Is Hybrid Workplace Arrangement Suitable For Your Company?
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The government has lifted the 30% limitation for management staff to work in the office, but the COVID-19 cases are still high. While Malaysia is on its way to vaccinate 80% of its population, employers have to think about the future.
Some companies might have had a positive experience with remote working, but not all companies can afford an entirely remote workforce.
In our previous articles, we have explained the Hybrid Workplace Arrangement and how to implement it in the workplace. This article will help you determine whether your company should implement the Hybrid Workplace Arrangement or not.
1. Has your employees' productivity suffered because of the pandemic?
Has remote working been terrible for your organisation? Managers who like to oversee their employees may find it hard to know if they were working hard.
However, various studies suggest that remote employees are more productive. This study even said that 30% of remote employees work longer at home.
Studies aside, we must examine our teams' performance and see if their productivity drastically changed during the pandemic. If they could still be productive at home, it might be a good idea to make remote working an option in your hybrid workplace arrangement.
2. Where do your employees perform best?
Not all employers have provided their employees with the right tools to work from home. Some employees are not in the proper condition to work from home, while others thrive.
Are your employees' daily duties better suited to office space, home or a combination of both?
If an employee has 'deep work' that requires a long time to focus, they might prefer to work in a noise-free environment like home. If your employees need to brainstorm together, then it might be best to hold a session in the office.
3. How will you, the employer, keep it fair for everyone?
A hybrid work arrangement will require the management to figure out who needs to work in the office, work from home, and alternate between the two places.
Remote employees might be left out from office discussions or company updates, so we must ensure that all employees are cared for. Otherwise, there will be an imbalance in the workforce.
4. Can the managers concentrate on outcomes?
The outcomes are what the organisation wants or needs to achieve. Most managers are too focused on the outputs, which are the activities or processes that contribute to achieving an outcome.
Basically, the hybrid arrangement would require managers to trust their team members to be productive in their way without being heavily supervised.
Are we ready to measure productivity in the same way for office and remote employees? If we are implementing the hybrid system, we will need a trust-based approach to prevent bias towards employees.
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The office can evolve into a place for collaboration and socialisation.
5. What will you do with the office?
A hybrid work arrangement would require a new floor plan. Now that some employees will be home-based, there will be more space for your office.
You can arrange the floor plan to allow better collaboration among office employees. An office is no longer a place for employees to toil for 8 or 9 hours a day. It can become a comfortable space where employees can share ideas and work together.
6. Is the organisation good at keeping in touch?
Trust is crucial. What most people miss about the office is the socialising. A hybrid work arrangement might be the best of both worlds, as it allows employees to socialise at the office while having the flexibility to work from home.
The office can be a place for socialisation and collaboration. It's also where employees can freely share their ideas.
However, we cannot forget about the home-based employees. We need to ensure they have the right tools so you can grow your company culture remotely. Video conferencing does not need to be all business, it can also be a way to socialise with others.
Here are some online team-building games your remote employees can play together.
7. What do your employees actually want?
We all know that happy and engaged teams are more productive because of their loyalty, passion and work ethic. So you can base your next steps on what your employees want by listening to them.
Ask your employees about their remote working experience. Do they see it as the future of the workplace? If they had a bad experience with it, ask how you can improve it.
Understand the issues now so you can make better decisions for tomorrow.
A hybrid workplace arrangement will take a lot of work, but the impact will be huge if you get it right. Everyone can enjoy the perks of remote work while still being connected to each other. It will be a way to get rid of "back to work blues".
Source: Qlearsite
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