How to get hybrid working right

Hybrid working has become the new norm. In fact, according to SmartCompany, Australia is leading the world in hybrid working options, with half of Australian businesses offering this perk.

“Hybrid is here to stay. It has evolved and is more than working from home and the office. It combines telework, anywhere, anytime, and the office, with flexibility as the critical component,” said Roxanne Calder, founder and managing director of EST10 Recruitment.

“Discovering new ways to stretch and flex, workcations, and four-day weeks are just the latest workplace trends.”

She continued: “As employers, we are on notice. When contemplating job offers with similar compensation, flexible working is a deciding factor. The delineation of working between office and ‘other’ has never been so blurred. As we become more accustomed to it, blended, and melded, it won’t be hybrid working, just working. ‘Off to work’ as we open our device on a beach anywhere in the world.”

Employers, therefore, must embrace this change and adapt to it. Ms Calder said that for a business to get hybrid work right, first, you must understand that it is different to traditional work processes.

“A 2022 global study found that just 25 per cent of remote or hybrid knowledge workers feel connected,” said Ms Calder.

“Still reeling from the fallout of the great resignation, businesses are further exposed. Previous strategies based on physical proximity and face-to-face interactions are not effective nor valued.”

Building trust with your workforce is an important step, as Ms Calder said, “successful hybrid working relies on trust”.

“Hybrid is an environment of significantly higher autonomy. Micromanagement and ‘checking’ doesn’t work. Clearly communicate all tasks, requirements, deadlines and include the ‘why’,” Ms Calder explained.

“Explanation of the bigger picture fills in the gaps, puts people on the same page, encourages purpose, supports creativity and clarity, mitigates deviation from the plan and strengthens enterprise thinking. Hold your team accountable. Celebrate and recognise the wins each time.”

Connectivity is equally important, as hybrid working can often reduce the connection we have with colleagues. Seeking out moments to communicate is important.

“The instants of passing each other in the office, walking to the lift, or the chat before a meeting are now limited. These short moments impart a magnitude of information,” Ms Calder said.

“When in physical proximity, there are other messages we don’t notice immediately, but subconsciously, we take it all in. The fleeting frown or furrowed brow of a team member. You connect the dots later, and that tiny snippet of information is the crucial puzzle piece.”

Connection can be built through a mix of policy and personal initiatives.

Ms Calder continued: “Seek out these critical, vital moments and find ways to connect and even over-communicate. Have set office days where everyone is together and schedule work based on connecting and communicating with collegial and collaborative projects.”

“We are all busy, but losing the incidental communication opportunities must be found elsewhere. Small but critical cogs of your business’s performance wheel. Be easily accessible and available should your team need you. It assists with efficient communication flow. Be intentional with your efforts to connect, and while you are there, be truly present.” 

To assist in successful implementation, Ms Calder noted that technology needs to be considered. Without the systems to facilitate hybrid working, employees and the business will suffer as a result.

“Leveraging technology and efficiency in systems is a must … Your technology must keep pace with the ever-changing work landscape. Experiment with different communication tools and be across the ‘latest’. Encourage your team to do the same. The enthusiasm (and some scepticism, too) with ChatGPT is one example. Other endless time-saving innovations will follow. Staying abreast assists in being an early adopter and thriving,” she outlined.

“The same advice applies to all policies, procedures, and systems. Are they aligned to the new ways of working, streamlined for ease and not for the sake of a process? Cumbersome processes and old technology clog and weigh down efficiency and employee morale.”

Ms Calder concluded: “Your company’s cultural links strengthen when employees feel valued and ‘seen’. The bond of relied-upon, trusted relationships, shared experiences and even vulnerabilities can’t be underestimated. In the end, it always comes down to leadership. Company culture and its leaders are, undoubtedly, always linked. Leaders with tungsten-strength people skills, patience, high emotional intelligence, and the ability to inspire are unequivocal skills for a thriving hybrid culture.”