By Emily Brooks
The future of work is hybrid. It’s a mantra we’re hearing more and more often, and a reality that will become increasingly prevalent. While many of us have been working fully remotely for the last year, we’re looking ahead to a world where countless teams will likely be spending part of their time in the office (once it’s safe to do so) and then working the rest of the week at home.
A number of companies like Twitter, Salesforce, Google and Citigroup have embraced permanent remote or hybrid work, announcing that they’ll allow team members to work from home all the time or at least a few days per week.
Many employees are excited about this change. Nearly 90% of people want to work remotely for at least part of the week post-pandemic, according to a Boston Consulting Group study. And 98% say they expect meetings will have remote participants joining from home going forward.
Additionally, nearly half of current remote workers cite a company’s failure to offer long-term remote work options as a deal breaker that would make them look for work elsewhere, according to a Prudential study.
Hybrid Work: Preparing Your Team to Thrive
As we’re gearing up for this hybrid work future, now is a great time to ensure your employees are positioned for long-term work from home success. Whether they’ll be working remotely full time or just a few days per week, it’s critical they have the tools and support they need to be successful.
Despite all the benefits of remote work, collaborating while working from home can present some challenges that company leaders must take action to mitigate. For example, 98% of remote workers report frequent frustrations with video conferencing (poor audio quality, worries about background appearance, etc.). And 94% wish they had tools to improve their meeting experience—items like a high-quality headset or digital whiteboarding technology, according to Webex research.
When the world shifted quickly to remote work, IT teams had to make fast decisions and scale their solutions. Companies now have the opportunity to evaluate how remote work is going for employees and whether they have the right technology and resources, from quality video conferencing equipment to an effective cloud calling system. After working from home for a while, are team members discovering they need additional tools to be even more efficient and collaborate effectively with other remote colleagues or folks in the office?
In addition to evaluating your technology, also revisit your broader work from home policies. Is your team applying best practices for healthy work habits and work from home productivity? As you continue to build out your hybrid work strategy and help your team create an excellent remote work experience, encourage them to keep in mind the eight tips outlined in the infographic below.
