63% of high-revenue growth companies utilize a hybrid work model. 69% of companies with negative or no growth, meanwhile, prefer employees fully onsite or fully remote.
The majority of employees—98%, in fact—want to work remotely at least some of the time. Over half of them find it harder to connect with their coworkers when they’re remote, though.
So it’s no wonder that 68% of US workers feel that a hybrid work model is the perfect compromise.
While this has the potential for huge business rewards and boosts to employee mental health, it also comes with unique challenges.
So how do you manage a hybrid work model? Let’s take a look at how to get the most from your hybrid workers:
Have a plan and set guidelines
Employees need to know what you expect from them. That starts with setting clear guidelines around things like working patterns, team tools, and company norms.
Do you expect them to be in the office for set hours each week?
Do you not mind how many hours they work, so long as they get the job done?
The clearer you communicate your expectations of employees, the happier—and more engaged—employees will be. And, the more your hybrid work model will help with employee retention and attraction.
Coordinate when everyone is in the office
It can help to have a set day when everyone from a particular team—or within the company—visits the office. This ensures everyone can organize meetings or social engagements around the day they plan to be there. It can also help with things like desk allocation.
Alternatively, get employees to coordinate with their colleagues so that if they do want to meet up in person, they can.
Ask employees what they want
The type of hybrid work model that works for one business may not work for another. That’s part of why it’s important to ask employees what they want. There are so many different ways to do it.
What kind of hybrid work model would be best for them? How many days per week or month do they want to come in?
Do they want a flexible arrangement?
The more information you can get from them, the more informed your decisions will be. And the happier employees will be with the outcome.
Make the office inviting
Offices can be dull, dreary, uninspiring, and uncomfortable places to work. You’ll get far more out of employees if they want to be there.
No one wants to be cramped in a cubicle or stuck in an office that was last redecorated in 1983.
So how can you show off your brand in your office? How can you make it inviting to employees and guests?
Could you provide ergonomic furniture? A more inviting color scheme (that reflects your brand’s personality)?
And how you can encourage collaboration within your meeting spaces? Flipcharts? Interactive whiteboards? Different seating layouts?
Don’t forget to factor in somewhere employees can go for quiet time, too. Offices can be noisy environments. This can be distracting and/or overwhelming for employees, especially if they spend more time in the office than not. And this can lead to a reduction in productivity if you don’t take this into account.
Employees need somewhere they can go to focus on their work, free from distractions from colleagues. Whether this is in the form of bookable meeting rooms, booths, or a coffee area, is up to you.
Making the office inviting is about so much more than just adding a pool table. In order for the hybrid work model to work for you, you need a positive and engaging office environment.
Create systems
The more specific, easy-to-use systems you have in place, the easier it makes it for you—and employees—to manage your hybrid work model.
How will you organize desk allocation? Will you have a hotdesking system? What booking software will you use?
What about meeting room management?
How can employees find out if their colleagues are in the office?
One thing that can make a huge difference is to…
Use the right tools
Technology is key to a hybrid work model. It can help with project management, track who’s in the office, manage desk allocations, facilitate remote computer maintenance, and so much more.
It’s also important for communication. If employees aren’t in the office every day, being able to hop on a video call or drop someone a message means that projects don’t have to come to a halt just because someone isn’t physically present.
If you already have remote workers who can’t commute into the office, project management software and remote communication tools ensure that everyone stays on the same page regardless of where they’re working from.
Some software options include:
- Project management
- Workplace analytics
- Remote maintenance
- Video conferencing
- Instant messaging
- Screenshot recording
Adapt based on the findings of your software
Workplace analytics software enables you to see how often people come into the office, what tools they use, etc. It allows you to manage resources based on how many people work in person, and monitor how people use the space.
This information means you can work out exactly how much space you need, so the office doesn’t feel too big and empty or too small and cramped. So then you can work out if you still need that huge office space, or if you can reduce costs and reinvest the money elsewhere.
Workplace analytics software empowers you to take a data-driven approach to your return to office, so that you get the most from the space and your employees.
Remember: it’s not one-size-fits-all
28.2% of employees currently utilize a hybrid work model. As more businesses want employees back in the office, and employees crave human connection, hybrid working could be the perfect arrangement.
But what works for one company may not work for another. After all, every person, every business, and every industry works differently. This unique combination of factors means that you have to keep communication open to find out what’s working and not working for your employees.
If you’re looking for an easier way to keep employees connected and thriving under your hybrid work model, Workrowd’s all-in-one suite of tools can help. With all your employee groups, programs, events, and resources under one roof, team members always know where to go to get the information they need.
Whether your people work from home, the office, or somewhere else, Workrowd keeps everyone aligned. And with real-time analytics, you always know what’s giving you the most bang for your buck.
Ready to make the hybrid work model work for you? Visit us online to learn more, or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com.
