Managing Hybrid Teams: Future Trends for UK Businesses - MyTommy.com

Managing Hybrid Teams: Future Trends for UK Businesses - MyTommy.com

Do you recall how straightforward life was back then? All you had to do to get your team together for a quick brainstorming session was ask them to meet in the conference room. It was all so easy until the pandemic changed everything.

We had no choice but to transition to remote employment quickly, and we can all admit that we didn’t fully prepare for it.

Making a significant change to a remote work environment requires much effort. When we were comfortable with it, the epidemic entered a new phase. Now businesses are open again, but remote work isn’t going anywhere.

While some of your employees are eager to return to their desks, others may have health difficulties preventing them from returning to the office or other reasons for working from home.

According to an April 2022 report from the Australian Industries Group, 46% of Australian employees work from home partly or entirely, and 34% of businesses create teleworking arrangements for their employees.

Managing a hybrid team is a challenge, but it is not impossible. To help you out, here is what you must know about hybrid teams.

Source: Ai Group

What is a Hybrid Team?

The term “hybrid team” refers to an arrangement where employees can work from home or in the office. In a hybrid work environment, employees can work from anywhere.

Hybrid teams, including remote and in-house personnel, were common before the pandemic and will become even more common now. As a result, managing hybrid teams is the future of leadership.

How to Lead a Hybrid Group?

When leading a hybrid team, effective leadership boils down to treating every team member equally and fairly, no matter where they work.

Effective team management skills are challenging to build for a hybrid team. However, you can reap the benefits of a hybrid team by adding checkpoints and enhancing internal team communication.

1. Put Up Standards of Practice For Accountability 🙋

Having clear expectations and accountability for hybrid teams is essential so that home and office workers can work together effectively and know who is responsible for accomplishing what.

For example, you might hold virtual meetings with your staff daily or weekly so that you may start each day or week off appropriately. Communicate the workflows and critical deadlines and discuss progress frequently to keep the momentum going.

2. Be Open and Honest About Work Schedules 🗓️

Ensure that everyone knows and understands where each member will be working if they are in various physical places.

Also, a 2022 workplace report found that hybrid Australian workers were likelier to be honest about their mistakes. Therefore, the system of honesty can go both ways.

A shared calendar staff can use to state where they’ll be working each day can help increase the visibility of this critical information.

3. Recognize and Uphold The Principles of Equity in all Employment Situations

Workers who work from home may have an easier time juggling work and family life than those in the office.

Therefore, your office-based team members may benefit from the same level of balance if you allow them to take their child from school or go for a jog during business hours. An employee scheduling tool like Tommy can help with this.

Additionally, you must set an example of healthy work habits yourself, no matter your location

4. Each Staff Should Receive Equal Attention and Time ⏰

It shouldn’t matter where an employee works or what their job entails regarding how much attention and assistance you give them.

For those who work from home, you should not treat them any less favorably than those in the same office.

Here are some things you can do to give all staff equal attention.

5. Avoid a "Them vs. Us" Mentality During Team Collaboration

When you have a hybrid workforce, people who work mostly remotely or in the office space may have unhelpful attitudes about the ‘other’ group. This is especially true if several teams work primarily in one place.

Having co-located employees perceive that remote team members don’t work as hard or have an easier time at work isn’t something you want to allow to happen.

Everyone has common goals at work, no matter where they are, so you need to talk to everyone as one team to encourage collaboration in the workplace.

6. Keep an Eye Out for Burnout 🥵

You must carefully monitor your team members’ stress levels during these transitions.

Many individuals, including yourself, feel stress and fatigue. However, if you notice someone acting strangely, it could indicate burnout.

Employee burnout is at an all-time spike, so noticing it and reducing workloads is essential. According to a 2023 survey from Future Forum, 42% of employees reported experiencing burnout at work. This is a 2% increase from their survey in 2021.

Source: Future Forum

7. Make it Enjoyable for Employees 😀

It’s also worth considering how to inject some fun into your workday. Many of us miss the joy of our life before the outbreak. Find times when there isn’t an agenda, and individuals discuss their reading, kids, or current Netflix addictions. Also, ensure these events are open to everyone, regardless of where they work.

8. Pay Attention To How You Can Promote Effective Communication

You may have workers who work primarily or totally from home in your hybrid working style. Face-to-face interaction won’t work for these employees. Your virtual remote meetings are how you can include all employees equally.

According to a report by the ACMA, 99% of Australians were online in 2020, so it is becoming more popular in all facets of life.

When working and knowledge sharing with remote team members, voice or video call is preferable to email or chat. Remote workers will appreciate it if they see and hear from you frequently.

9. Quantify What a Good Performance Looks Like

Instead of focusing on the time you spend at your desk, you’ll need to shift your attention to the amount of work you produce. Similarly, no matter where your team members are, their quality of work should be your primary concern.

Here are some tips to quantify an excellent remote performance.

In addition, you must ensure that advancement opportunities are available to office-based and remote employees.

10. Don't Lose Hope

Finally, don’t expect anything to go smoothly. There will always be some stumbling blocks, so be modest and patient.

Managing hybrid teams necessitates a new level of presence, agility, and ability to adapt.

Final Thoughts on the Best Ways to Lead a Hybrid Team to Achieve Workplace Evolution

Our workplaces will be more fluid than ever before. There are fewer people in our traditional workplaces because firms give their employees the choice to work some days in the office and at home. This may lead to a shift in team dynamics, which demands daily supervision.

As a team leader, you must take a proactive approach to leading your hybrid team to success.

Did you enjoy this article about leading hybrid teams? To learn more about leadership practices and remote working, check out our blog on Tommy!