While the early days of lockdown have passed and we are now able to return to the office, many employees are beginning to adapt to a hybrid working setup.
However, not all employees are happy with the idea – some dislike remote working, while others are reluctant to return to in-person office working.
Hybrid working isn’t going away any time soon, so adapting is essential.
Here, we take a look at how you can encourage more employees to work in a hybrid setup.
Encourage open communication
It might not be immediately clear why some employees are unhappy about hybrid working. They may be struggling to work remotely in their home environment, or they might have health or caring responsibility concerns when considering working in the office.
Rather than mandating what employees “must” do, encourage open communication between HR, line managers, and employees. Even for employees who are happy with hybrid working, it is important to check in with them periodically so you can assuage concerns and create new strategies for supporting everybody.
Provide high-quality equipment
If there is a disparity between the technology on offer at work and at home, employees may be reluctant to have a flexible setup.
For example, employees may have laptops that are not current and cannot perform all the tasks they need off-site. Or, if you are currently working from shared drives, these are not always easy to access from home.
Making sure everyone has up-to-date tech can make the move to hybrid easier – then, everyone has the same quality devices whether they’re at home or in the office.
Additionally, transitioning to cloud-based working can make collaboration more seamless. Additions such as a phone system that runs through a computer rather than a physical phone can also ease employee worries.
Even aside from technology, working setups should be checked regularly. This can be both at home and at the office – an ergonomic desk set up in both places can keep employees happy and healthy no matter where they are working.
Include everyone equally
Thanks to video calls, there is no reason to leave out any employees when you are working in hybrid setups.
You should try to create a working pattern where each team is in the office together at least one day a week for an in-person touch base, but where this isn’t possible, connecting via video calls is the next best thing.
Don’t be tempted to “not bother” connecting with staff members who are working remotely, as this can lead to increasing disengagement and make employees feel undervalued. Always taking the time to include everyone in big and small meetings will show that the hybrid setup can work for everyone. This can even be useful for social events or training, with an in-person and remote element for all workers.
It might not be easy to create the ideal hybrid working setup for your employees, but with the right encouragement and support, this approach can be good for everyone.
Having a high-quality remote working guide on hand can help you to answer the concerns and questions your employees may have.
About the author
Elizabeth Long graduated with a degree in English Language, and then travelled to different countries in order to expand her views, and experience different cultures. She now writes meaningful posts, designed to give readers helpful take-home points that they can act on in their own lives.
