The remote working trend has led to various alternative work arrangements for many organizations. The hybrid working schedule is one approach companies use to provide flexible work alternates for their employees. Hybrid schedule employees are those who work from both the office and remotely.

A mix of in-office and out-of-office options are suitable for those with commitments outside the office they need to attend to or those who feel they can get more done from home. However, organizations new to implementing hybrid schedules soon discover it is no walk in the park.

Hybrid working comes with unique challenges, such as communication breakdown, suppressed productivity, working environment quality, etc. The following guidelines can help eradicate or minimize the negative impact of hybrid working.

1. Create Strong Communication Channels

When employees work apart, it is common for them to lose connection. Since there is no frequent physical interaction, communication can break down quickly. Having strong communication channels with hybrid employees is essential to avoid detachments.

Establish strong communication channels with employees and check in with them often. Have known periodic sessions of virtual engagement, including a medium to raise issues as they arise and receive immediate resolution.

Advancement in technology has enabled various virtual communication channels such as RingCentral. Consider relevant technologies that enable constant communication at the click of a button. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is one technology used by many companies to transmit digital data. One may ask, what does VoIP mean? Simply put, it is the technology that makes the transmission of multimedia content, particularly voice and audio data, over Internet Protocol networks possible.

2. Allow Employees to Customize

Some organizations box employees into specific time slots for easier monitoring when implementing hybrid work approaches. However, such prescriptive allocation can be negating because not all employees’ circumstances are similar. You may end up placing specific employees in an arrangement that works against them.

Allow employees some latitude to customize their work hours, subject to meeting desired minimum work hours per day. Choosing work hours means working when you want and how you want. If an employee needs to carpool their kids or run out to an appointment during the workday, that should be doable.

Allowing your hybrid employees the flexibility of work hours means they pick their best hours to concentrate on the job and enhance productivity. If need be, ask your hybrid team to have a shared calendar revealing when they are available and their work location.

3. Focus on Outcomes

The bottom line for all organizations is for employees to meet their work deliverables, whether working remotely or in-office. Focus on all hybrid working arrangements should ensure optimal output from all employees and less focus on in/out time logs.

Focus on your employee work outputs and not the intricacies of achieving them. Employees have different personalities and inclinations and are productive under distinctive circumstances.

Research shows that introverted employees find it operative to do no more than two days in a row in the office. Compelling such an employee to more in-office workdays reduces their productivity. As long as the work gets done on time and in a satisfactory manner, that is all that matters.

Focus on giving your team the tools they need to succeed and less on micromanaging how they spend their time. To set the pace for deliverables, be sure your team knows the expectations and goals for their work.

4. Give Employees a Remote Setup

A conducive work environment enhances the performance of employees. Some organizations ignore the remote setup requirement leading to work discomfort and compromised deliverables. Make sure your hybrid team has the same or very similar setup at home as they have in the office.

Setting up employees in a conducive work environment may require some resource investment. The cost should not discourage you because it will provide returns through enhanced productivity. The employees will deliver better with flexible work hours and make your business more profitable.

You can also consider making your technologies as mobile-friendly as possible using cloud-based software and mobile laptops. People naturally engage with their mobile more frequently and carry it everywhere. Communication through the mobile phone receives immediate attention compared to other modes. For example, if a team member needs to run a quick errand during the workday, they can still communicate with their team.  

Support Hybrid Schedule Employees, Increase Your Business Productivity

Hybrid working unlocks business productivity. Employees are at their best when they work with hours and locations that complement their personal lives. To unearth the benefits, you only need to facilitate your team with the appropriate resources and friendly policies for this alternative working mode. You will soon be on your way to harnessing the positive outcomes of hybrid working.