A Hybrid Environment That Optimizes the Employee Experience

We are well over two years past the date since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We are also two years into the largest remote working experiment in history. We may gauge that the experiment was a success as businesses increasingly contemplate a permanent shift to hybrid work in the approaching post-COVID world.

The transition to remote work was done almost overnight. Many improvisations were subsequently made to ensure a smooth sail. Bringing employees back to work will require more careful consideration. But two years of working from home have taught us much. Here are some thoughts on building a hybrid environment to ensure an optimal employee experience:

Keeping communication lines open

The pandemic reinforced the importance of strong communication. Leaders and managers not only had to communicate but overcommunicate to ease uncertainty and sustain workflows when traditional ways of working were upended. Frequent connects with teams will remain crucial as employees continue to operate remotely in a hybrid environment.

Investing in technology

It is difficult to imagine how businesses could have survived without the digital communication and collaboration tools at our disposal today. But until now, these tools have largely served to help us adjust to conditions where physical meetings were impossible. As a remote-first approach becomes the norm, they will evolve to smoothen the creases. Businesses will have to increase their investment in technology to enable a seamless and productive hybrid environment.

Establishing expectations

With some employees coming to work and others continuing to operate remotely – possibly even from different geographies and time-zones – new norms must be established that cater to everyone. This will involve deciding appropriate days for meetings, response times for deliverables, and how often employees would need to be present on-site.

Prioritizing mental health

Employees who operate remotely face increased risk of isolation and loneliness. Pandemic-related stressors and increased responsibilities at home have also increased burnout during the last two years. Consequently, the spotlight on mental health and employee wellbeing has turned brighter. Organizations and employees can benefit from mental health programs at the workplace. Offering access to mental health support and driving awareness campaigns can be a step in this direction.

Since 2020, many have rightly pointed out that the pandemic accelerated digital transformation among businesses. Remote work is perhaps the most common experience of this shift. There have been ups and downs in the process. Change does not come without hiccups, but they often open unimaginable possibilities once completed. A hybrid future may soon remind us of this.

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