The First Step to a Successful Hybrid Workplace: Setting Effective Policies
Hybrid work isn’t new. People have been dividing our time between a central office and remote work for quite some time. But the number of people and businesses formerly adopting this approach grown exponentially in recent years.
According to the May 2023 Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (pdf), the pandemic permanently increased the number of people working remotely from 4.7% in 2019 to 28.4% today.
That’s unsurprising given the model offers the community and connection found in an office environment along with the flexibility and freedom provided by remote work. And the rapid adoption of digital workplace software in 2020 now enables an increasing number of companies to tap into this way of working.
Yet, despite the popularity of this approach, there’s still no one consistent or proven way to build a successful, hybrid company. Every organization needs to adapt the model to fit its culture and processes.
This five-part series on the basics of hybrid work success will look at the companies that are getting hybrid work right. This first in the series reviews some of the best practices for establishing and enforcing hybrid work policies.
Developing Your Hybrid Work Policies
With hybrid work, companies can provide employees with the flexibility they desire to divide their time between the office and remote locations. But what kind of policies go into making a hybrid work setup successful?
“It's critical for leaders to realize that one-size-fits-all policies don't work,” said Sheela Subramanian, vice president at Slack, co-founder of Future Forum and author of “How the Future Works.”
“They must set organizational-level principles and behavioral guardrails and then get out of the way. Once they are out of the way, they must equip and empower managers to set team level agreements around what works for their specific teams.”
So, how can workplace leaders go about establishing those organizational level principles and behavioral guardrails? Here are five tips.
1. Think About Mentality
Flexibility is more than where people work, said Subramanian. “It’s about when people work, it’s about how people work, it’s about choice. Leaders must realize that trust and choice go hand in hand.”
Rather than information, she said, she encourages leaders to think about mentality.
“To make a flexible work policy actually work, management mentalities need to shift from command-and-control leadership to trust and transparency. It's fundamental for leaders to trust their employees — empower them to do their jobs and live their lives — and communicate transparently by asking for feedback.”
Right now, she said, we’re in the middle of a great experiment, and what works today might not work a year from now. “Embrace a learning mindset, ask for help and feedback, and get comfortable with iteration along the way.”
2. Consider Employee Equity
Proximity bias is a hot topic of conversation among hybrid leaders. For hybrid organizations to thrive, there must not be location discrimination, intentional or not.
Jim Recker, managing director, hybrid designer, transformation leader and future of work consultant at Nekoss, said the biggest challenge in the new hybrid work environment is “meeting equity.”
“Specifically,” he explained, “the unequal access to tools and the frequent inability for those remote to capture non-verbal communication (facial, gestures, shrugs), critical for clear collaboration and understanding.”
The answer isn’t going to be a policy of more video conference meetings or equal access to laptops and other gear. Instead, he said, it’s going to require thinking more about employee experiences, communicating intentions to workers and providing skills training that allows everyone to grow and develop their careers.
Related Article: How to Equitably Handle Employee Recognition in a Hybrid Workplace
3. Communicate Expectations Clearly
Employees can’t follow rules and expectations they don’t know about. Hybrid leaders should outline clear expectations and guidelines in their work policy, including working hours, communication protocols and performance expectations.
Learning Opportunities
American Express, for instance, requires its US and UK employees to work in-office three days each week. The other two days are employees’ choice. Nike also uses a 3/2 hybrid work approach, though it’s unclear if the plan will be permanent.
The company’s hybrid work policy should also be accessible to all employees, such as through the company intranet or knowledge base, and notifications should be sent to everyone when changes or updates to the policy are made.
4. Ask for Worker Feedback
Future Foum data shows two-thirds of executives are not asking their employees for feedback about their “future of work” policies, said Subramanian.
Instead, she explained, they’re operating as a “focus group of one” despite the fact that their decisions might not be aligned with employees’ needs and wants.
“Ask your employees for feedback through listening tours, surveys and town halls,” Subramanian said. “Assemble a task force across functions, levels and locations. Develop a well-rounded approach to creating your organizational principles and behavioral guardrails and embrace that they will be iterated over time.”
Related Article: The Trouble With Employee Surveys
5. Set Up Measurements for Success
When employees work from home, companies don’t get the reassurance of looking into a cubicle and seeing employees working. This lack of apparent control has caused some companies to panic and implement micromanaging guidelines that force employees to meticulously track their time or install remote monitoring software on computers.
SHRM’s Katie Nvarra argues that rather than trying to see employees work, leaders need to focus on other ways to determine productivity.
“Measuring outcomes and achievements rather than hours spent is essential,” she wrote. “Setting clear, measurable expectations, goals and timelines is vital to overcoming feelings of distrust on both sides.”
Surveillance software — which can be unreliable — can actually hurt productivity, shattering trust and leading to burnout. Plus, it’s an additional cost to businesses that might not create any real value in the end.
Creating a Thriving Hybrid Work Environment
Establishing a successful hybrid work policy requires thoughtful planning, clear communication and a focus on outcomes. By carefully assessing your organization and how your employees’ working style fits within it, you can create a hybrid work policy that ensures both in-office and remote employees thrive.
Stay tuned for part two of the hybrid work success series, where we’ll discuss hybrid work leadership.
About the Author
Michelle Hawley is an experienced journalist who specializes in reporting on the impact of technology on society. As a senior editor at Simpler Media Group and a reporter for CMSWire and Reworked, she provides in-depth coverage of a range of important topics including employee experience, leadership, customer experience, marketing and more. With an MFA in creative writing and background in inbound marketing, she offers unique insights on the topics of leadership, customer experience, marketing and employee experience. Michelle previously contributed to publications like The Press Enterprise and The Ladders. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her two dogs.
Connect with Michelle Hawley:
Featured Research
Buyer's Guide
Read Now
Research Report
Read Now
eBook
Read Now
Research Report
Read Now
White Paper
Read Now
Research Report
Read Now
Guide
Read Now
Guide
Read Now
Related Stories
Entries for the 2023 Reworked IMPACT Awards are now Open
