The leadership team at ABC Software realizes that a hybrid workplace isn’t just about flexibility. For a hybrid workplace to thrive, every employee needs to understand what’s expected of them.
Collaboration and brainstorming are important to this tech firm. Since most of their employees live within a 30-commute of their location, ABC Software’s policy of Mondays and Tuesdays in the office wasn’t an issue. If someone needs to work remotely either of those days, it can be requested.
During the pandemic, ABC hired a handful of full-time employees from malaysia telephone number data out of state. Because they’re involved in more solitary, independent roles, they were allowed to remain 100% remote.
Still, all employees are expected to complete tasks on time, attend required meetings, and stay in contact with their team. Beyond these guidelines, employees are free to set their schedules.
hybrid workplace
In contrast, the hybrid culture at XYZ Industries is much less defined. Initially, the policy for its hybrid workplace was for everyone to choose “whatever schedule felt most comfortable.” Yet, XYZ managers began to routinely check up on remote workers not online by 8 am or after 6 pm.
This informal policy was puzzling for its remote workforce. Projects were still being completed on time. However, workers who returned to the office were held to less scrutiny, even favored by management. Many meetings seem to be held at the last minute, without a Zoom component.
What was expected in XYZ’s hybrid workplace? If it was crucial to maintain an office presence, why wasn’t that policy formalized by management? Employees who preferred to work from home suddenly felt reluctant to do so. But what days made the most sense to work in the office and at what times?
Not surprisingly, XYZ’s workforce felt frustrated, betrayed, and even angry. Many decided to pursue opportunities elsewhere, and productivity and morale soon declined.
Collaborative software and tools
Given the nature of the projects at ABC Software, communication is a top priority. Teams are interdependent, collaborate often, and in need of real-time updates on project status, scope changes, and more. Fortunately, this is a hybrid office with the tools it needs to stay productive.
Using Slack, ABC’s employees get the benefits of email, text, and instant messaging in one app. Teams discuss specific projects in dedicated channels, even from their phones if they happen to step away from their desks. Some channels are dedicated to fun topics to keep things light.
With Asana at their disposal, everyone gets the help they need to stay on target, keep projects organized, and meet deadlines. For ABC’s hybrid workplace, this tool’s ability to track individual tasks, plan sprints, and visualize progress with its boards allows its teams to not miss a beat.
By leveraging the Lucid Visual Collaboration Suite, employees can diagram, whiteboard, and brainstorm virtually to take plans from sketches all the way to successful delivery. It also makes participation a breeze, regardless of whether teams are working in the office or not.
Giving people access to collaborative tools is the hallmark of any effective hybrid workplace.
hybrid workplace
For an ineffective hybrid workplace, like XYZ Industries, the availability of intuitive, collaborative, user-friendly tools isn’t a top priority. XYZ’s leadership figures that if email was good enough for daily office use, why wouldn’t it be for remote work? They never stopped to consider:
On any given workday, employees can receive 100+ emails
Many people don’t bother to read their email when it’s too long
Most emails seem to lack immediacy and are easily overlooked
Email limits the inclusion of rich media, making it less engaging
Worst of all, for a hybrid culture that demands immediate and constant feedback, email can feel particularly cumbersome. When working remotely, XYZ employees rely on emails as their lifeline to their hybrid workplace. People in the office will tend to ignore email, especially group emails.
In the attempt to tailor messages for entire teams, group emails at XYZ are either too detailed or lack the right amount of specificity for the team members who need the information most. And once too many join in with their “reply all” messages, the point of the conversation is lost.
When team assignments change, subsequent emails go out to the wrong employees. And other times, people accidentally forget to include team members on outgoing emails in the first place.
This confusion could easily be avoided at XYZ by simply providing everyone with the right tools.
Onboarding and training protocols
For any business, the onboarding process plays a critical part in the success and happiness of a new hire. For a hybrid workplace, a positive onboarding experience for remote employees is that much more critical. A forward-thinking business with a hybrid office like ABC Software gets this.
Lately, much of ABC’s onboarding process happens remotely. When competing for top talent, it made good business sense for them to provide new hires with the best possible experience. In those first few weeks of onboarding, ABC put in the extra effort to familiarize people with its hybrid culture and share insights about what it takes to be successful in a hybrid workplace.
New hires at ABC get integrated into the company’s processes and culture through a series of interactive Zoom meetings, including a virtual lunch and trivia challenge. During their first few weeks, employees are assigned a “work buddy” to answer questions and provide mentorship.
