The 6 Most Important Things an HR Team Needs for a Hybrid Working Culture

Let’s face it – a hybrid work environment culture (including remote and office work) is here to stay. As we emerge from the global pandemic, companies are looking at numerous approaches to reopen workspaces.

A pre-COVID-19 work environment isn't going to offer employee satisfaction after the introduction of remote work. Employees have had a taste of the freedom offered in remote working and don't want to return to how things were.

Nonetheless, working remotely also isn't the best option. That's where building a hybrid work culture can come in handy. Nonetheless, understanding the essential features making up this hybrid work culture is detrimental to reaping the various benefits available from such hybridity. 

Luckily, we have outlined the key elements needed when successfully building a hybrid work culture. Continue reading to find out more.

What Is a Hybrid Culture?

A hybrid work environment culture can be classified as a change from fixed work that’s conducted on location or remotely. This type of working environment moves towards a fluid working model comprised of remote, frontline, and office-based workers.

Implementing this hybrid culture into an organization allows employees to pick between working remotely, in an office workspace, or changing between these first two options. Building a workplace allows employees to have control over the hours they work, when they decide to start and end their working day, and where they feel most productive.  

How Can You Create a Successful Hybrid Working Culture?

When it comes to building a hybrid work culture, there are some crucial features you should consider to ensure this model is successful. Here are some of the most prevalent elements you should incorporate into your organization when creating a hybrid workforce:

Invest in Digital Solutions Designed for Flexible Workspaces

One of the first things you should consider when creating a flexible workspace is the tools and technology you need. These investments in hybrid technology can easily make or break your organization's newly-created culture. That's why you should ensure you're using the best. What is the most effective hybridity tool? Autonomous Hybrid is the digital solution you want to include in your organization for several reasons.

This digital solution allows you to harness the best of both worlds when choosing between remote and in-office working. Allowing your employees to decide where they want to work encourages productivity. Autonomous Hybrid allows employees and business managers to easily manage flexible office spaces while also keeping workplace productivity and employee satisfaction high.

Be Flexible (and Consistent)

Although remote working is beneficial for an organization, it’s vital that everyone making up this company see each other in person from time to time. Enterprises are made up of complex cross-team collaborations, so it can be challenging to interact with everyone.

Nonetheless, managers should create well-thought-out structures allocating days of the week to each team. However, besides these guidelines, you should give employees autonomy to control where they work.

When doing this, you should attempt to maintain the same allocated days each week. Variations in this hybrid work schedule might confuse employees. Moreover, you should encourage team members to conduct their responsibilities in-office even on 'non-allocated' days. However, you shouldn't make this mandatory.

Embrace Inclusivity

When planning equity and inclusivity in your hybrid workplace, you should think holistically. Employees equipped with a significantly large office are possibly less likely to commute to work than those who don't have the at-home resources to work comfortably.

Business managers should extend how they think of a company office area to include home workspaces. When doing this, these leaders should provide a high-quality working environment and appropriate technology to ensure all employees can comfortably conduct the necessary work.

Considering the disadvantages of not being present in the office can be beneficial. Maintaining company communications online while also hosting all-staff meetings through video calls helps companies ensure their remote employees feel included in group decision-making and updates. This helps encourage high morale. 

Acknowledge the Productivity Gains of Remote Working

Unfair hoteling office space allocation, prescriptive schedules, and blanket policies can rapidly kill the high productivity levels encouraged by hybrid working. Nonetheless, managers can maximize this productivity by ensuring the best employee combination is present in the office at any one time while also promoting a remote working culture.

Remote work should be viewed as a positive substitute for tasks that can easily be done in a place of the employee’s choosing. You can achieve this by rewarding employees for effectiveness and efficiency, which is opposed to exclusively rewarding for interactivity. Additionally, you should give these employees the control to decide how they wish to achieve this.

Prioritize Mental Health

Many individuals have had limited physical human interactions since the pandemic first broke out, making it vital to think proactively about workers’ mental health. This is especially as we start returning to the office.

Employees are moving towards expecting healthcare benefits that focus on areas involving mental health and wellbeing. Hence, HR managers should be prepared to formulate protocols that prioritize mental wellbeing and human interaction.

Don’t Neglect the Needs of Your Business

Opinions might vary about whether management should include attendance thresholds for workers. There's much debate around this, but the truth is that this decision ultimately depends on your specific business and its structure. Identifying your company's needs can help you find the best solution.

Wrapping It Up

Your organization’s employees are the lifeblood of its success. As we move into a new corporate working world, it’s vital to build flexibility to ensure your business remains dynamic, fit, and ready to take on any challenges.

Even though technology offers the necessary framework that helps to manage spaces and people easier, it's vital to not build a reliance on these tools. Leaders should construct and implement rules to foster a robust hybrid working culture that attracts and retains productive and valuable employees.