Over the last two years, nearly everyone has witnessed the drastic changes that the workplace has endured.

The power dynamics between employer and employee have changed, work has become asynchronous, and new technologies have allowed people to be hired and work at any place around the world as long as they have a Wi-Fi connection. This shift has been significant, and it’s becoming even clearer that it’s the new norm.

In fact, hybrid work has become so normal now that employees claim they would quit on the spot if hybrid work wasn’t offered. A recent Microsoft survey supports this.

With such a big shift in how people conduct their work, employers and other higher-ups are left with one big question: how can businesses continue to thrive in this new hybrid work culture?

With a proper team vision, the right hybrid work technologies, and a willingness to give time back to your employees, there is a high probability that your hybrid workforce will be able to stand the test of time.

Read on to learn more!

Remote work might present all kinds of new freedoms, but the one thing that’s lacking is social interaction.

Of course, you’ll still have your family or pets around, but what about the sense of camaraderie that’s felt in the workplace?

The group lunches, group projects, casual conversations in the hallway or break room, or even company vacations. These are all staging grounds for building camaraderie, and as any employer knows, a close team means happy employees who build each other up.

With camaraderie having such importance in the workplace, remote work presents an interesting challenge for the managers of the hybrid workforce: how does a business keep the employees’ spirits high when work must be completed through video applications?

When employees can’t or aren’t collaborating in person, it’s up to the employer to make sure they have the right equipment and technology to get their group work done.

In 2021, it was reported that businesses were using more than 100 Software as a Service (Saas) applications. This number had been steadily rising since the end of 2014 and 2015, and if they are going to continue to grow, employers must make sure that each application works together. They can’t start working in silos.

A key thing for hybrid work success is that your work technology is able to connect and work together. Don’t just swap out old video equipment for new video equipment. Look even deeper into the other infrastructure that keeps your business going.

Do more intricate things need to be replaced? Do your employees need even more equipment than they had before? These are all critical questions an employer needs to ask themself if they are to ensure large amounts of success amongst their employees.

Technology changes can be daunting for anyone, especially if your business is just starting. Thankfully, new business owners don’t have to go into this new workforce alone. In fact, the pandemic has done a lot to transition traditional IT to “everything-as-a-service.” A recent survey even says that more than 70% of organizations say that they now view their business as “everything-as-a-service.”

Hybrid work offers new levels of flexibility for both the employer and the employees. However, burnout is still ever present.

The digital space brings digital distractions as well as digital overload, and this can lead to saddened states and feelings of stress.

When you really think about it, these concerns are pretty understandable given the fact that a hybrid worker needs so much technology to go about their work. Fatigue really can come from technology and employers must give their employees the right tools that can help them get the most out of their time.

Everything must be very practical in hybrid work. The overall outcomes of a position must be met with technology that will help an employee get to the set metrics that have always defined the specific level of success for their given job. To put it in a simpler way: technology must save employees time and help them focus on more high-value tasks.

The hybrid tools must also empower your employees to do their absolute best, but the technologies shouldn’t automate too many processes. If too much becomes automated, then an employee can begin to feel like they are losing some of the creative control they had over their projects. The happy medium should be somewhere in between reducing complexity while not oversimplifying. Remember, hybrid work is not going anywhere anytime soon.

When you’re working with hybrid and completely remote employees, it’s not uncommon for some of them to feel a little insecure if they feel like they don’t know what an employer’s perception of them and their work is.

Additionally, employees might be hesitant to give you feedback if they are unsure of how you will respond to it.

Communication is important for everything we do in the workplace, and regular feedback is equally as important. If an employer doesn’t ask for feedback, then little issues can stack up over time, or employee morale can begin to falter as the months go by.

Receiving feedback also ensures that all of your employees are on the same page and working towards the same goal. Hybrid work managers should be open and accepting of constructive criticism. Just because your position may be higher on the hierarchy of power, that doesn’t mean that you can still improve yourself.

When it comes to giving negative feedback, a manager should always be upfront and honest while also showing empathy. Everyone can make improvements, but that doesn’t mean you have to put someone down to do so.

The workforce has seen a quick, aggressive change over the last few years. Hybrid work has become such a norm now that it would be strange to revert back from it, and as this blog shows, these strategies and more can help you and your employees remain empowered throughout the course of hybrid work.

When your employees know the company’s vision, are equipped with the right hybrid technologies, and have the opportunity to get time back while they work, you’re creating a strong, passionate culture inside of your hybrid workforce that can stand the test of time. By keeping your team close and productive even while they’re at home, you’re setting your business up to trump its competitors and stay ahead of the game.