How to look at hybrid working now

A summary of the blog

• See hybrid working as a work in progress. You should always evolve the strategy and build in feedback from the team.
• Your hybrid culture should be strong enough to work anywhere. Do this by creating meaning, communicating purpose and spending time thinking about how hybrid workers want to be included and supported.
• Inject a festival feel into your in-person working days and events to create meaning and impact.
• Be inclusive of those working remotely. Ask them for feedback and prompt conversations on taking ownership.
• Analyse behaviour change to get a clearer idea of collaboration, culture and innovation within your team.

The rise in hybrid working has been extraordinary in recent years. Since the pandemic, the proportion of working both remotely and on-site has risen from 13% in early February 2022 to 24% in May 2022. And there are no signs of it slowing down any time soon.

According to a study by Forbes, remote working demands are only likely to increase from now, and companies should prepare to be flexible to attract and retain talent.

But is your current structure prepared to embrace a hybrid culture? 

Read on to uncover five approaches towards hybrid working that will empower you and your people.

Top hybrid working tips

1. See it as a work in progress

 Nothing is one-off when it comes to hybrid working – so commit to a continuous dialogue with colleagues around what’s working and what isn’t. Your strategy should be an ever-evolving process that includes regular check-ins, set reviews, and building in feedback to your strategy.

2. Your culture should be strong enough to work anywhere

 If your people can work anywhere, so should your identity and ethos. It’s essential for your employees to feel like part of your business, even if they’re working at the kitchen table. So, your brand should be robust and exportable, and that’s down to you.

Transmit those vibes to them, create meaning, communicate your purpose, and spend some time thinking about how hybrid workers can still feel included, supported, and wrapped up in your intentional culture.

3. In-person working and events can be more meaningful

 With regular face-to-face time no longer a given, those moments when colleagues spend time together can feel truly special, with the right amount of thought and effort put in.

Pre-Covid, people could feel more jaded around work events, but human interactions aren’t taken for granted quite as much now.

So, make the most of it, inject a festival feel into your annual get-togethers, and use those moments throughout the year to make quality, not quantity, matter.

4. Be inclusive

 A flexible working strategy can be great for office-based workers, but what about colleagues who need to be on-site?

Hybrid working might affect them even though they find it harder to incorporate into their own working patterns, so make sure that they are listened to, as well.

Lately, our clients have shared that shift-pattern colleagues are looking for greater ownership over their shifts, as part of the ongoing step change in this space. Be ready for this, and prompt the conversations if they haven’t started already.

5. Lean into the behaviour change

 There are incredibly valuable insights to be gleaned from understanding how physical proximity – both it and the lack of it – impacts colleagues. Collaboration, culture and innovation can all be affected by hybrid working and understanding it is the first step towards making any positive changes that can support your colleagues.

Talk to us about using behavioural science, organisational design and business insights to make this new way the best it can be.

Let us help you build a winning hybrid culture

Whether you’re analysing your hybrid culture, or shaping it so it’s fit for purpose, our experts can offer insight-driven support.

Get in touch with Gemma McGrattan today for more details, gemma.mcgrattan@mccannsynergy.com.