Hybrid work doesn’t have to be emotionally draining Business News

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We have an unprecedented opportunity to combine the flexibility of remote work with office collaboration

Hybrid working – a model of working part-in-office and part-remote – gives us the opportunity to radically modernize the workplace. However, going hybrid is a complex undertaking and most companies are still figuring it out as they go.

So far, what we do know is that a successful transition to hybrid requires a delicate balance between business goals and employee needs. That’s why we believe that flexibility, personalization and collaboration must be at the heart of this new working paradigm. In other words, we should try to combine the best of office work (collaboration and networking) and remote work (flexibility and personalization).

There is no universal recipe for achieving this, but we can establish some fundamental ground rules. Some of these are already adopted by large companies, while others are based on our experience as a company powering flexible working for years. On that note, here are our main pillars for making hybrid work a success.

Encourage flexibility and personalized schedules

Hybrid work does not necessarily mean the same schedule for everyone, such as three days in the office a week. One of the biggest benefits of hybrid working should be the ability to tailor your work schedule to your business and personal needs.

That’s why companies like Amazon allow important decisions about hybrid scheduling to be made at the team level. Others, such as Salesforce and HubSpot, have created various work options for individuals to choose from.

Along with well-being, these flexible options are also crucial for productivity, as they allow people to choose how they work based on the demands of their job, rather than conforming to those of others.

Promote in-person collaboration

The community is the biggest benefit of coming to the office. Having face-to-face contact with others is invaluable, so encouraging in-person collaboration in an organization is essential.

Companies can do this by letting team members decide which days to come to the office, based on when their colleagues are there. Anyone can collaborate in person and then work from home when they need isolation to complete their tasks. Face-to-face collaboration happens naturally, when people decide it’s necessary, instead of being forced by policies.

And again, no one has to commute every day or feel trapped by a top-down imposed schedule.

Manage application overload

We’re all familiar with Zoom fatigue – the feeling of fatigue or anxiety induced by overusing video conferencing tools. However, video conferencing is only part of the application overload problem.

If you’re running a hybrid workplace, you’ll likely need a desk booking app, especially if you have more employees than desks. You can manage office booking in spreadsheets, but as your business grows, the process becomes increasingly time-consuming and tedious – and most of us are already drowning in spreadsheets.

In short, it is better to use a specialized office booking application. However, no one wants yet another app just to go to work.

As a company creating a hybrid workplace solution, we know this from experience. That’s why our product integrates with Slack, Google Calendar and the Microsoft suite (including Teams and Outlook). As a result, businesses and individuals can manage the hybrid workplace in their day-to-day applications.

OfficeRnD’s free webinar, How to Simplify Hybrid Working with Planning and Integrations, will cover how to minimize uncertainty and help everyone in your organization embrace hybrid working. Learn more about OfficeRnD at officernd.com

Originally published on Business Reporter