How do you Improve the Hybrid Workforce Experience? Best Practices Guideline

Over the last few years, our working habits have changed considerably. We quickly transitioned from working on-site only to isolated home offices. And now, as we are trying to go back to normal, asking your staff to return to the office full-time does not seem reasonable. So what is the New Normal? Workers have noticed the benefits of remote work and, although they wish to come back to the office, they would also like the option to operate from anywhere. Hybrid work is the solution to help you align with your employees’ expectations and the future of work trends. However, this requires a few adjustments, including the way you coordinate people.

How can you be a good leader when your team members are located in different places? Here is a clear guideline about hybrid teams’ best practices that should help every manager create a positive hybrid workforce experience.

7 Best Practices for Hybrid Teams to adopt

1. Find your own communication strategy

Communication is very important for every organization as it has serious consequences on the business and on your employee experience. But this is even more crucial for hybrid teams. A good communication strategy helps avoid misunderstandings, the creation of silos, and the rise of conflict. Whether you use Google Drive, MS Teams, Slack, Zoom, or any other digital tool, the key is to find what works for your hybrid employees and matches their needs.

2. Get the support you need with hybrid technology

Technology in the workplace is booming. Make the most of it by using hybrid tools that support your employees to embrace the benefits of flexibility. Why not implement a desk booking app, for example? What about a hybrid scheduling software for easily planning and having a clear overview of your hybrid week? Stay up to date with new tech as automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are drastically changing the way we work in addition to playing a huge role in staff retention.

➡️How does desk booking software work? Request a free demo of the deskbird app!

3. Ask for feedback and analyze data

When you are not meeting your team on a regular basis, you may miss some information and be unaware of any issues they may encounter. The best way to make hybrid work for everyone is to directly ask your employees about their thoughts and how they feel. Also, thanks to workplace technology, you now have a key source of information: workplace analytics. These insights can help you spot working habits and improve your hybrid workforce experience based on actual data.

4. Focus (even more) on your employees’ wellbeing

As we mentioned, when working remotely, it is harder to spot issues within your team. Therefore, you need to pay greater attention to signs of boredom, exhaustion, burnout, etc. For example, an employee that keeps rescheduling conference calls either might not be comfortable with this means of communication or could be experiencing Zoom fatigue. In both cases, this can have serious consequences. First, it can affect their physical and mental health. Second, it can lead to less engagement, productivity, and a lack of purpose, which can eventually heavily impact their work.

5. Remain available like you are when on-site

This does not mean you have to be on Slack 24/7. It is critical, however, that you are available and support the members of your team who are working from home as well as those in the office. It is also important that you are part of the virtual conversations and that you know what is being discussed even though you are not all the time together on-site.

➡️What is the Great Resignation? Read our article about Employee Exodus to learn more about it.

6. Make sure you keep organizing in-person events

It is important for a hybrid team to all meet from time to time. Allowing both remote work and flexitime is highly beneficial. However, some people might not see each other in real life for months! Humans are a social species and therefore, we need to interact with others in order not to feel excluded. You have to nurture your company’s culture. Maintaining on-site training or organizing a social event outside of the office is a great way to enhance your hybrid workforce experience and strengthen team bonds!

7. Get a hybrid management training

It does exist, and we recommend getting one for every hybrid team manager if possible. In addition to learning how to manage a hybrid team, you also widen your skill set. You can discover all the best practices for leading a hybrid team by finding how:

• to set up a hybrid work model that works;
• to deal with flexible schedules;
• to plan an office space that matches your workforce’s needs;
• to conduct a virtual meeting effectively;
• to be more inclusive in your way of managing;
• and much more.

5 things you shouldn’t do if you want to create a better hybrid workforce experience

1. Don’t forget to reward and show recognition

Showing recognition for employees is very important, even if you do it virtually. There is nothing more frustrating and disconnecting than feeling as though our work is not valued or acknowledged. Your team management should not be compromised simply because you are not meeting in person regularly. The same is true for celebrating goals that are achieved or birthdays, for example. Keep celebrating together as it plays a huge role in employee engagement and team comradery.

➡️Are you wondering how the way we work is evolving? Read our article about the impact of the post-pandemic workforce.

2. Don’t minimize the importance of maintaining a positive culture

If your employees are working from different places and not coming to the office, maintaining a corporate culture may seem impossible. A hybrid organization will have a different strategy for building a positive workplace culture than a traditional organization. For example, if you promote a people-first culture, you need to find new effective ways to have an employee-centric approach even though you don’t see them daily. However, never let your efforts for creating a positive culture slip.

3. Don’t micromanage your team

Regardless of the type of leadership, it is important to keep this in mind. In general, micromanagement is more apparent when managers can’t see their employees. As we mentioned, confidence is the most effective approach for creating an engaged and productive team. Not only does it motivate them but it also encourages more creativity and innovation. New Work is based on flexibility and consequently, trust is a must when it comes to flexible work. Always keep in mind that micromanaging can have a strong negative effect on the hybrid workforce experience. Therefore, it can have a direct impact on your business results as well.

4. Don’t leave anyone behind

Obviously, the right communication tools will help you to implement a communication strategy that works for everyone. In addition, an egalitarian system will help avoid silos and keep people from being left behind. Especially if your company does not require in-person work, some employees can quickly feel lonely. Try to listen and discuss with all your team members but also organize meetings where all of them are present. During video calls, pay attention to those who don’t express themselves and attempt to include them as much as possible.

➡️​​How to optimize your workspace for a hybrid workforce? Use our hybrid office calculator to make the most of your office area and save costs.

5. Don’t make your workforce figure out how to work hybridly by themselves

Hybrid work is a new concept for everyone and some people may struggle more than others to adapt to this change. For example, think about a multigenerational workforce. Millennials and Gen Z employees will likely embrace hybrid work quickly, but what about Baby Boomers who are used to a traditional 9 to 5, in-office schedule? Have a conversation with your whole team and set up a clear hybrid work guideline to help those who may find this new work model difficult.

Hopefully, these hybrid teams’ best practices will help you create a successful hybrid work model and enjoy the benefits of flexibility. At deskbird, our goal is to improve the hybrid workforce experience by delivering people-first hybrid work technology. Would you like to glimpse what the deskbird app provides? Start a free trial to discover the advantages of desk booking and hybrid employee scheduling!