The hybrid workplace model is a new way of working that gives everyone more freedom and flexibility. A hybrid workplace is one that combines the freedom of remote work with the benefits and accountability of working in an office. The relationship between employees, employers and the physical environment in which they work has changed radically in only a decade. As technology has advanced, these advancements have made it possible for companies to succeed regardless of whether their employees are working from an office or remotely.
But this doesn't mean it's always easy to keep employees on the same page, boosting their productivity and overall success.
Do you have a hybrid team? It can be tricky to understand how to set expectations, run projects and stay organized. Well, take a look at our list of 13 hybrid workplace tips to double your team's productivity and double your productivity in no time!
If you want your team to be effective in a hybrid workplace model, they should have a clear idea of what they need to achieve and how they need to work in order to achieve this.
Spend a few minutes at the start of each day to prioritize what needs to be done. You can do this by yourself or with your team. By prioritizing your tasks, you'll know what needs to get done and by when.
Not only will you be more productive, but you'll also feel more satisfied as you tick things off your list.
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Stay connected and reach out regularly with your colleagues, using video calls whenever possible. The most obvious way to keep in touch is through email, but it's not always the best. One of your employees might not respond right away because they are busy working on a project or maybe they simply forgot about your message for a few days.
Pro tip:
Create a weekly digest : Send out a weekly digest to all employees highlighting what’s going on with your customers, product, and your team. It’s an easy way for teams in different locations to stay up-to-date with what’s happening across the company.
When people are transitioning back and forth between the home and office, they may experience challenges or feel the need to explain why they can't do something.
Cultivating empathy is essential because it creates an environment where employees feel more comfortable asking for help and offering information.
Some employees may prefer to always have video on, while others will want to keep it off unless necessary. Some people may be very responsive outside of working hours, while others might not (and that’s okay). Set expectations up front so your team feels comfortable communicating with each other on their own terms.
It’s important for you as a manager to get clarity on what your team members expect from you and each other regarding office vs. home time and communication expectations.
Even if an employee is on the clock, respect their time and don't schedule meetings at odd hours or for too long. Make sure you have clear expectations for how people should communicate with each other and how others can rely on them.
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Make sure employees have access to the space and tools they need to complete their work. This means giving them everything from quiet areas for focus work and larger rooms for meetings.
Encourage your employees to block off large chunks of uninterrupted time each day for deep work without distractions such as social media notifications or email alerts.
To fully embrace a hybrid workplace, you need to be open and willing to accept a flexible schedule. This means that your team members are free to choose their own hours of work.
For example, if they want to come in at 6 am instead of 9 am so they can go home at 3 pm, let them. Or if they want to work from 11 am – 7 pm instead, allow them to do so. Just so long as they follow the procedures that you set and get their work done on time.
To ensure that your team members know what's expected of them each day, create a daily report template that they can fill out before leaving the office or logging off for the day. This helps employees maintain work life balance while maintaining high productivity.
When you're working from home, it's not always obvious when you're available for meetings. If a coworker calls a meeting at a time when you're unavailable, it can feel like an inconvenience – which can create friction and hurt productivity. The solution is creating a hybrid calendar, so everyone knows when they can expect to be in the office or at home.
This is also a great opportunity to have your team bond in other ways. Instead of sending out only meeting invites and reminders, why not create a virtual space for employees to mingle, take a break and have fun together by scheduling non-work related social events over video chat or phone calls.You can hold an online game night or meet up for a virtual happy hour.
Pro tip: If there are days when all your employees come to the office, you can also plan some fun team building activities in the office or a team outing.
Not sure how to plan a team building activity that is super fun and impactful for your hybrid workplace? Talk to our team building experts and get the best advice for all your team building needs.
This is particularly important when working remotely, but it's always a good idea to make sure everyone on the team has a good idea of what everyone else is doing so they can help out if needed.
For example, if a customer service representative has time on their hands, have them learn how to be a chat agent so that they can help out in the chat department when someone is sick or on vacation.
This will not only help your team become more agile, but it'll also make them feel more connected and keep them from feeling like they're just there to do one specific task.
The idea behind hybrid workplaces is that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to work. Instead, there's a fluid set of options that employees can use and change as needed — allowing them to adapt to changing circumstances and be more productive overall. We are all still adjusting to Hybrid workplace environments. But by managing transitions, keeping teams connected, and growing trust, productivity can rise to a whole new level.
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