How to Successfully Form a Hybrid Workplace in your Organization

9/6/2021 | By Marella Gimenez

The pandemic has pushed businesses to transform how people work. In response to this, the government has developed policies that hindered companies from operating like they usually do. Additionally, as industry leaders, the top priority is the physical and mental health of our employees.

Fortunately, through innovation, a hybrid workplace reorients people management around performance and productivity while keeping employees safe. With the ongoing crisis, this model can help businesses effectively cope and recover.

A hybrid workplace offers numerous benefits including reduced costs, job flexibility, and sales generation. Although companies can implement different hybrid workplace methods, it can also help in achieving company objectives while employees continue to work remotely.

Why must business leaders begin planning for a post-pandemic workforce as widespread vaccination continues to unfold?

As the government implements vaccination rollouts, businesses must plan for a post-pandemic workforce. While most employees consider working remotely, some desire to return to the office. In fact, employers and employees know that there are still benefits in working together within a physical space. Working from home may have its comforts but with it also comes its disadvantages. Technology cannot replace how people collaborate, engage, and interact in person.

A hybrid workplace can be the perfect solution to these uncertain circumstances, enabling employees to come to the office only when needed. Most importantly, it encourages work-life balance, boosts employee retention, and saves on costs.

With a hybrid workplace, the company can leverage modern tools to create a healthy company culture and efficiently plan for the future of work. Here’s exactly why one should do this:

To emphasize flexibility
Flexibility within the company can reduce stress and improve the productivity of the employees. Leaders must take into account that every employee works differently. While some prefer to work individually, some are more engaged with their work when with other people.

Through the implementation of a hybrid workplace, leaders allow them to choose whether to work at home or work onsite. It may also depend on the situation since meetings and collaborations work better when the team is together.

To form a solid understanding of how employees work now, how they feel they work best, and how they would prefer to work in the future
Instead of creating policies without considering insight from employees, companies should also acknowledge employee preferences. Knowing how employees work can serve as a guideline on formulating policies.

To strengthen guidance and expectations for communicating between employees
As an organization, it’s the company’s duty to promote healthy communication and collaboration within the workplace. More than that, they can work and produce better results and performance in a supportive environment.

What is a hybrid work environment?

A hybrid work environment revolves around quality performance and employee productivity instead of focusing on attendance. Most companies used to believe that working or reporting onsite is the only way employees can work effectively. But with the transition of businesses’ workforce to work from home, it has made them realize that employees can still work and accomplish their job functions without strict supervision.

However, in this setting of remote working, some are affected because their current workplace might not be as conducive to their productivity. This is why studies have shown that the future is a hybrid workplace. Instead of fully remote working, team members can work and collaborate in an appropriate workspace once in a while or when needed.

Apart from that, a hybrid work environment promotes flexibility, cultural adaptability, and convenience. Through this, business leaders can ensure their employees physical and mental health, resulting in employees performing better when they have the ability to decide and participate. Plus, this type of environment is supportive, secured, and inclusive.

Successfully Forming a Hybrid Workplace in your Organization

A hybrid workplace has multiple benefits in an organization as long as its implementation is well-planned. With that in mind, let’s learn how you can operate and achieve success in this type of workplace.

1. Promoting a safe environment for everyone
The primary objective of companies should be how they can foster a healthy and safe environment for their employees. Through effectively lessening capacity and cutting it in half, there are less risks posed in the workspace with less people around.

2. Setting clear policies and expectations
In developing policies, prioritize your employees and consider what they will feel upon the changing of guidelines and regulations.

• Guide the employees through the company’s principles and beliefs
• Establish common goals and company values led by employees to ensure feeling heard, appreciated, and considered

3. Introducing new management practices
Due to the pandemic, HR management should formulate and introduce management practices to ensure proper communication and safety within the community.

4. Establishing flexible working guidelines
Remember that employees are also humans who have families, friends, and social life. Together, one can create a fun environment while working by implementing flexible working guidelines.

5. Fine-tuning communication strategies
Companies should also focus on communication by being clear and using simple words to discuss their requirements. If the company is in need of in-person meetings and collaboration, it would be helpful if they are enabled to communicate face-to-face. This strategy can address issues regarding miscommunication and misunderstanding.

6. Proactively developing an FAQ as a great start to get ahead of any potential conflict
To avoid repetition and misunderstanding amongst management and employees, companies can create FAQs where they answer possible questions for employees.

7. Reintroducing the office
Since not all employees have optimal home environments for work, the management should reintroduce the office. Encourage them by showing what excellent office culture and safe workplaces look like. Present the employees whatever helps them be most productive, supported, safe, and connected

8. Rebuilding team morale
The work itself can be challenging but by rebuilding team morale we can improve the enthusiasm and excitement of employees. The management should create a positive working environment where they can thrive and accomplish their tasks. Moreover, it helps them prevent burnout and stress. You can do this by offering team bonding sessions or various after-hour activities.

9. Putting personal development of employees in priority
Aside from enhancing the business’ performance, companies should also focus on providing career and personal development opportunities for employees. Whether an employee works in the office or remotely, personal and professional development should be a top priority

In Conclusion: Setup The Future of Workplace

There are various reasons why you should start forming a hybrid workplace in your organization. One, it can enhance employees’ productivity, performance, and satisfaction. Two, you can promote healthy company culture and flexibility within the organization. Lastly, it can be a cost-efficient solution.

As of today, most companies are considering transitioning into a hybrid workplace setup. While still in the pandemic, you must plan ahead of time and ensure that you can adapt with the changes.

If you want to transform how your employees work and foster a healthy environment, KMC Solutions can assist you each step of the way. KMC can offer flexible workplace solutions and staff leasing services. Additionally, they provide a distributed workforce strategy for the current pandemic and integrate the current hybrid model in all their spaces.

Rethinking and redesigning offices, and the work from home setup is a challenge for most companies. But through KMC, you won’t need to face these problems alone. The workplace revolution is around the corner, and you need to ensure that you are always ahead of the game.