Three Challenges of Hybrid Working

Lockdown is extreme, a statistical outlier which we hope will be excluded from the sample set, never to be returned. But there are aspects of remote hybrid working which many employers and employees alike would like to retain to improve their working and personal lives. More time with their families, less time and money spent commuting and a working day which fits in with our home lives to name a few.

Lockdown did have one advantage over hybrid working…  everyone was in the same boat – whilst we all learnt together to unmute ourselves before speaking, the experience was relatively equal. We understand that video calls don’t work well when side conversations happen or people try and talk over each other, we had equal exposure or lack of exposure to management, and we all struggled together to master communication from afar.

When we introduce a difference, an inequality, between people in person and remote we might start to realise some of the challenges ahead. Here are three challenges to expect if hybrid working is starting in your workplace:

Fear of missing out

How we keep everyone informed and included in daily office life is key to ensure we don’t get “FOMO drift” of people migrating back into the office because they are worried about everything that’s going on “without them”. Ensuring our communication works for all employees, regardless of their location is incredibly important to ensuring people are comfortable working where they work best.

Hybrid collaboration

Anyone who remembers joining a call when they were the only person remote will remember the difficulties of hearing the group discussion when a packet of crisps is being eaten in front of the conference mic and two members of the meeting are having a side discussion whilst the volume isn’t loud enough for you to be heard. Technology, etiquette, culture and respect all need to be managed here.

Managing “unfairness”

Some teams may be able to enjoy a much more flexible future compared to the old normal than others. How organisations react to the differences of demands of roles and avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach to fairness may differ. Accepting that it is ok for some teams to experience a different reward and recognition structure based on their individual circumstances is key to ensuring fairness doesn’t need to mean “everyone gets the same”.

If you’re ready to enable your future workplace, get in touch with our team of consultants who can help you solve the potential technology, people and process challenges to create a happier and more efficient working environment that’s attractive to potential new talent. Read more on our Future of Work page.

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