Around this time last year, many companies were starting to face a dilemma: adapt to the newly-remote requirements for workplaces or risk business coming to a standstill. Many closed their doors forever, but many businesses also flourished. The ones who mastered the hybrid or remote workforce model not only stayed open, but many found that it was a more effective work model overall. As we’ve learned, working remotely has many distinct advantages over its counterpart, but some businesses aren’t sure how to incorporate a hybrid model to reap the best of both worlds. In this guide, we’ll cover important considerations for those switching to the hybrid model, and discuss the advantages of doing so.
Successful Hybrid Workforce Factors
1. Conferencing Software
The pandemic may have forced us to work apart from one another, but we were lucky enough to have had a communication and collaboration tool at our disposal. Without conferencing services, it’s a safe bet that more businesses would have closed their doors forever. Conferencing services are a must-have for hybrid and remote teams. Today’s conferencing platforms not only allow hosting of on-demand video chats but also provide opportunities to create webinars and live streams that can reach wide audiences.
Staying in communication is crucial to the success of a hybrid or remote workforce, and integral to the cohesiveness of collaborative projects. The best part about modern conferencing software is that it’s affordable. Services offer flexible plans to meet your workforce demands. Vast Conference prides itself on working with our clients to meet their custom needs.
2. Project Management Software
Project management software has helped revolutionize the remote team. Before, projects were managed, collaborated on, and shared via emails, Google Drive or other cloud services, and apps that weren’t quite designed for overseeing multiple jobs. Project management software combines the ease and accessibility of cloud storage and the convenience of email. With project management software, the team has access to projects in one interface and can create jobs and timelines, assign tasks, and hold each other accountable for their role in the project. Better organized projects spur better communication between team members. This means, meeting deadlines on time and pleasing clients along the way.
If your team is suffering from the chaos of sludging through endless email chains to complete projects, it’s time for an upgrade. Every hybrid or remote team should have some form of project management software at their disposal.
3. The Right Equipment
One consideration businesses need to take more seriously is the need for employees to have the right equipment to get the job done from a remote location. Due to the increase in smart devices, many people don’t have a home computer anymore. Or, their personal PCs aren’t equipped with the software or bandwidth capabilities necessary to do their job appropriately. This means providing your workforce with the same or equivalent hardware they would find in an office setting.
Additional considerations are things like noise-canceling headphones or a headset with a good microphone, desk lighting, and signal boosters for a stable internet connection. These add-ons can make a huge difference in the collaboration efforts of your hybrid team.
4. Building And Engaging Company Culture Remotely
Your company’s culture says a lot about the business’s values and can help facilitate a positive, inclusive, and diverse workplace. With less in-person interaction, building company culture can be challenging, but not impossible. The policies in place for on-office behavior and expectations should carry through to the remote workforce as well. Building a remote company culture also applies to mentoring, coaching, and support for staff even in geographically diverse locations. Prioritize meaningful work and personal growth for your employees. A team that feels supported and encouraged will always outperform one that feels like it’s on its own. Hosting weekly check-in meetings can be a good way to make everyone feel included and supported.
5. Costs
Switching to a hybrid work model may be more cost-effective for your business. Hybrid work models mean that employees are spending fewer hours in a physical work location. Therefore, there may be an opportunity to rent out unused office space or even downsize to a less expensive location. This saving can be put back into the business or redirected to your workforce in the form of salary increases and bonuses. It’s important to remember that your greatest investment as a business is the one you make in your employees and the one that yields the greatest rewards. Treat your employees well, and they’ll respond by giving their all to the company.
Final Thoughts
A hybrid workforce is potentially more productive and cost-effective than a fully on-site staff. But to reap the rewards of a remote workforce you need to provide the right tools and support for your employees and the business. Ease of communication and efficiency of collaboration are key factors in the success of remote teams. So, take time to research and invest in the right project management software and conferencing services that will keep everyone in touch and projects running smoothly.
