The Covid-19 pandemic forced businesses from all over the world to send their employees to work from home. But with the situation finally getting better, the corporate world is transitioning to a hybrid workplace model.
This is something a lot of employees welcomed, and as much as 83% of workers said they would prefer a hybrid work model in the future. However, many business owners are questioning how they can create a positive workplace culture while not everyone is at the office all of the time.
If that’s something you’re struggling with, you’ve come to the right place.
Show employees you appreciate them
Nobody wants to work at a job where they feel unappreciated or undervalued. A big part of creating a positive workplace culture is ensuring each employee knows how much their contribution to the company is valued and appreciated.
When you show appreciation to your employees, you also recognize all of the hard work they’re putting in. Since 83% of HR leaders agree employee recognition can strengthen organizational values, this can be a real boost for your company culture.
Showing this appreciation can be as simple as saying, “You did a great job today”. Or as complex as sending them thoughtful gifts. There are many different ways you can approach employee appreciation. All of them will be beneficial to both you and your employees.
If you’re not sure how to do this, check out some great ideas on how you can show employee appreciation and reap all of the benefits.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
The hybrid work model has changed how people working for the same business communicate with one another. Meeting rooms have been replaced with Zoom calls and office chats with Slack conversations. But not everyone can adapt to these changes so quickly.
Remember that no matter how much the way you communicate with employees has changed, learning how to communicate effectively should be your number one priority. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Take notes during virtual meetings. Poor communication happens when someone isn’t completely sure what was said during a meeting. Something could be misheard or miscommunicated. The best way to make sure everyone is on the same page is to take notes and go through them after the meeting.
- Pay attention to tone. If you don’t use the proper tone when communicating, even a well-intentioned message can be mistreated by the recipient. Effective communication requires an empathetic tone and clear messaging so the recipient can interpret the message as it was intended.
- Use the right format. Businesses with hybrid teams should use as many communication channels as possible, and each platform should be used for the right purpose. Know when it’s best to use Zoom, when something requires a simple Slack message, and when you should send an email.
Plan group events in person or online
Many businesses forgot the importance of team building when they switched to a remote work model. This has left a lot of employees feeling disconnected from their coworkers, and in some companies, it even got rid of the team spirit every organization needs.
This unfortunate trend of letting team-building retreats fall into oblivion has continued even after switching from fully remote to hybrid. However, this doesn’t have to be the case for your business.
You can organize group events that will serve as team-building retreats and help you build a positive culture with all of your employees. If possible, plan these events in person, but if not, even remote online gatherings can help with that team building you need for a positive culture.
Encourage collaboration
For any hybrid workplace to be successful, there needs to be a lot of collaboration between employees. This fosters a good company culture in remote and in-office teams. Without this collaboration, no big project would ever be completed.
But managers and project leaders often struggle to get their team members to work together when some of them are at home while others are in the office. Teams have to learn to adapt to this change and learn how to work together, regardless of where each member is working from.
Remember that promoting unity in remote teams is essential and just as important in hybrid teams. Even though not everyone is under the same roof, they are still part of the same unit and should work as such.
A good way to ensure collaboration would be to have designated team leaders. If one team is working on a large project, assign a team leader who will hold everyone accountable and ensure the project is completed on time.
Some employees working at the office while others work from home can make it challenging for business owners and managers to build a positive culture. However, as long as you’re determined and follow the strategies you just read about, you will realize it’s not that difficult.
