Hybrid teams are becoming far more prevalent these days. Not only do many employees enjoy working from home, but businesses can also save money and resources with this hybrid model. That is why many people believe the hybrid workplace is here to stay.
While employees might focus on the benefits of working from home, it's essential for employers to understand the challenges that come with the hybrid model. For many leaders out there, management is a key issue. In this article, we'll share tips how to manage the new hybrid workplace and discuss the challenges you may face, including ways to overcome them.
Challenges to Consider
A hybrid workplace model has a work environment with both physical and remote locations. While many organizations are using this model for the first time, others have always had this process in place. The hybrid model also makes a lot of sense for businesses, especially as cloud computing becomes popular and many employees can work remotely. However, there are some challenges to keep in mind.
For one, learning how to manage the new hybrid workplace involves figuring out the communication process. You can't simply walk into your employee's office when working from home, so you will need to think of ways to improve communication.
Secondly, many workers feel lonely and disengaged in a hybrid work environment, potentially hindering performance and decreasing company culture. To remedy this, business leaders should try to organize group events, host virtual meetings, and focus on other ways to collaborate and socialize.
Many businesses switched to a hybrid model long ago, yet some leaders still struggle to manage their hybrid teams. The good news is that there are ways to expedite the process while everyone adjusts to the new work environment.
Create Shared Goals and Expectations
Teams can often feel out of the loop at even a traditional workplace. A hybrid model can amplify this feeling. To help in this regard, leaders should create shared expectations and discuss deadlines, project goals, and other key information with the entire team. This approach can boost productivity and improve the culture of the business.
Additionally, leaders can create a project expectations video with open viewing access for all employees. This access is crucial if you have workers in various time zones, as they can view information whenever is convenient.
Here at Viostream, our video hosting platform can help you effectively manage your hybrid workforce. You can build videos that explain project details, expectations, and more. To see more of what Viostream has to offer, start your free trial today.
Make Communication a Priority
Communication is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome when learning how to manage the new hybrid workplace. As scheduling in-person or virtual meetings can be challenging, leaders must develop a clear communication process. This doesn't just go for your employees—your clients are also at stake. As your team may work from any location at any time, you must find ways to communicate properly with clients.
A beneficial communication plan involves an open-door, open-ear policy. Make it known that your team can come to you with any questions or concerns, whether it's in the physical or virtual office. This policy should create a welcoming, accommodating feeling for your team, which can do wonders for their productivity and overall happiness at work.
Build Trust
Trust is another crucial element to consider when learning how to manage the new hybrid workplace. A hybrid team that loses your trust can greatly impact the business as a whole. On the other hand, if you can't trust your team members to perform their jobs effectively, your day-to-day operations could become more problematic.
Building trust involves believing in your employees to perform high-quality work. Additionally, you have to trust that your team has good intentions. While you can't always manage and oversee them in person, you need to foster a high level of trust and understand that it works both ways.
Promote Team Engagement
Learning how to manage the new hybrid workplace also involves keeping your team engaged. Team members who work alone for hours every day can feel weighed down, and they may become lonely and less engaged, impacting company culture. To keep engagement high, create exercises and group activities for the team. You can even assign group projects, schedule collaboration meetings, and host events. The more you can get people together and feel engaged, the better everyone will be.
Viostream understands how to engage your team. We can help you build and manage videos to share with employees. You can also store videos in an on-demand library for your team to watch later. Start your free trial and try Viostream for 14 days.
Utilize Collaboration Software
Another key part of how to manage the new hybrid workplace has to do with setting up a collaboration software solution. Since your business may have remote teams, in-house employees, and hybrid workers, you'll need a place for everyone to communicate and collaborate.
When teams collaborate through various channels, their scattered approach can cause inefficiencies and management issues. Luckily, there are several collaboration software tools available on the market today. In fact, many of these solutions are designed for remote and hybrid teams, allowing users to send messages, upload documents, view project details, and much more.
If you're searching for a high-quality software solution, consider a video collaboration tool. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are among the most popular.
How Viostream Can Help
After learning some tips on how to manage the new hybrid workplace, it's time to find tools to help your team succeed. By choosing Viostream as your video host, you can organize in a centralized, secure library and share them across your organization. Start your free trial today.
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