However, hybrid workplaces are not without challenges. Let us take a look at some of the major road bumps that come with hybrid workplaces and how to overcome them.
Also Read: 5 Hybrid Workplace Trends for 2021
1. Feeling Isolated
The lack of social interaction remains one of the biggest challenges for employees working in a hybrid work environment. As employees spend long periods working from the comfort of their homes, the connection and camaraderie established through day-to-day office collaborations might start to crumble.
How to overcome this:
Comparing workforce assembly to gathering around a campfire to discuss how they feel and what they went through, Forbes recommends establishing transparent communication among employees in a hybrid working model.
Regular communication reinforces a feeling of connectivity and fortifies shared experiences. Talk to your colleagues. Discuss your experiences. Shared experiences are the best way to connect.
It’s possible to accomplish this through platforms for leading hybrid teams. Finances Online has listed some remote work software solutions you can refer to while crafting your strategies.
Outside work, you can encourage your team to check on their colleagues regularly. Communicating with them on a personal front can set you on the right course.
2. Building Trust
Trust is at the heart of success in any hybrid work model. However, it’s extremely challenging to foster it through remote work, especially for those who are new to the team.
Likewise, individually delegated tasks can result in less frequent feedback. Virtual communication might also appear inauthentic, especially for leaders who downplay their means of supervision and for workers who are used to face-to-face remarks.
How to overcome this:
You can establish trust in a hybrid work environment by supplying connections via regular or frequent information exchange. Team leaders can consider this an opportunity to craft their communication style and express their gratitude for accomplished tasks as well as faith towards the success of employees in responsibilities that require them to go the extra mile.
Leading hybrid teams recommend hosting online meetings as often as you can.
Bonus Tip: How to Manage Hybrid Teams
3. Empathizing with Your Staff
Time and empathy are essential characteristics of effective leadership. Although it seems easy to develop, being an empathetic leader demands practice. In fact, a recent study on the State of Workplace Empathy shows leaders are still not showing enough empathy. Only 68% of employees deem their company as empathetic.
It’s easy to understand why. Empathy asks leaders to be more comfortable when they’re vulnerable and acknowledge that there are numerous chances to improve. You can’t feign empathy in a hybrid working model. With the present circumstances, organizations must take a broad array of solutions.
How to overcome this:
Being empathetic means going out of your comfort zone and forging links through shared experiences. Again, constant communication is integral for your hybrid work arrangement to be successful.
For instance, the COVID-19’s effects on employee well-being vary for each staffer. As a leader, it’s your job to set the tone for an empathetic work landscape and guarantee everyone on the pipeline acts with empathy too. Keep communication lines open to address similar issues and other mental health concerns that might arise when you incorporate a hybrid working model. You can do this with frequent virtual forums focusing on problem-solving.
4. Unbiased Leadership
Managing hybrid teams calls for adopting a sensible approach when collaborating with them.
For instance, during this pandemic, some of your staffers might have no access to reliable internet and some might not have any available devices besides their mobile phones.
How to overcome this:
Begin by addressing unconscious biases and outcomes in your company’s processes. Challenge your own notions and incorporate a learning orientation as a leader by attempting to understand other people’s experiences and how these influence the ways they execute their tasks in a hybrid working model.
Create safe spaces in your hybrid work environment that are open to diverse viewpoints and foster participation. In online meetings, encourage attendees to voice their opinions and credit employees who have shared effective ideas. Celebrate diversity and be more sensitive to others’ needs by tailoring initiatives that meet those demands.
5. Upskilling and reskilling employees
To keep up with changes in the industry, organizations that wish to adopt a hybrid working model need to improve their current skillset to match their office structure and the rapidly evolving needs of consumers.
How to overcome this:
Identify the skills for employees that are required in a hybrid workforce. Review existing training modules and update points that don’t lead to cementing your hybrid work arrangement for the future.
Leading hybrid teams are agile and flexible, so target skills that can help your team embody these traits. You can train staff to be well-equipped in areas such as data and analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Although hybrid work setup seems to be the future, roadblocks still lie ahead. Data shows that 60% of surveyed business leaders have concerns about productivity makes them think twice about turning to telecommute.
To Conclude
Challenges like the ones we’ve tackled persist and hinder businesses from adopting a hybrid work model. Luckily, these issues can be resolved through proper strategies and the latest technology.
If you’re looking for the best product for your hybrid work arrangement, WorkInSync has all the answers you’re searching for. We’re a premier provider with 12 years of practical work, and we know all the solutions required for your hybrid team’s smooth collaboration.
Schedule a demo with us today for more details and see how we can help you establish or improve your hybrid work environment.
