The hybrid office is a new way of working that mixes parts of remote work with limited in-person cooperation. The main notion behind a hybrid office strategy, also known as a flex-work approach, is that work is not so much a place as it is an activity.
Employers are adopting the hybrid model to minimize expenses while keeping employees safe and happy, given that remote work has proven to be cheaper and presumably just as productive during the span of the enforced office-closure period. Smaller offices and coworking spaces are being rented, while larger buildings are being renovated to provide additional amenities to those with fewer employees. The majority of employees are setting up their home offices for the long haul, knowing that they will be able to work from home for the most of their time.
It’s hard to preserve business culture when socially isolated, as we discovered during our first few months of working completely remote. Many aspects of business culture are based on tiny encounters and interesting occurrences that organically occur in the workplace; without that space, it’s easy to let these opportunities pass you by!
Office managers and people managers must discover new approaches to establish business culture as a result of the emergence of this new style of working and work places. You should take advantage of the new possibilities that come with having restricted in-person office time.
Here are a few suggestions to help you get started!
Create a flexible and healthy work environment
Working remotely has become such a successful and comfortable lifestyle for so many people that they are adopting the hybrid approach. Your company’s culture should reflect this by allowing employees a great deal of freedom in terms of when and how they come into the office. Whether they’re eager to get back in as soon as possible or hoping they’ll never have to come back in again, you’ll make most people happy by granting both wishes.
This will necessitate a delicate balancing act and a reorganization of priorities. However, the benefit is that you can accommodate a greater range of working styles, and hence a more diversified workforce! Managers should make creating a culture that supports this goal a top priority.
Connect physical and virtual environments with ease
You must be able to connect teams that may be working in multiple locations at the same time in a hybrid or flex office. Combining the connected potential of digital tools like video chat with in-office places like the conference room is what this means. There must be a simple way to connect to everyone, no matter where they are.
This necessitates a redesign of office settings to include video recording and digital displays at all times. Every conference room or breakout room should be able to use video conferencing to capture everyone in the room for meetings. Make it easy for anyone to join, regardless of their location.
When it comes to physical gatherings, think beyond the box
When using the hybrid office model, companies may elect to downsize to a physical place that isn’t large enough to accommodate the full staff at once. This is a problem for Christmas parties, team meetings, and other occasions. What is the solution?
Consider holding events offsite instead of having all-hands meetings in the office. This might be as easy as a park BBQ or as complex as renting a ballroom for a company-wide gathering. Larger, more modern settings may make face-to-face meetings more exciting— consider holding your next business meeting at the beach!
Use gifting to bring individuals together who are remotely located
What’s the quickest approach to establish a solid business culture? Make it easy for people to feel proud of their team by providing them with some shared touchpoints. It may seem insignificant, but rallying around a team present is an excellent way to foster a sense of shared culture.
We can put gifts in the hands of your staff that will inspire them and trust the people around them, from daily items to tech items. Pomesy.com’s main feature is that it can help you handle gifts, onboarding kits, and more from a single, free platform.
