5 Core Principles to Drive Your Hybrid Workforce

Many companies are beginning to evaluate having their workforce return to the office as the pandemic subsides and the world slowly works towards a new normal. As companies begin to return to the office, there is a lot of emphasis going into allowing a hybrid work environment that brings together the best parts of working in an office and working from home, creating a happy medium.

A hybrid work environment can be built as a team that alternates days working remotely while others come into the office or having half the team strictly in an office and the other half strictly remote. Managing a hybrid workforce needs to be flexible with this new and improved way of working. In order to drive your hybrid workforce into a successful working environment for your team, you should implement these 5 core principles.

Trust 

Working together in an office space is one way that it is easy to establish trust when you can speak directly to the people you work with. You have to create a space where your team members feel comfortable, have a level of trust in your leadership and direction, and feel that you have a genuine interest in helping them develop essential to a healthy, thriving hybrid environment.

Empathy 

Leaders are the driving force behind a good strong company culture and should be the example of empathy in a hybrid workforce. Make space for active listening with empathy for every interaction you have with your team. In a hybrid workplace, employees feel especially removed, and interacting and engaging with empathy is one core way to show each member of your team that you care and value their work.

Vision and Clarity 

With a remote work environment and the team being removed from a structured office environment regularly, they need to understand and have a clear vision of operational standards and how the hybrid work will evolve. When you provide clarity and share the operational vision, the team feels connected so that they are working together collectively towards a shared goal.

Building Routine 

Routines are essential for any functional team. It can be as simple as a daily touch base meeting or something fun for the team to look forward to at the end of the week like a fun trivia game or even a rotation of team building events like a virtual escape room like Reason’s Moonshot. Building rituals and routines can help build the team culture and create a mutual identity and help with the social isolation working in a remote environment.

Recognition 

When your employees feel more valued, they are more likely to be highly motivated, feel a higher sense of self-worth, and feel more connected to their team. In a hybrid environment, recognition has evolved to much more than the company email. It can be a surprise meeting where you shout out or award one of your team members for their excellent work or send them a gift. Showing them that they are valued is a way to foster a stronger connection with your team.

Hybrid teams are a work in progress. Being adaptable, empathetic, and providing a clear vision of how you and your team can work effectively is essential to helping your team find success while establishing meaningful connections with their teammates.