Master the 6 Key Challenges of the New Hybrid Workplace

Master the 6 Key Challenges of the New Hybrid Workplace

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As we emerge into uncharted territory and a freshly hybrid workplace, we face a new set of challenges. The old way of working won’t work in the new normal. Between the pandemic, the abrupt shift to remote work, unprecedented employee burnout and social and political shifts, our organizations are in transformation. It’s the responsibility of leaders, HR teams, and managers to forge the new future of work.

But you don’t have to do it alone. We’ve mapped out 6 key challenges facing organizations today—and how to overcome them.

 

Culture and connection in a hybrid workplace

The hybrid workplace directly challenges our former understanding of both culture and connection. The principal question: How do we create culture that includes everyone — when not everyone is in the room?

As a leader, you’re tasked with preventing cultural decay as your workforce redefines culture and connection.

 

Your concerns in a hybrid workplace

  • You can’t maintain culture and connection when half your team isn’t present.
  • Remote employees are less connected to each other, you, or your company than in-office employees.
  • Hybrid teams (a blend of remote and in-office) aren’t able to collaborate and connect.

What to look for in a hybrid workplace

In this new world, culture and connection feel different. We’re used to relying on proximity to keep us close. Now, with some employees working in-office and some working remotely, that old dynamic needs reassessment. 

Ask yourself these questions to see how well you’re adapting:

  • Does your culture implicitly favor those who are in the room?
  • Does it feel difficult to communicate with those who aren’t in the office?
  • Are new employees struggling to onboard successfully?

 

What to do in a hybrid workplace

Creating a strong culture is no walk in the park—and in the uncharted territory of the hybrid workplace, it’s even more challenging. At WorkTango, we know what it takes to stay connected and keep culture vibrant. Here are some tips:

  • Take a page out of the book of global companies. Hybrid work may be new for you, but organizations with offices around the globe have years of experience forging culture for dispersed workers. See how Trintech and Emmaus Homes took on the challenge.
  • Take a hard look at your employee success strategies, and take a modern approach that’s replacing traditional performance management programs. The old ways of “performance management”– won’t work in the new landscape of remote and hybrid work. You need a more agile, empathetic, customizable system. Done correctly, an employee success program provides the right framework for facilitating performance communication, no matter where your employees are working.
    1. Employee success programs foster connection, innovation, and employee growth. How? Frequent 1-on-1 Sync-Ups and quarterly performance Check-Ins connect employees to their managers and their work. And multilevel feedback (available through WorkTango’s Goals & Feedback solution) promotes a culture of accountability and collaboration.
  • Keep communication lines open. A big part of that is listening to how people are feeling. With WorkTango’s Surveys & Insights, you can ask employees directly (and often) about their well-being, their experience of your organization’s employee success practices, their sense of belonging, their manager’s effectiveness in leading a hybrid or remote team, and more. You can fix what you don’t know about. Gather employee sentiment early and often–and then act on what you hear. When remote team members see that you’re listening to them, they feel connected and empowered. 
  • Revisit your employee recognition program.
    1. Recognition programs encourage appreciation across all levels (and locations) of your company. Make meaningful appreciation visible company-wide to help your employees feel seen for their efforts. (It’s the key to driving motivation and engagement.) WorkTango’s Recognition & Rewards solution allows any member of the organization to give recognition anytime– from anywhere.
  • Find reasons to celebrate that are consistent with your values. At Work Tango, we put together an annual Holiday and Incentive Calendar to help HR teams keep the fun flowing (plus, find fresh ways for employees to earn rewards).

At WorkTango, we’re revolutionizing how the world’s most forward-thinking companies engage and inspire their people. We offer the only Employee Experience Platform that enables meaningful recognition and rewards, supports alignment through goal setting and feedback, and offers actionable insights through employee surveys.

WorkTango is built for the workplace we all want to be a part of – where priorities become clear, achievements are celebrated, and employees have a voice. So if you’re ready to make work lives better, schedule a demo today.