In the era of COVID-19, hybrid teams are a new reality. Under this work model, some employees work from the office while others work remotely. When establishing a hybrid workplace, you have to find ways to keep your staff happy and productive. However, because onsite and remote employees have different work experiences, managing a hybrid work environment can be challenging. So what can you do to make your team successful?
Here are a few tips to help you.
CREATE AND SET EXPECTATIONS
To ensure all team members work towards achieving a common goal, you should set clear expectations and consequences for their performance. Make sure you set common rules for everyone so that all employees receive the same treatment despite the different work settings. This way, individual team members will know the part they have to play to contribute to the company’s success. Lastly, resist the urge to micromanage and trust your employees to fulfill expectations.
CHOOSE APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND METHODS
Communication is an important part of team management. To improve the performance of your hybrid team, team members have to communicate effectively with each other. Investing in the right communication tools will enable your employees to stay connected and encourage collaboration. Regardless of where they are working from, staff should be able to access the same information, files and resources. This will keep things running smoothly.
BUILD A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WORKPLACE
Oftentimes, the people in the office will enjoy certain advantages because of a proximity bias. Without proper measures in place, remote employees may end up feeling disconnected and demoralized. To avoid this, you must ensure that your onsite and offsite employees are on a level playing field. Put in place practices that emphasize inclusion and ensure information parity by creating a common source of information. You may also want to make sure that there are equal career advancement opportunities for all employees.
ENCOURAGE TEAM ACTIVITIES
It is important to provide employees with an opportunity to interact in order to help build trust and create a sense of belonging in the workplace. Internal and external team activities will give your staff a chance to be involved and motivate them to help each other succeed. This will contribute to a happier workforce and improve employee retention. In the end, you will have a strong team that works together seamlessly.
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL CONNECTION
Human beings are wired to connect. To make your hybrid team successful, encourage employees to forge bonds and build healthy relationships. Apart from team activities, you may want to reserve time for small talk and personal updates. You can also have a dedicated instant message channel for friendly chats. This allows employees to share their personal stories, experiences and challenges, something that will help to manage stress levels, boost performance and keep staff happy.
OFFER AND SOLICIT FEEDBACK REGULARLY
Constructive feedback not only makes employees feel valued but also motivates them to want to do better. When managing a hybrid work environment, you should schedule a recurring meeting with all employees every month. Getting together occasionally allows team members to share their daily work experiences, concerns, career goals and offer any suggestions they may have. On your part, you will be in a better position to provide the support they need by paying attention to individual needs and wants.
INVEST IN PROJECT MONITORING TOOLS
Developing a system to manage your team will help to ensure employees perform the tasks assigned to them within the set deadlines. With project monitoring software, you can prioritize projects, delegate tasks, collaborate online, manage time and track progress. The right tools will enable you to make your hybrid team more efficient and productive.
We are always looking for talented individuals to join our team. Check out our open positions and apply today.
