With the likelihood of the blended workforce continuing post-COVID-19, it’s time for businesses to get prepared. Pre-COVID-19 was all about the office-based 9-5, with everything done in person. Now, with 72% wanting to see a shift to a hybrid remote-office way of working, it appears that many will remain working remotely for the foreseeable future, changing their hours to better suit their schedules, taking their chance with freelancing or even permanently going part time. While this is fantastic for increasing employee wellbeing, active collaboration and productivity, you need to make sure you’re prepared for any kinks in the machine.
Here are five quick tips to get prepared for the blended workforce.
- Ensure everyone has a company laptop with a secure VPN and access to Wi-Fi. That way, employees can work wherever and whenever, safely.
- Record all team meetings or live stream them so that everyone can stay in the loop with business news and department updates.
- Following on from the point above, make sure everyone stays connected. Whether it’s an hour-long meeting, a five-minute catch-up call at the end of the week or even just a quick text to say hello. Keeping that conversation flowing is vital to maintaining workplace relationships and encouraging active collaboration. Effective communication is imperative to the success of this working model.
- Create spaces that are perfect for collaboration. Whether it’s for use by employees or clients, it can be a beneficial offering that generates new ideas in a comfortable environment, while also offering something different from the usual scenery. It might also be a good idea to implement a room booking system, as well as having designated spaces for employees that don’t have a specific desk space. That way, no one wastes time travelling to the office only to be sent away due to lack of space.
- Understand that there will be a few mix-ups along the way. With most schedules no longer being the basic office 9-5, there may be times where there’s a hold up somewhere along the line. Where possible, add a little breathing room into those deadlines, just in case you can’t get hold of someone who has the last missing piece of the puzzle. To get better prepared, read our blog on the cons of a blended workforce for other elements you should factor in.
Worried about the blended workforce model? There’s really no need! Taking that next step and welcoming this new era of working is your best chance at securing a positive, engaged workforce that takes pride in the work they produce. Need a little extra convincing? Take a look at our blog on the benefits of a blended workforce.
We want to know your opinions on the blended workforce model. Head over to our social pages and share your thoughts and tips with us or if you're thinking of implementing a hybrid workplace model at your organisation, get in touch with us at anythingspossible@drpgroup.com and we can help you overcome any challenge you might face.