Worker shortages in virtually every industry are leading companies to rethink how they do business. Many are now embracing hybrid work models in an effort to attract and retain the best talent in the marketplace.
Hybrid working models can produce optimal results for the companies that carefully implement hybrid work best practices, but managers and leaders must be strategic and proactive to ensure this change successfully takes hold.
Ready to review the hybrid work model best practices that will reshape your workplace? Here are 4 best practices to consider when tapping into hybrid working models.
What Is Hybrid Work, Anyway?
Businesses can’t reap the blessing of hybrid working models without understanding what they’re implementing. A hybrid work culture lets employees work from wherever they can be the most productive, whether that’s in an office, from the comforts of home, or on the open road. Truly flexible hybrid working models even allow for a combination of these to ensure workers have the freedom they need to take care of themselves and produce top results.
Implementing hybrid working models is much more complicated than simply telling your employees that they can work from home. The hybrid work model best practices you’ll need to implement will impact your company culture, communication channels, and overall work/life balance across the business in order to equip your workforce for success.
A Majority of Workers Want Hybrid Working Models
The global pandemic didn’t just lead to short-term disruptions in the workplace but also fostered long-term cultural changes that will impact the future of work as we know it. According to a survey of over 5,000 full-time employees conducted by McKinsey, 64% of respondents said they’d like to work from home one to four days a week.
More importantly, 68% of the survey respondents “said they had yet to receive from their organization any detailed vision of what it will really look like.” This means that businesses are failing to embrace the hybrid work model best practices that talented young workers in high demand are searching for.
It’s not just workers, either; nine out of 10 organizations will be combining remote and on-site work arrangements in the future, according to another McKinsey survey of 100 top executives. The demand for hybrid working models is clearly established –– what’s less clear at this point is which hybrid work model best practices should be embraced across the board.
Hybrid Work Model Best Practices
Recruiterie is an expert executive search firm that’s spent years helping top companies find the talent they need to succeed in a modern marketplace. With the help of Recruiterie’s strategic and proactive advice, any company can implement these 4 hybrid work model best practices to maintain a competitive workforce in light of a serious labor shortage.
#1: Invest In Company-Wide Communications
Hybrid working models can only succeed with clear lines of communication. This means that businesses need to invest in company devices, like laptops and smartphones, to ensure their workers are always in constant contact with one another. Otherwise, hybrid working models that see the workforce distributed across multiple workspaces will struggle to take off.
This also requires company leaders to clearly communicate the reasoning behind any new policy to all workers. Helpful and concise emails coupled with short but informative conference calls can ensure that all workers stay in the loop despite the distances between them.
#2: Foster a Healthy Work/Life Balance
Hybrid work best practices that don’t focus on a healthy work/life balance are doomed to fail. These hybrid regimes exist in the first place to make life easier for workers, which in turn bolsters overall productivity and leads to higher profits. Always interrogate your policies and solicit anonymous feedback to ensure the work/life balance of your employees isn’t being thrown out the window as you embrace other hybrid work best practices.
#3: Focus On Upskilling Existing Employees
Ideally, hybrid work model best practices ensure you have low turnover and attract the best talent in the marketplace to your company. Nevertheless, finding new hires will always be difficult in a marketplace rife with opportunities elsewhere. That’s why upskilling your current workers is an essential part of making hybrid working models succeed at scale.
Upskilling benefits everyone and will keep your hybrid workforce ready for any changes brought about in the post-pandemic world. Recruiterie makes upskilling easier from the start by identifying flexible workers who are naturally gifted learners eager to learn new skills.
#4: Give Employees Room To Breathe
Finally, businesses must remember why hybrid working models are attractive to workers in the first place. Don’t be an overbearing taskmaster who micromanages every worker. Providing your workforce with flexibility and room to breathe ensures they meet their responsibilities with a smile on their faces.
Company guidelines must always be adhered to, but managers will find more success if they equip workers with the tools they need, let them choose their preferred work environment, and get out of the way so that the harvest can be brought in.
With the help of Recruiterie, you can create a thriving hybrid culture that lets employees maximize their potential in no time.