The world is now entering a new chapter. Everything has changed following the pandemic. Fortunately, despite the challenges, humanity is moving forward. Local economies are gradually opening up, and global corporate leaders are adjusting their strategies to accommodate hybrid work setups.

According to Microsoft, 73 percent of employees want flexible remote alternatives to stay in place, while 67 percent want more in-person work or collaboration after the outbreak. In addition, 66 percent of CEOs say their organization is contemplating restructuring their office space for hybrid work.

Hybrid work has proven vital to the continuation of our economy and business dealings. Therefore, it is only natural that even as we recover from the pandemic, the adoption of hybrid work will grow. As this growth is underway, technical leaders must comprehend the strategy’s consequences and influence productivity and business culture. This adoption requires a clear vision of hybrid work and a willingness to experiment with alternative approaches and methods.

To understand what steps organizations should take to ensure “business as usual” in the wake of the abrupt shift in work patterns, it is necessary first to identify challenges that remote employees experience that impairs productivity.

Challenges of a Work from Anywhere Setup

The following are some of the most common team management and collaboration issues brought about by the sudden changes in work patterns:

• Inability to download files, communicate, or collaborate: It became more difficult to manage team deliverables due to a lack of appropriate video conferencing technologies, high-speed internet, instant messaging, or role-specific software.
• The negative blurring of home and work boundaries: Employees find it more difficult to detach from work after working hours due to the remote work arrangement that allows workers to work from anywhere.
• Struggle to navigate new collaboration and productivity-enhancing enterprise workforce management software: Team management and collaboration have suffered. It has become more difficult to work on new software in a remote working environment. As a result, major blows may be dealt, making it difficult to manage team deliverables.
• Feeling disconnected from the rest of the team: Unfortunately, the work-from-anywhere system has resulted in isolation and low morale, making it difficult for managers to assign project due dates and staff to meet such deadlines.

Best Practices for Managing Hybrid Work

While the switch to hybrid work may appear straightforward, putting it into practice can provide its own set of problems. Managers must foresee these problems before they occur. To do so, they will need a framework in place that allows them to experiment with different deployments and adjust as needs and preferences change.

With that in mind, companies must keep the following considerations in mind when building, deploying, and maintaining hybrid work models.

Encourage Employees to have a Voice about Hybrid Work

Companies must tread carefully; especially when discussing remote, work from anywhere arrangements and implementing hybrid work plans.

Many employees are opposed to returning to physical workplaces and would rather change employment than return to their desks. The companies failing to make the change will risk losing top talent and facing backlash. This consequence can weaken morale and negatively impact productivity, profitability, and team management and collaboration challenges.

Managers should consider holding educational lunch-and-learn sessions and personal meetings with employees to evaluate hybrid solutions, receive feedback, and explore various work circumstances and policies for the best results.

Teams can then respond to questions and feel like they are contributing to the solution, and that is preferable to feeling compelled to cooperate and jeopardize their health to avoid being fired.

Coordinate Schedules

When it comes to managing hybrid teams, avoiding scheduling issues is crucial.

This option necessitates knowing how many individuals can be accommodated safely in the workplace. It also necessitates collaboration with other department leaders to prioritize on-site work and avoid schedule conflicts.

Administrators and managers should initially meet to discuss their scheduling strategies. Some companies would prefer management to determine schedules, whereas small teams prefer employees to do so.

Aside from that, it is a good idea to experiment with various scheduling models to assign project due dates and manage team deliverables smoothly.

Involve Remote Workers as if they were On-Site

Because local team members are more visible and considered for inclusion, it is typically much easier to become involved in cross-functional work. Most of the time, it is a matter of comfort and familiarity. In the meanwhile, it is a case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind when it comes to remote controls.

Local employees may be less productive as they are dragged into cross-functional tasks, while remote employees may feel alienated as if they are getting neglected or passed over.

Companies must align each team member to distinct projects, cross-functional teams, and initiatives to avoid this problem. Remote employees are far more involved in cross-functional matters and visible across the organization, and local employees have greater freedom to focus on their work.

Invest in an Agile Team Management Software

Collaboration and productivity-enhancing tools will undoubtedly become the lifeblood of a company’s staff when it decides to move to a remote work environment. This need for human interaction is why it’s essential to use Tasker to ensure that everything is well-managed and monitored. It allows you and your team to stay organized and on top of each project.

Maintaining Awareness

Managing a hybrid team is being aware of the differences in experience between remotes and locals — and reacting to level the playing field and maintain positive team relations.

Ultimately, a hybrid team can function in extraordinary ways if it has outstanding technology, effective communication, and information-sharing processes, defined assignments and tasks, and some travel flexibility.

Conclusion

The new normal has necessitated a unique team management style and collaboration that allows managers to keep track of their teams in a hybrid manner, whether online or in person. More importantly, employees must receive effective means to track all tasks and provide evidence of everything done in both contexts.

Build, organize, and collaborate on work from nearly anywhere in one place.

Learn what the Tasker can do for your team!