Across the United Kingdom, two in five employers have confirmed that they will embrace hybrid working as they return to the workplace.
Offering employees the ability to work in-house and remotely a few days a week, hybrid working boasts benefits such as increased productivity, greater employee satisfaction, improved mental health and greater employee prospects.
Set to be the future of the workplace, hybrid working models will increase success across small, medium, and large organisations when implemented effectively.
Our Leadership Tips For Hybrid Working
Although hybrid working is set to be extremely beneficial, encountering some bumps along the way is entirely normal.
To assist you as you look to the future and begin to set out your hybrid working model, we have shared our leadership tips for hybrid working with you here.
Communicate Effectively
Over the last two years, we have seen just how important communication is, especially in the workplace. Not only does communication reduce conflict, but it improves relationships, job satisfaction and helps teams develop.
Now, as the workplace goes hybrid, communication is set to be more important than ever. With teams split between the home and the office, listening to what your employees are saying is vital.
Although many presume that communication simply means ensuring that their message is head, effective communication includes listening, hearing and understanding how people feel, their concerns and any worries they may have in order to advise and implement appropriate action.
Remain Inclusive
With 80% of employees hoping to work from home three days per week and an additional three in four workers saying they want to return to the office, remaining inclusive is paramount.
But what does this mean?
Remaining inclusive essentially means that you must ensure that each employee is given the same opportunities irrespective of whether they are working in-house or from home. Communication must also guarantee that all employees remain up to date at all times.
In a previous blog, Zoe Lewis also shared that being inclusive will ensure that you are most present. Rather than keeping your virtual door open for when your people need you, checking in with them on a regular basis will help them feel included.
Set Expectations
Whilst hybrid working offers employees greater flexibility, it is important that expectations are created and set where appropriate.
For example, when hosting a meeting, we recommend outlining who needs to attend, how they need to attend (via Zoom or in-person) and how long the meeting will last for.
Setting expectations will guarantee that your people know what to expect in advance to ensure that appropriate arrangements can be made. Setting expectations will also enable you to create a hybrid workplace that works in harmony.
Utilise Various Communication Tools
In his interview with Terry, Marc Weedon shared that he recommends taking advantage of various communication tools to ensure that the most appropriate tool is always used.
For example, Slack can be used for non-urgent communication, emails can be utilised for longer, more complex things and Zoom calls are ideal for discussions and decision making.
Not only does utilising various communication tools enable teams to communicate in a way which is best for them, but it prevents Zoom fatigue and saves time.
Encourage Employees To Take Breaks
Reports show that 56% of British workers never take their full lunch break, with many thought to simply take 28 minutes for their lunch hour instead. The number of people taking microbreaks has also decreased by a 95%.
However, microbreaks and lunchbreaks during the workday is essential. Not only does taking regular breaks increase productivity, but it essentially preserves employee’s mental health and prevents burnout.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are taking enough breaks throughout the day. If you are not already, consider leaving 10-minute gaps between Zoom calls and encourage your people to take 10 to 15 minutes every few hours.
Offer Flexibility
Working from home has drastically changed how we work, yet many organisations are still to offer their people greater flexibility. Whilst the 9 to 5 working day is still somewhat desirable to some, a large percentage of organisations and their people have come to realise that the typical 9 to 5 is now dead.
Although there are times when working traditional hours are important, now is the time to offer greater flexibility when it comes to the hours your people work, especially as many people are juggling childcare, home-schooling and, in some instances, isolation.
Failure to offer employees flexibility could see organisations struggle to retain their top talent – especially as one in four workers would leave their current role to accept a job with better benefits.
Invest In Leadership Coaching
As employees begin to adjust to hybrid working, leadership challenges are inevitable. After all, we are now entering the unknown, and we need to uncover how best to navigate the upcoming months and even years.
To ensure that your team have the support they need to maintain their relationships with one another, work effectively and take care of themselves, investing in leadership coaching is highly recommended.
Leadership coaching can additionally help you develop trust among your teams.
Contact Us Today
Here at The Leadership Coaches, we hope that our leadership tips for hybrid working will support you as you implement a hybrid working model.
However, if you would like to discuss your leadership needs with us or find out more about how leadership coaching can support you and your team, we welcome you to contact us directly by calling us on 03450 950 480.
In doing so, we can take the time to understand your concerns and provide a suitable solution.
