It is well known that the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the business landscape. It forces many businesses to adapt to a new climate. Now that we are beginning to re-familiar ourselves with office working and normalizing a post-COVID world, many changes have emerged from the pandemic, such as hybrid work, that are undoubtedly here to stay.
One of these is, of course, the concept of working from home. Whilst the majority of businesses turned remote during the pandemic lockdowns, many are now implementing a new way of working for their employees as lockdowns have ended – hybrid working.
With part working from home and part working in the office, how can businesses leverage the best of both worlds and help their employees adapt to it?
Hybrid working
The hybrid working model has become incredibly popular as one report in 2022 discovered that ¾ of employers offer hybrid working. The time split between remote and office work varies from employer to employee. But, you will find that the ratio is often 60% in the office or remote and 40% in the office or remote, or 50% remote and 50% in the office.
Some employers may also only offer one day of the working week as a work-from-home day. Despite the differences in the frequency of remote work, the fact that they offer hybrid working arrangements in the first place brings forth a bigger question:
How can employers guarantee employee productivity and satisfaction in both remote and in-office work?
The best of both worlds
It goes without saying that if you are an employer offering hybrid work, you will most likely have employees who prefer either remote or the office. Nonetheless, you still need to consider how you are able to provide your employees with the best of both worlds.
The first step is to implement a unified communications (UC) approach (https://www.gamma.co.uk/products/horizon-collaborate-unified-communications/) within your organization. This means that you will need to optimize your business operations to suit both remote and office environments. If you persevered through the COVID-19 lockdowns, it is possible that you may have already done this. But if you have not, then now is the time to start.
In particular, you will need to incorporate an integrated platform that encompasses organizational communication channels that foster collaboration and productivity. For instance, apps and tools such as:
- Direct messaging (DM) app
- Voice and video conferencing
- Centralized drive/file locations
- Screen sharing
- Project management software/Workflow app
All of the above are useful in ensuring that your employees can stay connected with each other. This is regardless of their location. This is the most crucial aspect of boosting your employees’ productivity and motivation in both remote and office working. It’s their ability to stay connected!
On top of this, make sure that you also give your employees tools to help with collaboration. This way, they feel empowered to cooperate and be able to build excellent relationships with each other and with your company.
By leveraging UC tools and software, you are on the right track to making sure that your employees can work to their full potential in a hybrid working model.
