Switching from a solely in-office or remote work plan to a hybrid workplace model can be challenging. It requires organizations to factor in elements that have never been criteria for their smooth functioning. Some challenges include 

  • Providing a consistent employee experience
  • Providing flexibility while meeting deadlines
  • Managing the physical office space
  • Fostering Collaboration, and more.

Fortunately, you can successfully avoid the above problems and implement a hybrid workplace by following a few steps. Read on to understand what they are.

How to Adopt a Hybrid Workplace?

  • Pay Heed to Employee Preferences

An organization could invest in top-tier technology and infrastructure, only to realize that its employees prefer working remotely. Facilitating open communication with employees can help organizations avoid such mishaps.

Conducting company-wide surveys and brainstorming sessions can help organizations understand employee preferences. Here are some areas that can be explored.

  • The percentage of employees who prefer to work from the office against working remotely
  • Facilities that employees feel are required with a hybrid workplace
  • Employee expectations from the company

The answers to all questions can give you crucial data about employee concerns. And paying heed to them can speed up the adoption of the hybrid work model.

  • Set Reasonable Targets Whilst Maintaining Flexibility

The hybrid workplace may be based on allowing employees to work from their preferred location. But it should not come at the price of missing deadlines. Here is how you do it.

Share company expectations and policies to acquaint employees with the hybrid workplace model. Once this is done, you can make pre-planned well spaced out deadlines and share them with your employees.

While setting reasonable targets ensures employees finish their work on time,  sharing the timeline in advance also helps them work out logistical details at their end beforehand.

  • Implement the Required Infrastructure

Before adopting a hybrid workplace, an organization needs to have the necessary infrastructure in place. Managers can take care of conference rooms or video calling technology depending on the location of the employees beforehand for smooth functioning.

The number of desks and office space the employees might need can be catered to, to avoid delays. Additionally, desk and meeting room booking setups should be set up to streamline bookings and gain proper insights on the usage of these resources.

  • Offer Hybrid Workplace Plans on a Volunteer Basis

During the pandemic era, people working from home enjoyed being the master of their own time. Forcing them to jump right back into a hybrid workplace schedule from a remote setup without preparing them can adversely affect their productivity and morale for the worse.

Companies should ease their employees into a hybrid workplace on a volunteer basis. This will help the employees to get accustomed to the new hybrid workplace setup and also tell you about the success of the newly implemented hybrid model.

  • Improve the Workplace Experience

When employees learn that a positive employee experience waits after the adaptation of the hybrid workplace, they are more likely to adopt it. So, how do you improve the workplace experience?

  • Fostering an environment of inclusivity and positivity regardless of where the employee is working inspires greater commitment to work. To do this, ensure employees have constant communication with their teams and coworkers. Facilitate formal and informal meetings so that employees get to know each other better. This will build trust and inclusivity at the workplace.
  • Another way to improve employee experience is by appreciating their contributions. Employees working remotely may feel their work is not as seen as compared to the ones that are working from the office.

Companies can prevent this by acknowledging individual achievements on conference calls or announcing big successes via email or other correspondence channels. Doing this boosts your employees’ morale and ensures they have a positive workplace experience.

  • Lastly, promoting feedback from employees can go a long way in improving their workplace experience. The process of moving into a hybrid workplace model will have its share of obstacles for every organization. Collecting feedback and suggestions helps get past them easier.

Keeping communication channels open, whether it is regarding a specific project or the general well-being of the company can help the company grow and prosper.

Final Thoughts

Adopting hybrid working models is a continuous process rather than a one-and-done act. It requires effort from the organization as well as the employees. But the benefits it brings make it worth the work.

Be it better work life balance or optimizing real estate, the hybrid work environment is exactly what you need. 

To make this process seamless, use WorkInSync hybrid workplace software. With features that complement the concept of flexible work, this software is an all-in-one asset. Book a demo to learn more about the product and the features it offers.