7 Tips to Build an Effective Hybrid Work Model

Having a hybrid workplace empowers organizations to get the most out of both remote work and in-person collaboration. The hybrid work model is here to stay, too, with as many as nine-in-10 companies saying they’d have employees working in the office at least once per week by the end of 2023.

With this model, your employees can enjoy the freedom to complete their work in ways that work for them while still having consistent access to company resources and a cohesive in-person team.

Now, to get the most effective hybrid work model, it’s important to be thoughtful about how you implement this with various teams within your organization. Let’s get into some tips of how to do so!

Hybrid Work Model Tips

Assess Your Resources

Thoroughly assess your company’s current resources, then evaluate what tools or infrastructure you’ll need to support a hybrid team.

Make sure everyone has similar tools when working at home as they do in the office. Introducing a hybrid model may also encourage you to rethink your office space and its layout. Part of hybrid work is making sure that teammates can collaborate in real time! Make sure they’re sitting together, too.

Seek Employee Perspectives

Some companies run into problems when bringing employees back into the office when it comes as a demand rather than a collaboration. Do team need to be in the office four or five days per week? Maybe they do, but talk to leaders across the organization to get a sense of what policy makes the most sense.

This can help you plan effective policies that maximize productivity while empowering employees to maintain a good work-life balance. It also shows your team members that you value their input.

Be sure to consider a wide range of perspectives, as employees in different positions may have distinct views and preferences when it comes to remote work.

Communicate a Clear Plan—And the “Why”

Having a plan for how you’ll handle hybrid work helps you set expectations with employees and address challenges more effectively.

After gathering some input from employees, develop a hybrid work policy and educate employees about how what hybrid schedules can look like. You may create company-wide standards for when employees work remotely or offer a more flexible arrangement depending on each team or role.

But the most important step is to communicate this plan. Part of this is explaining why you came up with the policy.

Provide Equal Recognition

Building a sustainable hybrid workplace involves being mindful of employee morale. This involves proactively recognizing employee success regardless of how frequent they’re coming into the office.

It may be easier to notice contributions from employees who primarily work in-office when compared to employees who are primarily remote. But when employees have differing schedules for coming into the office, it’s especially important to find equitable ways to measure their performance.

Provide equal opportunities for promotions and other professional recognition for all employees within your team.

Monitor Productivity

Productivity is cited as one of the primary reasons to bring employees back into the office. So it’ll be important to track productivity as employees work a blend of on- and off-site. (If you’ve communicated this as a “why,” you can then showcase improved productivity as a positive result!)

At the same time, a hybrid work model could be an adjustment for some after spending much of the last three-plus years working remotely. Keep open lines of communication with employees about the challenges of a hybrid work model and provide support and resources to ensure they’re as comfortable as possible while also accomplishing the tasks that need to be completed.

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INFOGRAPHIC: Local Talent is Crucial for Hybrid Work Initiatives

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Trust Your People

At the same time, companies must also trust their employees will fulfill their job requirements.

Provide your team members with the tools they need to be successful, then allow them the freedom to find a schedule or working style that works for them. (Results shouldn’t be measured on a week-to-week basis, anyway. An effective hybrid work model takes time to work.)

Trust that employees can customize their work processes to a newer model. This could help empower them to be more productive, too! Strive to find a balance between supervising employee behaviors and supporting their independent success.

Seek Feedback Regularly

Widespread hybrid work models have only recently hit the mainstream, so be willing to accept feedback and adjust your processes.

Host feedback sessions or send out surveys to your team members to learn about common pain points and success stories. Knowing what your team likes and dislikes about your hybrid work model can help you evolve your policies over time to be more effective. It can also give you the opportunity to address issues as they arise and constantly optimize your hybrid work processes.

Building Successful Hybrid Teams

An effective hybrid work model can help employees maintain a work-life balance for employees while also accomplishing the goals of why you want to bring them into the office in the first place.

Having a hybrid structure can also help you attract top candidates who value flexibility in their work schedules. Ultimately, creating a strategic hybrid work model can help you cultivate a successful, happy workforce that still supports your company’s bottom line.