The world of work has changed: Enter hybrid working…Here's how to transition your teams into the future world of work!

Us humans are tough old things, following 2 years of the unexpected, we found ourselves adapting, changing and growing more than we ever thought possible - at home AND at work.

It’s become a whole new working world - its official term is ‘Hybrid working’ which means many of us no longer commute 5 days a week and are frequently working from home. Our daily grind has been flipped upside down.

Firstly, let’s put our positive pants on for just a minute: yes, the working world has changed, but the chance to be able to a) work from home b) work from anywhere in the world for that matter and c) be lucky enough that Zoom exists, have offered up a level of flexibility we never thought possible. 

Right, back to our advice on how businesses can really succeed in making this hybrid working transition malarkey a real success…

The question is, how can employers step up to make their employee experience better? It still needs to be social (and fun!) all whilst keeping the business and the employees afloat. 

Make sure everyone knows how the office will be used going forward

Being in an office with colleagues does offer a more creative and collaborative atmosphere, if part-remote and part office working is the plan, then make sure employees know when they will be in the office and why. Will it be a space for team meetings, can employees choose random days they want to be in? What's the protocol? Once the company has this locked down, everyone should be aware when they need to be physically present or not.

Do employees have everything they need to be heard, included, comfortable and productive?

Everything they need stretches far and wide, from the correct equipment (think extra screens, posture-perfect chairs, good wifi) to the right mental and wellbeing support, as well as the right team communication tools. There are many tools that work in favour of the zoom chat, for example, online polls and virtual whiteboards are making sure everyone’s voice can be heard and faces on the screen can get their point across.

Create a virtual working world that is built on trust in order to maintain relationships

Trusting employees to get the job done is so important, for you and them. The more trust involved (online or face to face), the more successful relationships will be. Management levels can implement a personal beginning to each zoom meeting, employees can share personal snippets of their life before discussing work - it's a good way to maintain a bonding and level of trust between teams.

Keep the fun flame still alive!

Hardworking days need to be off-set with downtime, and a little bit of fun and some lighthearted banter is always needed. How? Well, as an award winning team events company, we know all about getting people social; we also know how beneficial this is to them and the business. 

So from in-person, virtual or back-to-the-office events, we really do know what it takes to get people to have fun. Trust us, an injection of laughter and a sprinkle of entertainment will always yield great results. Are you a business owner? Take a look at your calendar and if there’s no dates in the diary for a little fun for your team then you need to buck your ideas up!

2022 is all about thriving and if anyone can do that, it’s a bunch of humans. Hybrid working is here to stay so by assisting employees to adapt there’s no doubt the rewards will be just as proactive as pre pandemic times. 

Let us know in the comments below if your work has transitioned to hybrid working and if so, how you feel about it!