Offering a hybrid work environment is quickly becoming the new norm in many industries. Introducing this balance of working in-office and from home is not only appealing to potential candidates but can also be hugely beneficial to the running of your business.
However, for your hybrid workplace model to be a success, you need to ensure all remote employees are able to be active participants in everything that they would be involved in at the office. Your workplace needs to be built on inclusion to prevent any bias or inequity between those working from home and those in the office space.
Here are our top tips on the hybrid work environment best practices and how to ensure your hybrid work model is the most successful it can be.
Equipment
Ensuring you can provide team members with the right equipment not only when they’re in the office but also when they’re working from home is vital. Not only for your productivity as a business but to also prevent your employees feeling like they need to buy a piece of equipment themselves that they’d usually have in the office.
iPad or laptop rentals are a brilliant solution to ensure you can provide your team with everything they’ll need away from the office without breaking the budget. Ergonomics is also an important piece of the WFH equation, pair the laptop with an external keyboard, mouse and monitor to replicate the in-office environment.
Support for those doing remote work can go far in making your employees feel valued, so consider a stipend for any additional home office expenses. Plus, including any required premium software on their devices is an important investment.
This could also mean optimising your office space and meeting rooms so that any employees that are attending virtually are not left behind. Equipment like good quality microphones and video walls can help greatly in guaranteeing your smooth transition into a hybrid work environment.
Flexibility
Allowing your employees to choose the days they are in-office will be hugely appealing to new hires and important in retaining valuable current employees. Flexibility in work schedules is an important feature for many people looking for a better work-life balance. You can’t market yourself as having a flexible work environment but then require employees to work in-office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you say your schedule is flexible, then mean it.
Allowing employees to work asynchronously is another smart way to attract more talent—if you require employees to work 9-5, even if they’re at home, you’re not actually as flexible as you make yourself out to be. Many people are looking for hybrid work due to other commitments that normal office hours don’t allow for—why not appeal to a wider talent pool by offering this concession.
Socialising
Socialising is a big part of a traditional workplace culture. Even when people are away from the office, it is important to maintain social activities and networking opportunities to encourage community. Consider introducing virtual networking or organising social outings for your team on a regular basis. This will give your remote and in-office teams the opportunity to build rapport and a happier work environment.
If you’re stuck for ideas, ask your employees what they would like to do for the next social event. You could vote on each outing or schedule in the most popular ideas for the year to give all of your employees a social event to look forward to. This will also help build workplace community and inclusivity—both of which are greatly appealing to new hires.
Avoid micromanaging
Hybrid working is becoming more common as candidates search for workplaces with more freedom and flexibility. If you’re going to offer greater freedom in your business, you should back it up by allowing employees to manage their own time and workload. This will show your team you trust in their abilities to problem solve and work autonomously, plus it gives them the freedom to create their own path to the set goal. Oftentimes strategies that work well in-office are difficult to reproduce with remote workers so why not allow employees the ability to work out their own strategy.
Avoid micromanaging by hiring employees you trust to work productively with minimal supervision. Set goals for your hybrid team and let them decide how they are going to complete them.
Career development
Be proactive about the evolving needs and goals of your employees. As we know, so much can change in the span of two years—working from home was rarely offered in many corporate businesses before 2020, but now it’s prevalent in many industries.
At the core of hybrid work environment best practices is catering for your employee’s changing needs. This means you should be proactive about providing career development opportunities. This demonstrates to your employees and potential candidates that you are serious about the importance of flexibility in your hybrid workplace.
Create the ideal hybrid work environment for your employees
At Hire Intelligence, we help businesses make the most out of hybrid work environments. With high-tech equipment at competitive rates, we are the number one solution to any hybrid work environment that your business and employees need. Receive a quote within 20 minutes and start increasing productivity and employee happiness today.
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