Now that the pandemic has thrown fuel on the fire of remote work, most organizations are grappling with the question of how to best balance the needs of the business with the demands and expectations of employees for more freedom and flexibility in when and where they work.
Some are mandating “back to the office.” Others are retrofitting to a remote-only workforce. And most are trying to find the sweet spot with an element of office time and the space for working from home (or wherever one wishes).
We’ve been taken aback by the CEO who tells me it’s back to the office or lose your job. We’re a bit incredulous about the expectation that a trusted employee with twenty years of experience is living in a vacation trailer to comply with her company’s insistence on office time after a reorganization that moved her “office” two hours away. We see and hear the disconnections of employees who have worked for an organization for two years and have yet to meet their boss or co-workers in person. And we understand the complaints of employees asking to come to the office twice a week only to find that everyone is in their office on Zoom.
Finding the right way to do “hybrid” is hard. Very hard. What works for one will not work for all; no “off the rack” solution that fits everyone. There are more questions than answers, and the implications reach very deep into your ability to engage and equip your employees to deliver on your value proposition.
We believe that the right way to “do hybrid well” is to customize your approach to your business needs, employee base, and future vision.
To do that requires wrestling with a series of questions – and asking “how.” How do we find the approach to hybrid that serves our customers, our business, and our employees in the best way?
Your Promise to Your Clients
- Can you deliver on your value proposition with remote employees?
- What jobs require face-to-face, person-to-person connection? To what extent?
- Should your hiring practices change to reflect an employee’s remote communication skill needs, particularly in the areas of sales and services?
Culture
- What are the most important elements of your culture that must transcend hybrid, remote and in person teams?
- Are traditional methods of building culture, such as office perks, company bling and in person events, outdated in the context of a hybrid workforce? What innovative approaches can be taken?
- Do remote work policies lead to a more diverse and inclusive company culture, or do they inadvertently exacerbate existing inequalities?
Fostering Innovation and Creativity
- Does the value of diversity, geography, skillset remotely outweigh in person brainstorming, development and trial and error?
- Can group creativity be fostered in remote or hybrid teams? What tools and training do you need to implement to drive breakthrough innovation?
- What strategies can your organization implement to encourage creativity.
Team Dynamics in Hybrid
- How can you build connection, trust, and a sense of belonging?
- What new norms will teams set in a hybrid environment?
- How will cross-team interdependencies be surfaced and managed?
Talent Attraction and Retention
- How do you create meaningful connections to your organization while fostering community for new employees and their peers?
- What about your “online work environment” and “digitally enhanced culture” will make you the employer of choice for the best talent?
- What talent is critical for your business? Where are they located relative to your physical locations? What are their expectations?
Managing Performance
- How does your approach to hybrid either help or hinder your best people?
- How do you accurately measure the contribution of hybrid, remote, and in-office employees?
- How can you manage/track performance in ways that encourage the right behaviors without being intrusive?
Employee Engagement
- What practices, initiatives, and programs do you need to maintain/increase employee engagement?
- Do community relationships now trump work relationships in employee fulfillment?
- How do we rethink how to engage remote employees to contribute to local communities and volunteering?
Career Progression / Opportunities
- How can you identify emerging talent when it may be scattered geographically with little face-to-face interaction?
- Once you spot high-potential talent, how do you provide opportunities for exposure across the organization?
- How do you ensure equal opportunities for professional development?
Leaders who fail to act swiftly in embracing hybrid or remote workforces risk missing out on crucial opportunities for organizational growth and success. Neglecting to evaluate and adapt aspects such as culture, training, development, promotion, technology, and community in the context of remote work can result in a myriad of detrimental outcomes. Without proactive measures, a company may find itself grappling with a deteriorating culture, diminished employee well-being, employee retention issues and ultimately, dissatisfied customers. This serves as an urgent call to action, urging leaders to prioritize the assessment and implementation of strategies that support a thriving hybrid or remote work environment. Only by embracing this shift with intentionality can organizations truly harness the benefits of these modern work arrangements while safeguarding their long-term success.
As a leader, if you find yourself knowing you need to effect change in this area and are asking yourself right now, “Where or how do I even get started on this journey to hybrid success?”, we would love to help you identify and deliver a strategy tailored to your specific business needs. If you would like a thinking, training, or coaching partner on your journey, look us up.
