Employees are more committed to their employers when they have an opportunity to make a choice and be autonomous.

Let’s face it, before the pandemic most companies were following a common way of work: your employees should be in the office 5/7, from 9 to 18 (the time can vary). Some of the employees would even fine people if they were coming later for some reason. So actually, what we see here - is no choice. It was a usual business model.

When the pandemic came, we all got under the same circumstances: everybody should work from home. People were not allowed to go to the office, meet their colleagues, and simply experience those things that everybody used to. Again - there was no choice.

Luckily, during the last two years both - organisations and employees learned how to build trust and appreciation, and most were able to switch to the hybrid workplace model.

 In this article, we would like to give you a clearer picture of hybrid work and some tips on building stronger relationships with your employees using a hybrid workplace model.

What is a hybrid work?

Hybrid work is a flexible working model that allows employees to work from the physical office and remotely - at home or from another workspace.

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What are the benefits of hybrid working?

As for the benefits, hybrid working offers a lot for both employees and employers. We are going to highlight a few of them:

1. It makes your brand image stronger because offering a hybrid working shows that you are following the trends and that you have a flexible forward-thinking culture
2. It attracts top talents because they value it when they have a choice and trust 
3. It makes your current employees happier. With hybrid working, it’s easier to build and follow the work-life balance. Let’s not forget that happy employees are more productive which is beneficial for the business
4. A hybrid workplace is cost-saving. You can rent a smaller space, which means cheaper utility bills, and for the employees, it’s a transport cost safe and the meals

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Is it really necessary to run a hybrid workplace?

Analytics from Gallup, that was gathered regarding the current and preferable places of work shows that 59% of employees prefer a hybrid work environment. In contrast, 32% prefer to work entirely remotely, and only 9% prefer to return to the office full-time. That means most people want to choose and have the possibility to do their work remotely and to have in-office days as well. 

These numbers show how necessary it is still to have opportunities for in-person work, connection, and collaboration.

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How to make a hybrid workplace the best experience for your employees and build stronger relationships with them?

It might seem a bit chaotic when you start to think about organising hybrid working. True, it needs to be implemented in such a way that is clear and understandable for everyone. Once you do it, the experience will be great:
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1. Create a clear guideline and make sure it is properly delivered 

It is going to work better if a team or department level will set certain guidelines:

• What jobs are allowed and not allowed to be done remotely
• Particular days for month/week that employees should be in the office
• Possibility to work remotely from another country, etc.
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2. Choose communication channels and set the rules for using it

You need to make sure that everybody is in contact and that there is no communication gap. So we advise you to:

• Set the channel that will be necessary to use for all of the employees, no matter where they are: at home or in the office
• Create guidelines for meeting times and rules (camera usage, name writing, etc.)
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3. Make sure to talk and treat everybody equally

You have to make sure that you treat remote employees equally with your on-site employees. Checking in with someone farther than the person at the opposite desk might require more work, but it should be done. Additionally, ensure that work is dispersed fairly to prevent remote workers from receiving undesirable jobs or assignments that the on-site employees preferred not to get.
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4. Do the feedback sessions with your employees

Make schedules for one-to-one sessions as well as for written surveys. It will help to understand the temperature within the teams and the overall satisfaction of your workers. 
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5. Don’t forget about online and offline events 

It might be challenging for a scattered workforce to socialise and form friendships, so it's critical to include enjoyable social components in communication channels and online activities. Encourage group discussions, social chats, fun quizzes, online meals or beverages, and more. And when it is possible, bring everybody together for an offline drink. 

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As you noticed between the lines, communication and choice make the experience for business and employees from hybrid working smooth and beneficial. Using software like Bisner will help your business manage workspace and meeting rooms and build a truly strong community. Thus your employees will easily schedule their onsite workdays, request services if needed, and not miss out on company events.
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If you have any experiences you would love to share with us contact us at help@bisner.com or try out Bisner requesting your demo!

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