?
The past two years has been a massive learning curve, but for many, working from home certainly has its advantages. In fact, about 70% of employees indicate that they work more productively at home than at the office, so giving them the tools and support they need to achieve this is imperative.
What do employees miss?
What many employees have missed is the social side of working: creative brainstorming sessions, developing knowledge together, working as a team etc. Every organisation is different of course, so start a conversation and ask what the needs are of your individual employees as well as the entire team. You can also choose to send an anonymous survey if you feel that you’ll receive more honest replies.
Give your staff some free rein
A hybrid working arrangement means that employees do need to act within certain guidelines. For example, a set number of office days every week, being available at certain times while at home, filling out Covid forms before entering the office etc. However, you do have to take into account the fact that they know what works and what doesn’t work for them. Discuss their hybrid working arrangement upfront and give them the flexibility to choose their workplace and when they come to the office. It is important that employees and managers agree together what the new working hours will be, and how meetings or brainstorming sessions are handled.
Office layout
Make sure there is a visible separation between focus and creativity in the office. You’ll find that many employees will work from home for ‘focus’ tasks. So, set up certain areas in the office to stimulate creative processes, such as talking corners. Remove desks and install bean bags for a chill room vibe.
Try and try again
Hybrid working is new for most organisations so it won’t be perfect right away, and there is no way to be 100% sure beforehand what will work best. Take the time to try things out and keep reflecting on how things are going as you discover together what works best. Use the first three months as a pilot and see this as a learning phase – only make final adjustments after a year.
SkillsTown has a number of courses specialising in hybrid working, including webinars, podcasts and more. Contact us today for a free demo and let us support your new ways of working!
