To Hybrid or Not to Hybrid?

From hybrid cars to hybrid vegetables, the World of Hybrid has arrived. While safety of some hybrids are debatable, many are a need of the hour. Hybrid work falls in the latter category; and yet many employers and managers are not sold to the idea. In this article, we will discuss employer's top 3 fears ??, our solutions ??and 3 brownie points you get from employee's POV.

1.Communication becomes a Challenge! ??        

This is one of the biggest concerns voiced by employers as well as employees. The seamless communication about work or otherwise, which can only happen when people meet face to face is irreplaceable- leading to occasional delays, confusions or even deadlocks.

??There are digital collaboration platforms for chats, video calls, file sharing, goal setting, tasks assignment, knowledge sharing and everything one can think of in an office setting- even for the (in)famous watercooler chats. Most of these tools are used even when employees work from office, so it's not that employers have to go all out and buy subscriptions of all of them separately. Also, for the strictly-in-person-meeting-needed tasks, plan for the teams to come to office. So overall, a framework around Collaboration tools, Planning at team level & enabling a Circle of Trust (most important!), you can step into the Hybrid mode with ease.

2. How do I ensure Productivity? ??        

A counter question here- Are you calculating productivity per employee in office setting? If yes, do you need the person to be in front you to do it? Chances are 'No, you don't'. Because vision is our dominant sense which mediates 80% of all that we think/know of, when we don't see a person in front of us, we perceive the person's productivity to have gone down. In reality, a person could be not-productive at all, despite being in office for 9 hours; or the other way around.

??By incorporating OKR into strategy, employers can align all their employees to organizational goals and track the progress at individual's task levels. What better way to track productivity! And this doesn't need all employees to be in office all the time. So by establishing clear expectations and adapting strategies such as OKR, employers can not only switch to hybrid work, but can also thrive.

3. Employee engagement takes a hit when they WFH.??        

Employers worry that remote workers may feel left out of important discussions and decisions, leading to a decrease in employee morale and engagement. Plus, NOTHING can replace the human connection- the hormone Oxytocin is released when humans bond and find connection, shake hands or hug; furthering a feeling of belonging.

??By fostering a strong company culture which values trust and giving freedom to employees to choose their work setting, employers can eliminate such divide. A conviction & a top down approach for training and activities for team building will help build the sense of belonging.

Brownie points:

1. Humans feel happy when they are in control of their day-to-day life. And the the life outside work is already chaotic running errands related to home, family, health, finance, corporation, schools etc. Giving them flexibility to choose the mode of work will improve employee satisfaction.
2. The state of our city infrastructure has already been a topic of discussion since last few years. Horrors of traffic congestion are not limited to Bengaluru anymore. If we want to bring back our employees to work, as corporates we need to exert pressure on government to improve the road infra. Saving them from those 40 minutes of traffic congestion will reap you returns in terms of productivity as well as employee satisfaction.
3. We talk about equality at workplace because we know everyone is not equal when it comes to responsibility shared at home and work. For example, parents in workforce are not only responsible for their children, they also derive joy out of caring for them. Giving a mom or a dad the flexibility to work from home helps them enjoy parenthood as well as helps their spouse from taking a career break as a result of parenthood. Same applies to person caring for elderly or an individual with varied interest. This flexibility helps bring loyalty towards the employer.

Merito helps companies set up Hybrid workspaces in terms of L&D, OKRs, Rewards & Recognition, Performance Management & Employee Engagement. If you're on the fence or have already implemented hybrid work culture, you can count on us. Let us know how we can help you!