Though remote work first surged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations are still reeling from the effects. Many companies continue to delay reopening their offices, with 66% of executives claiming they’re considering changing their office space to accommodate hybrid work.
Though this type of workplace has been around for years, it’s safe to say that more managers than ever have been saddled with the novel task of leading their first hybrid team. After all, how do you lead your employees to success when they’re never in the office at the same time, or when you never see some of them at all?
Fortunately, there are a few key ways to ensure employee productivity, motivation, and more—even with a hybrid workforce. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s what you need to know.
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Be Aware of Proximity Bias
Our instinct as humans is to give our attention—and often preferential treatment—to people and things that are close to us. A simple way of thinking about it is the axiom “out of sight is out of mind.”
This type of bias isn’t anything new, but it can subtly cloud our judgment in the hybrid workplace. It can lead us to spend our time and energy on the employees we see most often, usually those we sit near in an office space, and less time on the remote workers we manage.
Recognizing this issue is an important way to make sure you’re engaging with your in-office and remote team members in equal measure. This might call for a period of reflection on how well your current strategies are working, as well as the implementation of the tips below.
Establish Clear Work Schedules
When employees work from home, one of the benefits is often a more flexible work schedule. This is especially true when workers live across multiple time zones. However, this isn’t always ideal when your team needs synchronous work time.
Set Core Hours
Set core hours in which your entire team should be working at the same time. This can range from a few hours to most of the day, depending on your team.
In addition, decide how your team will schedule their asynchronous work time. Will they need to set their hours in advance, or will they have flexibility to choose when they work throughout the day?
Create a Shared Calendar
No matter when each team member is working, it’s important to have an easy way for everyone to know what they’re up to. Creating a shared calendar can help establish when and where each team member will work.
Get the Right Tools
It’s hard to overstate the power of the right apps and software when you’re leading hybrid workers.
It might be tempting to stick to tools you’re accustomed to, but some quick research can help you find great options for your team. Depending on your industry, you might need to track down creative solutions , especially for collaborative processes like product and software development teams.
From project management and time tracking to video calls and impromptu surveys, there’s a huge range of software tools to help. You can even find tools to help with remote and hybrid employee engagement, like mesh.ai.
Don’t forget to establish clear expectations around your workplace’s designated messaging apps, as well. With hybrid teams, it’s easy to have workers using too many different chat apps according to their preference. This can make it easier to miss crucial information.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
On the note of finding the right software, don’t forget to put it to good use!
With your workers spread across multiple locations, both you and your team will need to stay in constant communication. Get in the habit of asking for feedback and new perspectives, over-communicating your expectations, and facilitating transparent discussions. Don’t forget to set aside time for regular one-on-ones with each team member, as it’s a great way to make sure you’re both on the same page about your work.
In addition, keep in mind that the nuances of tone can be difficult to interpret by text messaging, so default to video calls or in-person chats for more important or sensitive conversations.
Encourage Team Connection
When your team rarely—or never—meets face to face, it’s easy for employees to feel disconnected from each other. That’s why creating an inclusive and supportive atmosphere is so important: it helps your employees feel like part of the same team.
Without the “water-cooler moments” of an in-person team, you’ll have to be more intentional about creating opportunities for socialization. Wherever possible, encourage social interactions through fun check-in rituals during meetings, remote team-building activities, and virtual events.
Don’t Micromanage
We get it: with your remote workers, it’s tempting to ping your team for frequent updates. After all, you can’t see their progress or ensure that they’re staying on track like you can with your office team.
However, in an ideal world, you’ve hired your employees because you trust them to be great at what they do. Giving them the freedom to work when and where they want is a sign of that trust—so don’t ruin things by micromanaging their progress! Unless an employee asks for help or you notice issues such as missed deadlines, skip the overbearing check-ins.
Get More Out of Your Hybrid Team
Whether you’re leading your first hybrid team or brushing up your skills, following the strategies above can be a great way to ensure success. From getting your hands on the right tools to rethinking your mindset, the right efforts will foster collaboration and productivity.
Want more of the workplace tips you need to know? Be sure to check out our other guides and strategic breakdowns for more insights.