Ever since COVID turned the world upside down, employees everywhere have switched rapidly to the new “work anywhere” environment. Cloud technology and collaboration tools provide workers with the support they need to stay productive, even when they’re not in the office.

So, what does this mean for the future of work?

Well, while some people can work easily from home and maintain the same outcomes, others don’t do as well. Not everyone wants a full-time remote experience. More importantly, some jobs simply aren’t cut out for remote work. That means that companies are beginning to consider the hybrid workforce more seriously. According to one study, 55% of US workers want a mixture of office and home working. The same trends are beginning to appear around the world.

Hybrid workforces could provide an excellent set of benefits to today’s businesses – if used correctly. You can have the best of both worlds with your employees.

But is there a darker side to remote working? A potential for remote vs office employees?

Understanding the Hybrid Workforce

Hybrid, for many businesses, is the ultimate step forward for the new future of work. It opens the door to all the benefits of remote working, like fewer overheads and reduced need for real-estate, while still leveraging the benefits of people being in the office. Hybrid work ensures that employees can fit their career around the rest of their lives, with some days at the office, and some at home.

There’s also the potential for companies to structure their hybrid workforce however they choose. You may have some all-remote workers, and some who stay in the office. It’s a much more flexible way to find out what works for your staff. According to Stanford university, even when the pandemic subsides, working remotely at least two days a week will be the best way to balance quiet and collaborative work for team members.

So, what’s the problem?

Any process that divides people is rarely without its challenges.

There’s a risk that some employers may be deemed “unfair” when they offer some employees the chance to work remotely and fail to do the same for another segment of the workforce. It’s also worth noting that some people in the work environment today simply won’t be able to work from home.

Not everyone has a quiet and secluded space that they can work from away from the office. Some people will struggle to manage things like children, pets, and a simple lack of space if they’re squashed into a smaller home environment. For these people, it may feel as though they’re being forced to work from the office because they’re not lucky enough to have the right home life.

Could Hybrid Work Cause Issues?

When cliques form in the workplace, it often leads to a sense of isolation for at least some employees. There’s a risk that remote workers who spend more of the time away from the office will form their own community through video calls and collaboration apps, causing the people inside the office to wonder what’s going on.

In the same way, when people in the office can collaborate face-to-face and have true human connections with other workers, this could cause remote employees to feel left out. Though there are more tools available for things like video conferencing that improve collaboration, that’s not the same as being in the same place as someone. When remote workers return to the office, they could end up feeling that they don’t really belong there. The in-office staff may have already formed tighter bonds just by being together more frequently.

There is a risk of creating group dynamics with hybrid teams because employees are actively being separated based on how they want to work. A mixed model can gradually lead to a divide between those who are in the office and those who are at home, leading to stereotypes and other issues. There’s even a risk that this landscape could magnify the gender gap too, as women are more disproportionately expected to work from home to take on caring responsibilities.

Although it’s difficult to know for certain how serious any problems with an “employee gap” might be, this is something that companies will need to be aware of. Partially distributed teams have reported more conflict with digital communication in the past. Remote workers have also frequently complained of feelings of isolation, or a lack of “group spirit”, when not in the office.

Approaching the Hybrid World with Care

There’s a lot of confusion to overcome in the world of hybrid work. Some people simply appreciate a fixed routine more than others and won’t want to jump back and forth between different work settings. For some employees, it’ll be better to work entirely in the office or at home.

The key for today’s business leaders is finding out what works for their team members so that they can get the best, not the worst, of both worlds. Ideally, all workers would visit the office on the same days, using socially distanced practices to keep everyone safe. However, this may not be possible for all businesses. In that case, the power of the hybrid office will depend on transparency.

Even partially distributed teams will need to have regular meetings where everyone tunes in through video conferencing, so that nobody feels like they’re just “sitting in” on a meeting. Team members wherever they are will need to have access to the same tools and information as their colleagues, so they don’t have to worry about missing out on important updates.

Regular surveys and interviews with both remote and in-office staff could be an excellent way to gauge the feelings that people have about being in a hybrid environment. The more companies keep track of their staff’s needs, the easier it will be to ensure that the hybrid environment works for everyone.

Keep in tune with your employees wherever they are, and don’t let anyone feel like a second-class citizen.

 

 



from UC Today https://ift.tt/3avEKfL