How to “Hybrid”

As temporarily remote workers are being asked to return to the office for in-person work, it has become clear that things will not easily or quickly go back to how they used to be.  Employees do not want to go back to “normal” – full-time work in an office setting.  They want a new normal, which includes continuing to work from home, at least part-time.

In repeated surveys, workers are looking to work remotely at least two days each week.  In good news for employers, remote work has been shown to boost productivity.  This is not only something I’ve heard from remote workers anecdotally; it’s also backed up by performance analyses within organizations and across industries.  Possible reasons for this improvement include time saved from not commuting (as well as being in a better mood from not having to commute) and having a quieter work environment with fewer distractions. Working from home benefits your company in addition to the workers who want it.

Even knowing all of that, many employers are still concerned about moving their teams to remote work permanently.  It has been suggested that some work activities are socially based and should therefore be done face-to-face – for example, large team meetings, business lunches, and “water cooler talk”.  Informal communication has also been credited with increases in creativity (for example, overhearing others and improving on their plans).  So, there are proponents of in-person work as well.

So, what should you do?

The attached article notes there is no easy one-size-fits-all answer.  There are simply too many variables in play – your organization’s industry and type of work, customer/client needs and timelines, corporate culture values and priorities, management styles, and more.  Only you can determine what will work best for you and your team (though I certainly recommend also involving your team in these decisions).

Things to consider:

• Do you need people on-site at all?
• Could on-site needs be met over two to three days in-person – giving workers face-to-face time for meetings and social bonding while also allowing them ample time in a quieter setting to work on tasks that require more focus:  dealing with email, analyzing data, creating reports, preparing presentations, and having one-on-one meetings?
• If you do need people on-site, how could you recreate some of the advantages of working from home?  For example, could you offer flexible arrival times so your employees can work around rush hour?  Do you need everyone on the same day(s), or could they stagger in (potentially sharing office space and saving you overhead)?
• What are the constraints you need to consider?  Should all members of a project team be required to come in for the same days?  What happens when some employees are members of multiple teams that come in on different days?  Do all employees need to be on-site the same amount of hours each week/month/quarter/year?
• What aspects of this hybrid environment could be left up to each team?  Could they be trusted (empowered) to determine what would be best for their productivity?  How would differences be addressed if perceptions of inequality arose?

One point worth noting is remote work requires a high level of intentionality – not only among the workers doing it but especially among those who are supervising them.  Remote employees are often promoted at a lower rate than their in-person colleagues – not because their productivity or work-quality is lower but simply because “out of sight, out of mind”.  Remote workers have also noted feelings of isolation and social exclusion.  When you’re not on-site (and especially when others are), you can feel like you’re in this alone, you miss out on the impromptu office lunch or happy hour, and you are less likely to receive accolades and positive feedback.

It may be particularly worth mentioning that, “Women, Black and Asian workers, as well as employees with children under the age of 12 and workers with disabilities have a ‘significantly higher preference’ for working-from-home days than other groups.” (Bloom, see link below.)  If you aren’t addressing the inequities between your remote and in-person employees, you may be unintentionally discriminating against a number of your key people.

• What can you do to proactively prevent this kind of discrimination?  
• How can you ensure your remote workers are staying engaged?  
• What steps can you take to strengthen their bond with your organization (and especially with their colleagues and manager)?

For questions or to schedule a complimentary discussion on how you can leverage hybrid work, to maximize potential and transform to lead a balanced, happier & impactful life, please send me an email at coach@maximizeu.life or call us at 737.300.7667

Live, Work & Lead with greater Freedom, Power & Peace of Mind.

Thanks

Reference

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/10/15/home-vs-office-what-is-the-best-hybrid-work-mix-for-workers