The Big Debate… Hybrid Working…Do you Love it or Hate it? The world of work is changing, and it certainly looks like the future of work is hybrid. So what practices should you put in place as a business leader to ensure that hybrid working works effectively for the business and your teams.
A poll by Willis Towers Watson found that 2 in 5 businesses will embrace hybrid working going forward, and there are certainly several benefits for both employees and employers, such as:
Better Work/life balance
Reduction in dead time commuting and cost of commuting
More freedom and autonomy
Increased geographic mobility when applying for new roles
Many companies are reporting higher employee productivity, with employees being happier and therefore more productive
Improved employee retention rates – many businesses not offering hybrid models are losing out to those that are, therefore generating a bigger talent pool for those with hybrid models
A reduction in office costs and ability for businesses to grow headcount without increasing space costs
Virtual meeting rooms increase the visibility of senior leaders, who aren’t restricted by the space in physical meeting rooms
Reduction in carbon footprint
However, not everyone wants to work hybrid or at home. A study of 3000 UK adults by LifeSearch found that:
44% favoured hybrid
15% wanted to work from home full-time
36% preferred to be in the workplace full-time
It does have some pitfalls and challenges, including:
People being worried about home and office workers enjoying the same opportunities
Mental health issues of it being unsettling being asked to return to the workplace or being asked to still work from home some of the time when they would prefer to be in the office full-time
Missing human interaction with their co-workers that they don’t get online
Onboarding and training can be harder, especially for new employees to embed themselves into the culture and their teams in a virtual environment
Some people just can’t work or focus at home, either they need the structure of an office environment or don’t have the space/environmental conditions to work at home
As a business leader how do you minimise the pitfalls, and develop a thriving hybrid working culture?
Managing in a hybrid environment is very much like anything to do with leadership and people management, there is no one size fits all but by employing good leadership basics, you can ensure your team performs well. Working with our clients we use our leadership wheel to identify and address some of the core people management challenges that can occur when managing a team and put in place specific strategies to address the individual issues.
Regardless of your office set up, ensuring your employees are healthy and productive is key to getting good business results. In a hybrid environment some of the leadership wheel elements just need more focus, depending on the individual challenges.
We recommend some of these general tips to supporting your team in a hybrid environment:
Operating in a remote or hybrid environment clear direction and objectives are even more important to ensure your team are clear on priorities
Strong targets and results based working practices will support managers in knowing if their people are productive under a hybrid model
Trust your employees to do the right thing. Worker productivity was thought to be impacted by home or hybrid working, however, recent studies knock this thought on the head. Old ways of thinking led people to believe that if they weren’t being looked over in the office by a manager, then they weren’t working. But the positives of working from home appear to have outweighed this, and in general productivity of people is high when home working
Operate on a basis of balancing individual needs and preferences against those of the team and organisation. Encourage and trust employees to select the best place to do their job based on requirements for the day
Ensure hybrid workers get the same opportunities as those attending the workplace on a regular basis. Make sure you communicate with all your team members equally regardless of whether they are in the office or remote
In your hybrid model, choice is key, some people really don’t want to work from home or don’t feel productive at home, so have open and honest discussions at the outset.
Set the hybrid working policy out formally as a company policy. Ensure all employees are clear that this benefit is overruled by poor performance or work priorities
Set expectations about how team members should communicate with each other. If relationships and culture aren’t embedded and a continued focus, this could ultimately have a knock on in staff retention rates. Ensure good team socials or virtual meet ups
Introduce buddies and mentors, this is particularly beneficial for new or younger employees, to ensure they don’t miss out on vital development in the early days of their work relationship with the business
As a leader, more responsibility is on you to ensure you regularly check in with staff, on a business and personal level. Don’t forget to try and simulate the “drinks machine” informal catch-ups, which make your employees feel valued
Regular 1:1s, training plans and team meetings are always key to good leadership and team performance, however, under remote or hybrid working these are even more important to ensure regular check-ins and development for employees
MHL Business Consultants has a solid reputation for the quality of guidance it provides to businesses throughout the UK. MHL prides itself on the ability to bring a level of coaching and consulting talent, previously reserved for boards of major corporations, to business owners of all sizes.
In you need any support in setting a leadership and people management strategy, or operating under a hybrid environment, please get in touch today.
