Remote work has become a favorable lifestyle by employees. However, as we move out of Covid-19 restrictions, many administrators are comparing productivity within remote and in-office practices. There are highlights to both remote and in-office work, and leaders are now weighing the possibilities of combining the two, creating a hybrid workforce.

In this article, we will focus on strategies that will enable a hybrid workforce and how to best implement it.

Why Implement a Hybrid Workforce?

With remote work being popularly received by staff, consideration of a hybrid workforce is not far off from current practices. A hybrid workforce is similar to a remote workforce in that employees work from a location outside of the office. The difference, however, is that hybrid workforce approaches are not entirely remote.

The main pillar of a hybrid workforce remains remote. The implementation of a hybrid approach is to allow the in-person communication to live on, as it has proven to continue to be more effective than conversations over devices or video chat.

Remote Conflicts

Predicting problems out of the gate is usually a difficult task, and while remote work was presented as an ultimatum, it has now become a widely accepted tool. The more time spent working remote, the more issues administrators and staff are bringing to light.

The spontaneity of chats, emails, notifications, and use of shared documents causes workers to lose focus, concentration, and to feel increased stress and anxiety. Workdays are now overloaded with unplanned contact, disorganized or disrupted workflows, and no distinction between work and personal time.

Strategies

It’s clear that most remote workers want a hybrid experience to better balance their work and personal life. Organizations that can manage this effectively, and structure the work environment accordingly will have a greater advantage towards success.

Worth considering are:

1. Designing in-person spaces that allow for better visual contact among those in the room and on a digital platform.

2. On-boarding and management support for those early in their career to build work-related skills and networks within the organization.

3. Ensuring that new employees, or those who are quiet in meetings, are encouraged to speak up, including the use of facilitators to support those who tend to feel excluded or seem reluctant to speak up.

4. Setting up situations, forums, opportunities for social connection that cannot happen in an online meeting. Less noise and more relating can help engagement and the bottom line.

As leaders consider their plans for future hybrid work environments, those who take a moment to think about what they’ve learned over the past year of remote work will be best equipped to succeed in the future.

Workforce Management for the Hybrid Workforce

With a workforce management platform, a hybrid workforce becomes easy to manage. By taking advantage of capabilities in the cloud, organizations can ensure their employees can always access their work and deliver to the client. Administrators can maintain up to date with staff tasks and time and attendance whether they are working remote or in-person, keeping a streamlined approach.

Given that working from home with the right technology and employee support will be more cost-effective than office-based work, organizations will need to assess what their post-Covid office environment needs to look like. Once assessed, administrators can begin to divide necessities by remote and in-person work, creating a hybrid agenda.

Visual Computer Solutions creates intelligent workforce management software that reinvents how you work and scales as your business grows. Compatible for all private businesses, government organizations and public safety agencies, VCS software simplifies employee scheduling, time & attendance, human resources and payroll for today’s modern workforce. To learn more about our products, visit https://www.vcssoftware.com/solutions/  

About VCS

VCS provides public and private sectors with ultramodern workforce management tools that better manage their most complex workforce management needs and tedious business processes. Backed by 20 years of experience, VCS’ platform boasts industry-specific products and services, carefully crafted to make employee management, time & attendance, human resources, and payroll easier for the entire workforce.