______
Over the past year, many organizations adopted work-from-home arrangements in response to the pandemic. But as the country begins to reopen, many companies are transitioning to a hybrid workplace, with some employees returning to onsite work and others continuing to work from home, at least part of the time. With this dual arrangement, managers are likely to face new challenges when it comes to keeping their teams informed and on the same page.
Here are 6 tips to help keep your team connected in a hybrid work environment.
- Set expectations: Work closely with team members to set expectations about new communication protocols. For example, provide clear guidance on:
- Which communication vehicles and channels to use and when.
- Frequency of team meetings and who needs to attend.
- Who has access to what content.
- Level the playing field: Make sure every employee has a chance to engage and participate in group meetings. Employees connecting from home can find it difficult to jump in when there’s a lot of back and forth among employees co-located in a conference room. Be sure remote participants have a chance to be heard and can contribute to your session.
- Document discussions: For each meeting, assign someone to take notes and provide a written summary to all participants. This enables everyone to have a record of key points discussed, decisions made, next steps and meeting attendees. A written record is particularly useful for remote workers who may have had technology glitches during the meeting and missed out on part of the session.
- Allow for asynchronous communication: Not all responses need to be provided in real time.For decisions and actions that don’t need to happen on the spot, provide online collaboration tools and a clear timeframe for employees to weigh in after they’ve had a chance to think about it and at a time that’s optimal for them. Allowing for synchronous and asynchronous interaction creates a more inclusive environment for all team members.
- Hold regular check-ins with remote staff: Employees working remotely can find themselves slipping into an endless workday since home is their office. According to a recent survey by global staffing firm Robert Half, more than four in 10 employees report that they feel more burned out on the job today when compared to a year ago. To monitor the wellbeing and work-life balance of your remote staff, hold both scheduled and impromptu one-on-ones.
- Make sure out-of-sight isn’t out-of-mind: Be sure to give your remote employees equal consideration when it comes to project leadership or other opportunities.
Social
