With the pandemic’s impact receding and stabilising in many parts of the world, several organisations and business leaders are seeking out ways for balancing working from home and office. Two years since Covid-19 disrupted our lives, employees have settled into remote working models. So much so that now it’s a widespread perception that we can’t go back to the pre-pandemic days of working.
Hybrid is the future!
As per a finding by PwC report, less than one in five executives say they want to return to the office as it was pre-pandemic. At the same time, just 13% of executives are prepared to let go of the office for good. Given this, hybrid working is fast emerging as a preferred arrangement.
Just like with everything, remote and hybrid models both have their pros and cons. In order to create a win-win situation, employers are looking for options to tap into the benefits of both. Consequently, most forward-looking organisations are considering hybrid workplaces as a viable option.
As the hybrid model allows employees to work partly on-site or in the office and partly remotely (even from geographically different locations) depending upon work requirements and productivity, it offers the best of both worlds.It provides employees with the flexibility to work from the comfort of their homes, while ensuring that access to education and training is not interrupted. With hybrid models, organisations have the option to access new pools of local talent, adopt innovative processes to boost productivity and ensure employee satisfaction while significantly reducing real estate costs.
That said, managing hybrid teams is not the same as managing a physical team or a remote team. So, let’s check out the strategies to see how organisations can get the best out of this model:
- Documented processes
Proper, well-documented processes are the first step to ensure both remote and onsite teams can coexist. Whether an employee is working from the office or remotely, documented processes ensure that there are no operational inconsistencies. Clearly documented processes also simplify the onboarding process as a new employee can understand expectations and quickly become productive.
- Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities
In a hybrid work model, where the employees follow a mix of physical and virtual work structures, having clear and defined roles and responsibilities becomes all the more important. The employees should be aware of expectations from them and their deliverables so that they can continue to execute their tasks without any ambiguity. This not only increases productivity but also improves employee satisfaction. A tool with a built-in RACI matrix that lists out Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed against a person’s name or job role addresses the issue of lack of clarity. Choosing a tool with an inbuilt SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) template will define the step-by-step work instructions for every task within a process gives complete visibility into tasks performed and who performed the task. This also comes in handy for tracking the productivity and performance of hybrid teams.
- Single Source of Truth
With employees working from different locations, ensuring a centralised repository of data and information helps dispersed teams stay on one page. Having quick and easy access to information is central to the team’s productivity and efficiency. While allowing teams to work on centrally located data in real-time anytime, anywhere is a must, it is equally important to ensure access control. For adequate data security and protection, make sure the information is readily accessible only to the relevant people or departments.
- Adopting the right technology and tools
To fully embrace the flexibility of a hybrid work environment, it is important to provide employees with the right tools and technology that enables collaboration, knowledge documentation and sharing. In this regard, Business Process Management (BPM) technology can prove to be a great enabler.
Choosing a cloud-based software, such as PRIME BPM can help you manage several complexities associated with the hybrid team structure. From effective process documentation, powerful collaboration to centralised repository and inbuilt RACI matrix, PRIME BPM includes several functionalities to assist and manage hybrid teams.
To explore the full range of hybrid teams management features included in PRIME BPM, register here for afree trial.