HR Tips for a Successful Hybrid Workforce

Since the pandemic, our ideas of the traditional workplace have been tossed out in favour of many different alternatives. For some of you, that may mean a hybrid situation, where part of your employees work from the office while others work from home. A hybrid workforce is an adjustment and requires HR to take different management approaches. Here are some tips that will help you navigate the hybrid workforce.

Create a clear hybrid work policy

It will likely be necessary to reassess your work policies and create new guidelines that allow for more flexibility. To do this, it will be important to understand your employees’ preferences when it comes to their methods of working and under which conditions they are most successful. It should also include expectations for both onsite staff and remote staff, from their output to their meeting attendance and, if any, in-person attendance.

Make sure all employees are on a level playing field

Between onsite staff and remote staff, onsite staff have a clear advantage when it comes to their personal career growth, especially if their manager is also working in the office. It may not be intentional, but onsite staff are likely to be given more opportunities to succeed, from being able to work directly with their managers, being selected first for projects, or simply being kept in the loop on things discussed outside of virtual meetings. Try to avoid this favoritism. Otherwise, you may lose your remote employees. It’s extremely important that the workplace is equitable for workers from all locations, and that each employee is given the same opportunities.

Organize monthly/bi-monthly in-person get-togethers

As humans, we do need some in-person interaction, especially with the people we work with. Whether this be during work hours or outside of them, organize events for everyone to mingle and chat face-to-face. Perhaps organize a 5 à 7, a company dinner or even a business meeting. The closer your employees are to one another, the easier it will be for them to work together.

Focus on outcomes for remote workers

You may have concerns that remote employees won’t be as productive at home as in the office, but this is not always the case. In fact, for some, remote work has led to an increased rate of productivity. Everyone works differently and focusing on outcomes allows employees to work at their own pace within a realistic timeframe. Implement a time tracking and task management software to manage employee accountability and employer expectations. From there, employees can structure their day how they see fit to produce the necessary work.