Today, an increasing number of companies are embracing hybrid workforces. The combined in-office and remote approach provides employees with a range of benefits, including increased flexibility and better work-life balance. As a result, it can make recruitment and retention easier. Plus, it can allow companies to hire outside of their immediate area, further reducing any hiring woes.
However, managing a hybrid workforce also comes with unique challenges. If you want to make sure you can successfully oversee your hybrid team, here are some tips that can help.
Focus on Trust
While trust is important in any work environment, it’s even more critical when a portion of your workforce isn’t reporting to the office. The lack of in-person action creates a sense of distance between workers and their managers and between remote teams and the organization as a whole. This makes establishing trust harder, as some opportunities to build a rapport aren’t as present.
Additionally, if there are issues with information-sharing and transparency, remote employees will feel in the dark. That can increase anxiety and distrust, harming the broader relationship.
Ideally, employers and managers need to prioritize trust-building. By connecting regularly and keeping team members well-informed, you can cultivate a strong foundation. Additionally, by encouraging team members to communicate with each other, you increase the sense of camaraderie, a situation that can also improve the overall level of trust.
Outline Shared Expectations
With a hybrid team, creating a sense of cohesion is essential. By outlining shared expectations and defining group goals, you ensure that all employees are focused on the same targets. This can align their priorities, ensuring critical projects get tackled first and that everyone can work together to tackle must-do activities in a timely manner.
Usually, your best approach for outlining shared expectations is through a centralized platform. A project management application could be a viable option, as well as specific collaboration software solutions. However, as long as it’s a system that everyone adopts and uses regularly, it can do the trick, increasing the odds that everyone is on the same page.
Make Communication a Priority
When you have a hybrid workforce, you have to adjust your approach to communication. Information won’t spread as organically as it does in a traditional work environment, so you can’t rely on the grapevine or quick standup meetings to share emerging details.
Instead, you need to create a reliable system for keeping everyone informed. Along with collaboration software, weekly check-in emails, automated notifications, and similar tools are essential. Additionally, you need to make using those channels a habit, ensuring no one is left out of the loop by mistake.
Ultimately, you can increase trust and productivity while managing a hybrid workforce by following the tips above. If you’d like to learn more about how you can keep your in-office and remote employees on target, the team at The Squires Group can help. Contact us to speak to one of our workforce management specialists today.
