How To Maintain A Connection With A Hybrid Workforce

As the world begins to open up post-lockdowns, many office workers are looking forward to putting on their suits or high heels and trekking long hours in traffic and on public transportation to get back to the office grind. Or maybe not. Canva recently announced that their employees only have to show up to the office eight days a year. Recent surveys have shown that many people either don’t want to go back to the office or would prefer a hybrid arrangement. The reality is, remote working isn’t going away any time soon, so it’s time to have a refresher on ways to make this arrangement work in the long term.

So as we come out of lockdown, we thought we’d share some of the best ways that we found to engage your team while working remotely. And while you may be considering asking your entire team to come back at once, that may not be beneficial for your business. We’ll start by looking at the benefits of remote work, before diving into some creative ways to keep your team engaged.

Let’s begin.

Remote work: is it better or worse for productivity?

Just because you’re not in the office doesn't mean you can’t be more productive than ever. Studies show that remote workers can be up to 13% more productive. The benefits come from a more convenient working environment which results in longer working hours and fewer sick days. And, the benefits don’t stop there. Remote workers report an increased work satisfaction and attrition rates are cut by 50%. 

While the benefits are clear, employers still have a fear of their team becoming distracted, and this worry of procrastination is founded. It’s true that at home there is a lack of accountability, unlike in an office surrounded by coworkers. But, it is up to leaders to ensure that they are adapting to a new way of managing their teams to overcome procrastination. 

Here are some creative ways you can keep your team engaged until the office opens back up.

Active Check-ins

It goes without saying that you should be communicating with your team regularly, but some avenues of communication are better than others. This week, instead of just calling, emailing or slack-ing your team, get creative with the ways you get in touch. Why not arrange a “walk & talk” meeting where you can get up and out of your home office (or away from the kitchen table). This is perfect for one-on-ones, or when you need to get the creative juices flowing.

Get competitive

A bit of healthy competition can go a long way to boosting team morale. No, we’re not talking about a Hunger-Games style contest where you pit your team against one another. Instead, choose a competition that will foster camaraderie, raise motivation and give your team something to look forward to. Host your own Online Office Olympics, put together a virtual team trivia, host a hackathon, plan a virtual dress up work party, or challenge your team to deck out their home office. No matter which competition you choose, make sure you entice your team to get involved with great prizes.

Upgrade your own in-house communication strategy

Chances are, you have a communication strategy for your business, but do you have one for your team? With part of your team working remotely, it’s a great opportunity to implement new organisation-wide communication initiatives. Instead of just a regular Zoom Town Hall meeting, send out a weekly video newsletter with updates from across the company, or create a monthly Vlog highlighting the achievements of different departments. You could even host a virtual lunch and learn, encouraging everyone to come together over a virtual meal.

Plan fun tasks for when they are at home

Working from home is not the time to have your team completing mundane tasks. While it might seem like a good use of time, it’s actually reducing productivity across the board. Studies show that office workers who are assigned boring tasks perform these better and faster in the office, however, when the work is creative, teams complete the work faster and with greater efficiency from home.  So plan their workweek to make the best use of their time.

Meet people where they are

It would be nice if every member of your team had their own designated home office without any distractions, however, this isn’t realistic. It is more likely that your employees will have children that they have to homeschool, loud housemates that they have to avoid when they’re on the phone, or a dog who barks every time a Zoom meeting begins. Instead of putting the same demands on each member of your team, it is important to be aware of everyone’s unique situation so that you can communicate with them in a way that suits their circumstances.

Conduct regular employee engagement surveys

An Employee Engagement Survey will help you find out how engaged your team members are while working remotely so that you can find areas of improvement. You’ll learn where the shortcomings of your team culture lie, and you will be in a position to implement a plan to make amendments. Contrary to popular belief, Employee Engagement Surveys are not just for big teams and are useful for small and large companies alike.

Enjoy the read? Get in touch to find out how we can help power your business success.