The pandemic evoked a new sense of work culture amidst the 3.32 billion global workforce population and helped businesses operate and excel as usual. There was no point in being a couch potato at home with the world succumbing to a halt when they could handle most things virtually.
Two years out of the pandemic, though various businesses have called their employees to work, some still prefer a hybrid work culture.
Employers gauge that a business and its employees are assets and need a healthy symbiotic relationship that fosters growth and well-being.
Well-being is a term that encompasses a plethora of things, one being a healthy work-life balance bestowed upon by the work-from-home culture. Even bosses who would never allow such a thing with a changed perception started allowing employees to work from the comfort of their homes.
What was missing was healthy peer interaction, as humans are social animals after all. The hybrid culture of work seeped into the scheme of things as smoothly as water in a dune. Employees loved this new setup of healthy physical interaction about twice a week and utilising the rest of the week to work from home.
The hybrid work culture has been a win-win situation for both employees and employers, where neither complain about a loss of work-life balance or lack of productivity. It has paved the way for flexible work timings and modules, a boon substantiated by the pandemic.
Every kind of setup initiates a set of challenges and their corresponding hacks that brings us to the next section.
Adjustments Employers Must Make to Support a Hybrid Workforce
Infrastructure
Generally, office premises are on lease for a certain period, which, if not utilized, might hit the budget. The key is to optimise the office space in partnership so that the workspace is utilised throughout the week. Such arrangements are the best to keep both employers and the funding happy and to maximize benefits out of the situation.
Equipment
The last thing that looks attractive is an employee missing out on vital updates on a zoom-call for the lack of quality equipment and technology. This agenda brings us to the point that your workforce needs the right equipment to perform their best. During a hybrid work mode, businesses must utilise a part of the savings in providing employees with the required equipment like laptops and Wi-Fi connections. Some offices additionally provided their employees with the optimal ergonomic setups like chairs, tables, and office supplies. Straightforward steps as these earn a business lifetime loyal talent committed to delivering their best.
Prioritize in-office meetings
Employers often rationalise an in-office setup for brainstorming ideas, discussions, meetings, and providing feedback and training. How about utilizing the WFO days for these activities so that you rest assured that the workforce is on the same page and would help them to deliver exactly what the business demands? Smart decisions lead to better revenue and that is what every enterprise needs.
Empathize
Empathy drives employee retention, and every business needs to realize the power of this emotion when used effectively. Empathize with your employees when they express they need a work-life balance and in-lieu build a sense of trust that retains them. Utilise their talent without the talent having a burn-out and see how your organization grows with strength, skills, and experience. Being in a see-through world powered by Glassdoor and other portals, everybody is on the periphery of judgment. Being an employer, you are not an exception.
Motivate them to enjoy their days at work.
As all work and no play make Jack a dull boy, you being an employer, and your workforce, cannot escape. Make your workplace enjoyable after the serious business you have delivered together as a team. Employee engagement is a must and human resources globally have recognised this and invested massively in it so that their employee retention index is sky-high. A dinner or an afternoon brunch facilitating healthy interactions amongst team members are little steps that cement your team’s bond well. At the end of Sunday, you would have gained the motivation of an employee who looks forward to coming to work rather than lamenting about Monday blues.
Finally, businesses must realize that making the life of a talented employee easier will pay off amply in terms of revenue and work satisfaction. Entities will earn a committed workforce wanting to grow with the business on a positive trajectory which they must support in full force.