The world is changing at a fast pace and with global events such as Covid, organisations have now started to implement a hybrid working approach for much of their workforce. However, many leaders are finding it difficult to juggle learning and development within the organisation, whilst trying to manage teams in a totally different way. But we are here to support you and help you continue to succeed with remote working and a hybrid workforce.
What is Hybrid Working?
Hybrid working is a type of flexible working solution whereby an employee is encouraged to split their working hours between the workplace and a location of their choice. Whether that be from their home or a coffee shop, they can choose a remote working location that isnāt their usual base of operations.
More organisations have recognised the benefits of allowing employees to work within a hybrid environment. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, businesses had to quickly implement the remote working solutions, to protect the health of their employees. Since then, it has shown employees that remote working solutions can be effective, have a positive impact on employee wellbeing, whilst still retaining a high productivity rate.
What are the benefits of hybrid working and offering remote working solutions?
Hybrid working, offers huge benefits for the employer, who are adapting to these new ways of working. We will cover some of these benefits below.
Benefits of hybrid working:
- Reduction in overhead costs. – This allows employers to have more budget to invest and improve the organisation.
- Hybrid working is an attractive benefit for new employees and can also help retain staff as it is easier for them to maintain work/life balance.
- Employee health and wellness improves, reducing stress and improving mental health, which can often lead to an increase in productivity levels
In fact, according to research, 53% of workers want a hybrid working model, globally, where at least half of their time is spent working remotely. This survey also revealed, that 71% of workers now have a set-up at home which allows for effective remote work
However, with all these big changes and transitions, there are always challenges which companies experience whilst setting up hybrid working, but these can be resolved, Have a read of our 7 Nightmares of going hybrid post which covers all these concerns.
How to effectively implement hybrid working and remote working solutions?
If you are considering moving to a hybrid working environment, there are a few things that you should consider. Our top tips are:
- Maintain a high level of communication
- Have/outline a well-defined team structure
- Implement simple organisation tools
- Encourage an open environment to enable employee feedback and ensure that remote workers are provided with the same training and opportunities
High level of Communication
If you want to manage your team at its best, you need to have excellent communication skills. If managerial communication is lacking, this can reflect on the productivity of the team. Effective communication between managers and employees is vital for a well-functioning workplace.
To implement effective communication, it is essential to plan monthly or weekly catch ups with each employee, allowing them to express their feelings, feedback, complaints, suggestions and make sure that everyone has a voice in the company.
A well-defined team structure
The team structure of a company is fundamental because it provides a guide to all employees, defining the official reporting relationships that administer the company’s healthy workflow. A formal profile of a company’s structure also facilitates the addition of new positions within the company, giving a flexible and ready means for growth.
The impact of hybrid working has changed many things, especially how roles within an organisation are evolving, so we encourage the leaders to effectively communicate with employees the correct job role, description, and what kind of responsibilities it will face.
Simple, yet effective organisational tools
Itās essential for a Hybrid workforce that the tools are flexible and accessible. A great example is cloud working that allows employees to access and store data in the cloud.
Cloud working is an excellent resource for a hybrid workforce because all the employees can easily access data, from anywhere, at any time. Many platforms also allow multiple users to work on the same document/data. Therefore, cloud working is a great tool to implement into a hybrid workforce as it makes projects and collaborative working easier and more effective whilst working remotely.
Employee feedback/training/opportunities
Organisations should be able to monitor the productivity of each employee and ensure that employees are always supported, even with hybrid working. Therefore, we suggest allowing for employee feedback or to run employee surveys. This ensures employees can share their thoughts and their requirements.
Another aspect you need to consider when implementing a hybrid working model is training and progression opportunities. You need to ensure that all employees have access to the same training opportunities to be able to progress in their role. Online and hybrid learning can provide this as well as other benefits including:
- Reduced costs
- Time optimisation and better organisation
- Improved employee knowledge anytime, anywhere.
- More productive employees and higher revenue.
How Ontrack can help
At OnTrack, we have an expansive history of providing tailored solutions for businesses. This means we have the knowledge, and through the last few years, the experience of what a hybrid workforce requires to work effectively,
Our blended programmes and digital learning content include:
- Hybrid Working in my organisation
- Managing the return to work
- Managing Hybrid Teams
- And much moreā¦
On Track can help you overcome many business challenges such as career progression, hybrid transitions, manage and leading hybrid teams and develop the plan for your organisation.
To help you out further we have created a Hybrid Working report to provide you with more information before you make the change.
Alternatively, to find out how we can support your business to implement a hybrid working model, contact us today.
