Hybrid work has been a fast-growing trend throughout the business world since the start of the pandemic – both to avoid the spread of infection, and because increasing numbers of employees have grown accustomed to the convenience of working from home.
Companies should not overlook the latter point, as a failure to consider employee preferences could turn them into another casualty of the Great Resignation which continues to drain the talent of many organisations.
Yet the hybrid work model – a combination of remote and on-location work – has caused numerous headaches for businesses that have tried to adopt it but failed to make the right preparations in advance. In particular, those companies have found their culture, team identity, and productivity difficult to maintain within a geographically separated workforce.
By implementing the right set of parallel adaptations, companies can avoid these pitfalls even as they move toward a hybrid work environment. Moreover, as our recruitment agency in Bangkok and Singapore has discovered, a skilful transformation to hybrid work also opens the door to significant advantages in terms of recruitment and operational efficiency.
To get the most benefit from hybrid work, we recommend the following guidelines:
- Stay connected to your team, while frequently reinforcing core cultural attributes. Managers and team leaders should regularly use video-conferencing and internal communication platforms, to maintain close ties with their teams and nurture a cohesive cultural identity. These messages should keep personnel focussed on the company’s mission and values, to help coordinate efforts and keep everyone motivated.
- Encourage stable daily routines, shaped by a healthy work-life balance. When employees working remotely are unable to effectively separate their work lives and personal lives, they often try to juggle too many tasks, soon resulting in burnout. Business leaders should stress the importance of normal daily routines, and also check in with their teams on a regular basis to make sure they are successfully handling the remote work experience.
- Take full advantage of the wider talent pool that hybrid work allows. When physical presence is no longer a necessary condition for day-to-day work, companies can make use of a geographically wider recruitment net. Talent located elsewhere often make for ideal job candidates, potentially saving on costs while also providing location-based insights that the business can use to succeed in new markets.
- Embrace the advantages of asynchronous work. A business whose employees are spread out across different regions can carry out time-sensitive tasks much more quickly, for the simple reason that its personnel can be available around the clock. As long as every part of the workforce maintains the right balance of team identity and personal autonomy, managers can be confident that any operational issues will be addressed almost as soon as they appear.
Coordinating teams is by no means easy, even when everyone is working in the same office. Although hybrid work adds an extra layer to these challenges, the right combination of digital communication, culture-building, smart recruitment, and personal support can keep even remote teams working on all cylinders. The initiatives outlined above will also go a long way toward maintaining motivation and a sense of purpose among your personnel, adding stability by reducing turnover. For more on these topics, and to bring in the right talent for a successful hybrid work transformation, contact our recruitment agency in Bangkok and Singapore today.
