4 hybrid work challenges for HR leaders.

When reorienting one’s entire workforce from an office-based setup to remote work or hybrid work arrangement, the question for employers is less of a “why” and more of a ‘how”.

 

HR leaders accustomed to a fixed, in-office culture must now face the challenge of envisioning and enabling the transition into a new work model. Companies will need to adjust their work processes to maintain workforce engagement and productivity in a hybrid working model. Here are the common hybrid work challenges that companies encounter and how you can overcome them.

top 4 key challenges when implementing hybrid work in your organisation

1. implementing new policies to accommodate flexible work

HR leaders will need to develop new SOPs for a hybrid working environment. Employers will need to consider training programmes to help assimilate teams back to the workplace and determine best practices for flexible work arrangements.

HR leaders will also need to rethink employee benefits packages for a hybrid work model and consider how they will deviate from existing ones. They may consider offering more work-from-home benefits such as subsidies for tech equipment or utilities, and even insurance coverage that includes employees’ homes as official workplaces.

2. adjusting leadership styles for the new normal

Many leaders had difficulty changing their leadership styles to accommodate new ways of working. Some overcompensated by micromanaging team members, while others took a more hands-off approach.

In developing the company’s hybrid work culture, business leaders must build trust across the organisation through employee ownership and empathy beyond day-to-day work requirements.

3. communicating effectively across a hybrid workforce

Engagement is one of the biggest challenges that HR leaders face. Establishing clear lines of communication between hybrid teams and being consistent and concise will be integral in nourishing the company’s culture, especially in a hybrid or flexible work environment.

To keep the workforce engaged and motivated, HR leaders should consider providing employees access to learning and development programmes. Through this, employees will have an opportunity to develop new skills, competencies and cultivate their knowledge.

4. creating an environment where it’s genuinely safe and acceptable to work remotely

Lastly, HR leaders need to ensure that the entire company buys into the new way of work. Even if companies offer remote or flexible work, company culture may not actually encourage it — one such indicator is if employees who come into the office are favoured for promotions over the ones who work remotely.

The adverse impact of these new hybrid realities can really be challenging for both the organisation and employees. The entire workforce — no matter the tenure, age or gender — needs to change the way they measure productivity and understand that work is what you do, and not where you do it.

are you prepared for the future of work?

‘The Future of Work is Remote White paper’ covers the following topics and course of action: 

• Adjusting your teams and workforce to remote work 
• Redesigning your office workplace 
• Building trust and leading your hybrid workforce 
• Navigating a hybrid learning & development environment 
• Embracing new organisational technology to nurture an innovative culture

other randstad publications:

• plugging into the digital candidate experience
• employee experience: the first step in the customer journey
• skills and jobs of the future