In recent years, flexible working has become the new societal norm for office workers around the globe. Ever since the onset of the pandemic, most employers have made the difficult and wavering transition from office based, to remote, to a hybrid setting.  Even towards the end of Covid restrictions, hybrid work is still strongly desired by potential candidates and can be the difference between their choosing one job or another.
 
To put in perspective, a government survey showed that 5% of workers were staying home before 2019. This is in stark contrast to 2022 when 24% of surveyed workers said they at least maintained a hybrid schedule of working.

So why has the way we have worked for so many decades been dramatically changed after only a short time?
 
Perhaps it’s because, although not ideal at first, hybrid work has been leveraged by the situation it creates for some.
 
To understand the purpose of a hybrid workplace, it’s important to understand the benefits. Employers and employees alike both have something to gain from adopting a flexible working style. What’s more for employers, opening the doors to allow flexible location means that they will have access to a wider variety of skilled candidates to choose from.
 
For the workers, it offers an easier method of maintaining an appropriate work-life balance. In terms of commute, childcare, spending time with loved ones and at home. And their employer is likely to agree, it’s more convenient for when their employees cannot make it into work.
 
Working from home takes some of the stress off everyday life. Obviously, everyone has a different schedule which normally require flexible hours and location. A happy and stress-free employee is more likely at preventing burnout. It’s true that burnout does not contribute well to company productivity. In fact, if an employee is experiencing constant burnout without ministrations, to take care of themselves they may feel forced to leave the company. Employees constantly leaving are a contributor to high turnover which is definitely not a benefit for anyone.
 
Now you understand it’s purpose and are ready to adopt a hybrid workplace. But first it won’t hurt know the challenges others have faced.
 
Office space
There are many reasons people may not want to come back into the office after working from home. The most important aspect being the physical space. Especially if it’s a rented space, there could be issues such as:

• available meeting rooms or desks
• atmosphere
• condition of technology and equipment
• working conditions (heating, noise, safety)

Not to mention the cost of upkeep for the renter. If an employer is paying X amount a month for dead space, financially it’s going to be a major issue for the company. 
If the office is already comfortable enough for employees, it’s worth increasing the social aspect to coming in. For example, schedule monthly lunch outings for the office. Or come up with a ritual for certain days of the week, such as bringing baked goods in on Mondays. Or select a team bonding activity and post about it on social media to give other employees a better idea of what happens in the office. Whatever the idea, the aim is gradually build a positive atmosphere for employees so that they look forward to coming in.
 
Socializing with colleagues does not often take away from productivity— it enhances ingenuity, working relationships, mental health and more. The merit of an office is discovered through the people worked with. Technology is well and good for connecting people to people, but it can’t offer the same level of satisfaction gained from in-person relations.
 
The ‘Hail Mary’ for every situation is to ask your employees why they’d prefer to not come in and resolve this accordingly. If anything, it creates an opportunity to get real life feedback from your subordinates and stops you from scratching your head.
 
Level of productivity
Perhaps the greatest fear from any company’s perspective for a hybrid position, is the expectation for an employee to get as much work done as they would in the office. The answer to this worry; where productivity can be increased by hybrid environments, it can be decreased only if not monitored by the authority figure.
 
The most obvious method for keeping productivity in check is to always hire driven, enthusiastic, and high value talent with a consistent track record of achievements. Something that should be made easier tenfold when you give the option of working hybrid. Make clear, company guidelines and policies for working, whether at home or in the office. Show this to every new starter so they can get into the habit from the beginning.
 
For existing employees, you can use key performance indicators as a metric of employee performance. With KPI’s it’s important to not get carried away. Use minimum standards and if necessary, tailor to each department. And when you notice someone going above and beyond, always make public recognition of these achievements. Make a personal development plan for everyone. Performance plans will often include clear and attainable goals that employees can work towards throughout their employment. Check on them with these and adjust accordingly.
 
So how about if the individuals performance is slipping? Be sure to check all system and process training is adequate. Relevant documents, training videos and software should be readily available to everyone. Often, inadequacy of a role may come down to lack of knowledge and/or experience which comes from whatever training was received. You can always set up one to one meetings with them and the line manager to discuss what needs to be done. Make sure to include 360 feedback, which has the combined evaluation of the manager and the subordinates peers. However, you should exercise caution with excessive feedback. Micromanaging can often have the opposite of its intended effect.

Working from home, its certainly understandable when there is an overflow of meetings. If they are not in the office, the employee tends to get left out of the loop on all the chats, sidebars and small talk with colleagues. But if too many meetings seem to be getting in the way of productivity, it’s ideal to block out some time each day. For example, make Fridays meeting free days. No meetings should be scheduled internally and unless urgent, most meetings can wait. The concept of a meeting free day helps prioritise a workload and can allow the employee to focus in ‘crunch’ time.
 
It's a good idea to encourage sharing schedules in the workplace frequently. If communication makes coming into the office impossible to plan, use an application that will make it easier. Envoy for example, is a Global calendar that anyone can use to check who’s going into the office. If necessary, do the research and figure out what works for your office.
 
Organizational culture
Lastly but certainly not least, possibly the greatest challenge of hybrid working is the feeling of being disconnected from everyone else. If it shows that people that are not happy at work, it might be that there is no sense of organizational culture or community. Team culture can be tremendously strengthened through social connections, events, openness and company values.
 
In person time is especially important for new hires, as it demonstrates a bigger picture to how the operations are day-to-day. It should include as much of the office space and as many of the workers as possible. A welcome party may help the new employee feel more settled in the new environment, as well as foster connections with fellow co-workers. Encouraging co-working relationships such as work best friends, can help the employee feel more connected at work.
 
There are several ways in which we can suggest improving organizational culture but the sure-fire way to get in touch with your employees is to ask them directly. Start by asking your team members what's working, what's not, and what's the most effective method for them. Human beings want to solve problems together, especially when its likely to impact them.
 
It's not as straightforward as just throwing out a questionnaire every now and then. Especially if you have no intention of making reasonable efforts to listen to your employees feedback. There should be consistent, on-going, support that lets employees approach their line manager with any work-related issue. Or even non-work related, if that’s how you to choose to demonstrate company values.
 
Start asking questions early to prevent future problems arising. Consider how it can go wrong first before moving forward with changes. Request feedback with every new administration as it shows that you care what the team thinks. You should support your employees actively, by motivating them, promoting work-life balance and helping them to prioritise their workloads.
 
Embrace it or not, hybrid working is likely to stick around. But with the combined effort of those involved, you can look forward to being able to reap its rewards.