How to Collaborate with a Hybrid Workforce
In the recorded historical events of HR, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has shown that organizations are starting to make new employee workplace systems or models that deviate from what was normal. In reading about the article by Kate Rockwell, on how to collaborate with a Hybrid Workforce from the publisher SHRM Better Workplaces Better World, i got to understand about the management of a hybrid workforce. I will give my summary and my reflections.
I learned that hybrid workforces have become more common since the pandemic. More and more companies seek to remain competitive by offering employees more flexible work options. Even though employees in the same workplace are more interactive with people in and outside of their own teams, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a hybrid workforce removes this sense of collaboration between employees. There are cases that employees being in the same office isn’t enough to achieve collaboration.
The article mainly goes on to talk about how companies will apply collaboration to what types of work. There are two key factors on how employees will feel about having a hybrid workforce: “in-office employees who feel resentful of or impatient toward remote workers, and remote or hybrid employees who feel alienated from decision-making”. Companies will also take into account how employees will feel about this and the power of them being able to make decisions about this.
Do a Soft Relaunch. Here, time and patience was given to make sure people had the equipment they needed to work at home. Companies made employees slowly come up with best practices for remote work. Meetings are also made with participants working remotely or in person.
In Schedule Interactions, the hybrid workforce interactions between employees are intentional. There is a purpose when they interact. And specific time is blocked out to give to that activity. Connectivity and fun at work is done to celebrate completions or achievements and to ultimately make employees connect.
In Allow for Vulnerability, it is where a healthy separation between work and home life is done. Giving employees space to improve their work/life balance is crucial to collaboration. Being in a hybrid team makes a team leader check on to their employees. Because of the pandemic, employees would think more vigilantly about the precious time given to collaborate.
In Evaluate Progress, it asks what signs and metrics are used to measure how well your hybrid team is functioning. It wants to know if there is honesty and communication. It is useful to have these simple surveys about how well the collaboration is going. This is done weekly or monthly.
Have a look at the original article for a more in-depth read. You will know here what were the studies taken and the opinion of other HR mangers of hybrid teams! Click here!
