Have you got a hybrid strategy in place? Hybrid working, with people splitting their time between being in the office and working remotely, has to be properly planned – although every business will have different needs.
This has become a somewhat urgent issue as coronavirus Plan B restrictions – including working from home where possible, wearing face masks and using Covid passes – are being phased out. So will your team all be back in the office – or all at home – or will you embrace hybrid working and do both?
You may know that we at Pro Drive recently moved into some lovely new offices in Woking, Surrey, which has the equipment to enable staff to hybrid work more easily.
You may like to see how we’re doing things.
We had a bit of fun filming this video, which was shot before the COVID-19 Plan B measures were implemented. It shows our new Woking offices, some of our wonderful team and the great facilities …
A hybrid strategy that works
Having an effective hybrid working model can bring many benefits to business owners. For example, saving costs on office overheads and making your company a more attractive prospect when recruiting (there’s less commuting and even total geographic freedom – some of our team work in Sri Lanka for example). But you do have to have a hybrid working plan to overcome potential challenges, as reported in our previous blog.
One of the big concerns, exacerbated by COVID-19, is creating a culture which ensures people working remotely don’t feel isolated.
Having a proactive approach to keeping in touch, like using Microsoft Teams for chat and video conferencing for example, is crucial. As our video shows, at Pro Drive, when we have hybrid virtual meetings with our remote working colleagues and clients, we have a massive screen and an interactive whiteboard, so everyone can see and join in with what’s being discussed and written down.
A good way to check that your hybrid strategy is working is to use staff surveys which can be completed anonymously. These give people the chance to air individual worries that they may not share when they’re in a ‘face-to-face’ situation. Here are our ideas on how to create one.
Being (and feeling) well supported
Every business is unique so what works for one won’t necessarily be the answer for another. It’s all about everyone being (and feeling) well supported.
Having the right business IT and cybersecurity tools for everyone to be able to collaborate and do their jobs professionally and safely will be a key pillar of your hybrid strategy.
If you’d like a chat about hybrid working, please contact us below – we’d love to hear from you.
