As a consequence of the pandemic that has affected the lives of millions of people, companies have witnessed a complete transition in their ways of working. Due to the onset of this unprecedented crisis, many organizations were forced to work remotely.
Some organizations successfully switched to a completely remote working culture, while others faced an array of challenges in meeting business goals. As a result, more organizations are adopting a hybrid working model.  Â
For instance, the hybrid working model is the best of both worlds, i.e, working from the office and remotely. When employees work from the office, it helps them to foster interactions with colleagues and stay up-to-date with project advancements.
Whereas working remotely a few days a week, gives employees the flexibility to work, irrespective of the location. Furthermore, organizations rely on employee engagement tools to enhance engagement and ensure that the shift in work culture does not affect productivity and performance.
Let’s take a look at other ways that can help businesses maintain productivity:
Streamline the workflow
With the hybrid working model, one common challenge faced by both the employees and the employers is to organize the tasks. This means analyzing which tasks can be done from home and which ones require the in-office presence of the employees.
To overcome this, employers can differentiate between employees that can work from home and employees that can work more efficiently in the office, depending upon their job role. This will help in maintaining the right balance between employees working remotely and those working from home.Â
 Communication is the key
While half of the workforce is working from home and the other half is working from the office, this might lead to communication gaps. Further, communication gaps result in a lack of knowledge and information causing ambiguity and errors in the workflow. Therefore, it is essential that a consistent flow of information is maintained. Open communication with the help of online tools like video conferencing, file sharing, email communication, and message interactions can be helpful to bridge communication gaps.
Time and work management
Time management is crucial to productivity. For any organization, meeting work deadlines without compromising the quality of work is essential. However, in the hybrid working environment, keeping a track of work progress might be a challenge, especially in the shift working model. To cope with this, instructions and guidelines must be given to employees related to the work schedule by sharing the work calendar. Simultaneously, appropriate performance management software can be used to analyze the individual accountability of employees for meeting work deadlines. Â
Access to the right technological tools
To maintain a productive environment, make sure that the right tools are available for the employees to stay connected with the team and management. Enhancing modes of collaboration in hybrid working culture with the help of required technological resources and software secures effortless communication between employees, regardless of their location.
Value employee feedback
It is not necessary that the employee who thrives in a certain environment will be able to perform the same way in a different working environment. This means it is important to know what challenges or difficulties employees face in the hybrid working culture. For example, as the business is evolving, take employee feedback related to tools and resources required to complete their tasks and adapt to the changes. Addressing these challenges and taking action to resolve them ensures a healthy and sustainable work environment.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the hybrid work model affords the benefits of both working from the office and remotely, allowing employees to leverage work flexibility. However, adapting to a hybrid work model might pose some challenges for organizations such as maintaining productivity to meet business goals. Nevertheless, employers must consider the above-mentioned ways to get the best out of the hybrid work model.Â
