5 tips for hybrid working

In March 2020, we will have a crash course en masse work from home followed. To our surprise, much more was possible than previously thought. Actually, a lot of work could easily be done from home. In fact, occupations that you would think require direct contact with the customer also appeared to be partly carried out online. That is why hybrid working is increasingly being embraced. But what does hybrid work mean actually?

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working is the combination of working in the office (remote work) and working from home.

A growing number of organisations' vision of hybrid working is shifting from forced necessity to real desire. That's not surprising, because hybrid working has many advantages. It saves travel time, office accommodation and, especially with the current labor market, very important: it makes you a lot more interesting as an employer. After all, you offer employees flexibility and opportunities to optimally organise their work-life balance.

So hybrid working is here to stay. However, you are not alone with this conclusion yet. After all, hybrid working is about more than just the work environment itself. It's also about making conscious choices, good planning and having sufficient facilities. And it also requires different things from you as a manager than the old familiar office garden. Take advantage of the tips we've collected recently.

5 tips about hybrid working!

Tip 1. Provide personal customisation

Every person is different: some people love to work from the home bubble, while others languish online and miss their colleagues immensely. Working from home has advantages and disadvantages, and the ones that prevail vary by person and situation. Moreover, it makes a big difference whether you can set up your own study, or whether you have to make do with the kitchen table while young children frolic around you. One good work environment is very decisive!

Talk to your team about their individual options and needs.

What does their optimal balance look like in a hybrid work environment? How often do they want to be in the workplace, and for which tasks?

Offer enough space for everyone's preferences, thereby laying a good basis for personal customisation. Make sure that each team member is adequately covered and provides input, without prejudice or unsubstantiated criticism from colleagues. Then take stock and arrive at a jointly workable set-up in terms of distribution of time, work location and range of tasks.

Tip 2. Make a firm connection
Working online literally and figuratively creates distance between colleagues. From home, the office sometimes seems far away, and it is often more difficult to keep finding your way around the organisation. As a manager, it's up to you to build an extra strong bridge. Between you and the employee, between team members, but also between one department and another.

This is perhaps the most important thing. working from home advice: ensure regular contact moments. They do not necessarily always have to take place on location; a video session, if properly organised, can also have enough connection power to continue as a team and as an employee. In addition, it is nice and necessary to be present at the workplace on a regular basis.

A live presence makes it just a little easier to consult, but it also builds the necessary team spirit. Consciously build in informal contact moments so that colleagues also connect socially.

If you know that hybrid working has also gained a foothold in your company, hand in some permanent desks in exchange for more meeting spaces. Inspiring places to brainstorm, meet live in a small committee or just catch up. This is how you create the ideal hybrid work environment.

Learn more about supporting your remote employees? Then read this interesting article.

Tip 3. Create clarity
Hybrid working not only means more freedom, but also more variable factors than before. You don't know exactly when and where your colleagues are at work, you don't meet each other as often. Just walking into someone's house with a question is not an option. This can easily lead to miscommunication.

As a manager, make clear agreements with your team. Be clear about the results you expect, in terms of quality and quantity. Schedule a few fixed times a week for joint work meetings. This is an important benchmark at which the clocks can be equalised. Take stock of whether everyone is still on track, or maybe needs help from colleagues.

You may also want to consider having a working from home arrangement to set up where exactly when and for how long your staff can work from home. This can be especially useful if someone's job doesn't allow you to always work from home. By making clear agreements, you will not be faced with any surprises.

Are there any important developments in the market or organisation? Then make sure that both people on location and at home are informed at the same time. That way, you keep everyone well connected and there are none among home workers. fear of missing out. A good way to notify all your employees at once is via a central platform, such as a online learning environment. Also great for online refresher courses!

Tip 4. Let it go!
A hybrid manager has to do one thing above all else: learn to let go. After all, it is impossible to remotely direct everything down to the last detail. Save yourself the stress and sweat you need by trusting your team's own direction and responsibility.

We also wrote an article about employee monitoring! Should you keep a close eye on your employees, or not? And is that even allowed?

That's less exciting than it might seem; big companies like Netflix and Spotify have already proven that employees perform well in a culture where strict rules give way to guidelines. As long as the expected end result is clear, most people are perfectly capable of charting their own path.

If your employees do get lost for a while, they should be able to come to you for a push in the right direction.

Tip 5: Make sure you communicate well
Hybrid meetings require different rules of the game. Online, you miss a lot of non-verbal communication, which will still have to be compensated. Otherwise, you have a high chance that the participants will stray, misunderstand things or get snowed under by others. Please take this into account sufficiently.

As the chairman of a hybrid meeting, for example, you will have to pay extra attention to the callers; it is often extra difficult for them to speak. If you are sitting behind the screen yourself, consciously look directly into the camera, make consenting sounds and summarise the information provided from time to time.

Finally, the precondition for good hybrid communication: optimal facilities.

Make sure that home workers have an adequate laptop, phone or tablet. Inform your employees about the importance of a healthy work environment, with plenty of fresh air and a nice seat. That's how they stay on their feet. Set up good hybrid meeting rooms in the office, with optimal internet and good camera and audio. There's nothing more devastating to a meeting than bad sound and frozen video footage.

Need more hybrid working tips?

‍Hybrid working and learning is still new and under development. From our field of work, we naturally follow the trends and opportunities closely. And we are happy to share our knowledge. So feel free to contact join us if you want to have a chat!