Hybrid work offers plenty of benefits, but making it work for everyone requires more than just writing a hybrid work policy and calling it a day.
In this article, you’ll find our best tips and advice on how to build a successful hybrid workforce that not only your employees will be happy to be a part of, but that will enable you to get the results you’re after.
From optimizing office space to improving team collaboration and ensuring everyone is treated fairly, find out how to create a hybrid system that works for everyone.
Understanding the hybrid work environment
Before we talk about the strategies and tools you can use to make a hybrid work environment work for everyone and enable your team to maintain top productivity, let’s quickly define what it is, exactly.
In a hybrid environment, employees have the freedom to work from the office or their preferred remote locations. It offers the flexibility of remote work (because work is remote a part of the time) and the benefits of face-to-face collaboration whenever necessary.
Because, let’s be honest – a lot of the work that a lot of office workers do can be done remotely, and Covid-19 proved that.
Arguably, some of it is better done remotely, or at least without interruptions. Answering emails and engaging in long stretches of deep work simply don’t require your people to be in the office. On the other hand, creative work or problem solving can indeed be more fruitful if team members actually sit around the same table and talk to each other in person.
In short, creativity can certainly benefit from intentional, in-person communication, as does your employees’ sense of belonging. Coding, working on reports or presentations, writing, doing research, or answering to clients’ or colleagues’ emails, however? These can certainly be done elsewhere.
So, building a hybrid workplace is all about finding the right balance between remote and in-person work. For this, you need to use the right tech and strategies to simplify collaboration and get the most out of both worlds. This way, you can create a productive and engaged workforce that thrives in this hybrid environment.
The benefits of going hybrid at work
The pandemic probably forced you to go hybrid, but is there a reason for sticking with a hybrid work model? Many companies who have issued return-to-office notices and mandates are now discovering that the risks weren’t always worth it – and that they are losing some of their top performers to them.
What’s the alternative? A flexible approach that gives your employees the freedom to choose where to work from, at least a part of the time. This comes with several important benefits:
Better work-life balance
When employees have the option to work from home some of the time, they can create more flexible daily routines for themselves – and take care of personal commitments without compromising the quality of their work.
This generally leads to less stress and happier workers, who are also more likely to stay.
Talent retention
Flexibility is one of the best perks you can offer your employees; when given the option to work remotely a part of the time, 87% of US workers take up their employers on it. Given how many people value flexible work arrangements, simply offering that option is one of the best tools you can use to bring in and retain top talent.
Plus, you know what’s an instant motivation booster? A stronger sense of agency. Giving employees the flexibility to choose where they work shows that you trust them to manage their time and tasks, which translates into better outcomes, for you and for them.
Inclusivity and diversity
A hybrid model enables you not only to hire better talent, but also a more diverse workforce.
First, you’re extending the geographical boundaries of your talent pool. Then, you’re also improving your chances of hiring skilled workers who are not willing or able to come to the office daily; for example, some of them might be:
- Parents or caregivers
- Neurodivergent or have a physical disability
- Or, simply, super talented multipotentialites (as TED speaker Emilie Wapnick put it) who need their freedom to feel like themselves and do their best work
… Or all of the above!
By giving them the right conditions to thrive, you’re ensuring you’re able to hire a unique workforce that’ll be engaged and productive – and give you plenty of fresh perspectives.
Hybrid workplace wellbeing is a big part of all that, so make sure you check out our article on the topic.
Boost productivity
Letting employees choose where they work can also improve individual productivity, and, as a result, the productivity of your company as a whole.
Some people work better in a quiet home office, while others might prefer the energy of an office space. A hybrid model gives everyone the chance to find the environment that suits them best.
For this to happen, however, you need to set clear expectations and goals, track results, and make sure you’re giving everyone timely feedback.
Cost savings
We don’t need to tell you that office space is expensive – you already know that all too well. By being intentional about it, however, and tracking all the right resource utilization metrics, you can save a lot of money on rent and utilities, without harming the employee experience – or business outcomes.
This can make a huge difference, especially for smaller companies or startups looking to keep costs low.
The challenges of hybrid work
Naturally, hybrid work comes with its own set of potential issues – as do all other work arrangements or setups, really.
Let’s see what some of those are, and look into possible solutions you can use.
Communication gaps between in-office and remote workers
It’s easy for office workers to have quick, impromptu chats, but remote folks miss out on those casual discussions, and information can get lost or delayed when part of the team is out of the loop. When people are not working in the same office space, keeping everyone on the same page can take a bit more effort.
The solution? Set up clear communication channels and routines, like daily check-ins or chat groups, so everyone stays connected. Collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams are perfect for that.
Encourage your people to set up remote-first calls, where everyone can join in, regardless of where they chose to work from on that day.
Maintaining team cohesion and culture
If some people are in the office more often and others prefer working remotely most of the time, it can feel like two separate teams. Shared lunches, afterwork drinks, and team-building events become trickier to organize, and your employees’ feeling of belonging might suffer.
The solution? Plan informal team activities to incentivize people to come to the office (or meet elsewhere) – and make sure you make them varied enough, so that they cater to different preferences and likes.
Unequal access to information or resources
Those who prefer working from home might not have the same quick access to tools, documents, or resources as people who are often in the office.
This might slow them down, if they need to wait for someone to share information or resources with them, which can be frustrating, for you and for them.
The solution? Make sure you’re creating a level playing field for everyone, giving all employees the resources they need to do their best work. Use cloud storage and online knowledge bases to ensure everyone has equal access to information, and provide an adequate home office budget to meet workers’ needs.
Security and data privacy concerns with remote access
When employees are logging in from home, coffee shops, or anywhere else, keeping sensitive data secure gets more complicated.
You can’t always control the security of their internet connection, and there's a risk of breaches, so you need to take precautions. You wouldn’t lock your front door only to leave your windows wide open, right?
The solution? Provide secure VPN access, enforce strong password policies, and offer training on best security practices for remote work.
How to set up a successful hybrid workplace: 10 tips and strategies
So, how do you make hybrid work work for everyone? Below, you’ll find our top 10 tips for building a successful hybrid workplace where your people can thrive.
1. Adopt desk booking software that increases schedule visibility
No one wants to commute to an empty office. If your team can see who is working from the office each day, it will encourage more to come in. Tools like Officely are great at this:
Plus, Officely lives where your team already spends tons of time daily – in your communication apps like Slack or MS Teams. Otherwise said, it fits seamlessly into your existing workflows; your people won’t have to open yet another app to book a desk or check who’s in the office.
And, you get detailed insights into office attendance and resource utilization, so that you can optimize office space use and make sure you’re making the most of the space that’s available.
To find out more about the future of work and how to build a hybrid workplace that works for everyone, check out our eBook Our Flexible Future.
2. Use the right communication and collaboration tools
If you want your hybrid workspace to thrive, using the right communication and collaboration tools is essential. Examples include:
- Slack or MS Teams for individual and group chats
- Zoom or Google Meet for video calls
- Asana, ClickUp, or Trello for project management and collaboration
This way, you’ll be able to make sure no one is left out of the conversation and that your team can stay connected and share ideas easily.
3. Implement flexible work schedules
Autonomy and flexibility are a great way to boost employee happiness, so give employees the freedom to choose when to work from the office. You can experiment with different flexible schedules to make sure everyone can find the right balance of remote and in-office days to fit their preferences and the demands of their roles.
4. Set clear guidelines, expectations, and goals
Engagement might suffer if you don’t see everyone on the daily, so hybrid work requires excellent communication. Set clear guidelines and expectations for your team. Make sure each team member knows what their top priorities and goals are, and how to achieve them, or whom to ask for help if they need it.
Yearly reviews are great for setting overarching, high-level goals, but you also need to define shorter-term objectives and performance metrics, which you’ll be tracking.
5. Provide regular feedback and reviews
Based on the goals you set, give each member regular and specific feedback on what they’re doing well and the areas in which they need to improve. Regular check-ins, both formal and informal, can help keep your people engaged, motivated, and on track.
These conversations offer them an opportunity to share their concerns with you, too, so make sure communication goes both ways.
6. Promote inclusion and fairness
Ensure that all employees, regardless of their location, feel included and treated fairly. It’s easy to fall prey to proximity bias, if you’re not being conscious about it, but seeing someone more often doesn’t mean that they work better or are more efficient than those who come to the office only a few times a month.
Make sure all your meetings are remote-first, meaning that everyone can join them from anywhere.
And, importantly, give everyone equal opportunities for career growth and upskilling. Training programs, mentorship opportunities, and new positions should be open to everyone and not just those who come to the office the most often.
7. Create a collaborative office environment
A well-designed office space can boost creativity and collaboration. What does that mean in practice? A few things:
- Open spaces where people can talk with each other freely
- Break rooms for casual chats
- Meeting rooms and areas equipped with the right tech
- Quiet areas for focused work
- Soundproof booths for video calls
In short, a space that caters to different working styles and needs – and that makes in-person collaboration easy.
8. Have your people work together often
One of the best ways to build a strong team where everyone feels they belong, is to have people work together on projects. This doesn’t need to be in-person work – project management tools make it easy to delegate tasks and share ideas instantly – however, ensuring in-person collaboration at least some of the time will likely give better results.
And, make sure people with different skill sets have the opportunity to work together, too. Cross-functional teams might sometimes be a challenge to manage, but they’re an excellent way to use everyone’s skills in new ways and promote teamwork.
9. Use team building events and activities to improve engagement
Organize regular in-person events, workshops, and team-building activities that bring your people together. Don’t force them to participate, though; instead, make sure the events you organize are varied enough to appeal to everyone.
Check out our top 8 affordable team building activities for every budget if you need inspiration; we’ve compiled a list of ideas specifically for hybrid teams.
10. Upskill and reskill employees as needed
Help your employees gain the skills they need to work better and grow, regardless of their working style and location preferences. There are tons of online courses and training programs available, so check what makes sense for each role and offer to cover the costs.
Internal mentorship programs also don’t need to happen in person; pair up new hires with more experienced employees to help everyone grow – including the mentors.
The same applies for leadership, too! Provide training and coaching opportunities to your managers to help them effectively guide and motivate their hybrid teams.
Ready to make hybrid work a success?
Building a flexible work environment that works for everyone doesn’t have to be difficult – but you need the right strategies and technology.
An easy to use desk booking platform like Officely is one of the most essential tools for hybrid workplaces: It can help you manage desks, schedules, and resources in a hybrid office, and create a flexible workspace where everyone thrives.
Book a free demo to see for yourself how easy it is to make hybrid work really work for everyone.
For more in-depth insights on the future of work and how to set yourself up for success, check out our eBook, Our Flexible Future.
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