What does an inclusive hybrid working culture look like? Some top tips
It will be almost 2 years come March next year when the government announced a national lockdown. At the start of the pandemic, offices shifted literally overnight from face to face to working remotely and for many this meant changes in how we engage, interact and work together.
The seismic shift in how we work has required employers to rethink their approach to how we get work done with many finally realising that you don’t have to physically be present in the office to have a meeting or get work done. It has fundamentally changed how we do things.
This has necessitated many leaders and managers to be more open to new ways of working, be more in tune with how their colleagues are feeling and to be more empathetic and more sensitive to how lockdown and Covid has affected people in different ways.
So what’s changed?
A survey by Chartered Management Institute found that almost half of UK workers have return to the office part-time with majority of employers adopting a hybrid model- half of the time working at home and half of the time in the office or in some cases 3 or 2 days in the office and 2 or 3 days at home and for some a permanent shift to full time remote working.
So what does an inclusive workplace mean now under a hybrid working model? Here are some top tips for making it work:
Create an inclusive remote hiring process:
With many interviews and assessments being done remotely, it’s important to ensure a positive candidate experience.
Brief candidates in advance of what to expect when they do an interview on Zoom/Teams/other platform, check they are all set up to take part (tech) and any questions they might have.
Like in face to face interviews, don’t skip on intros, look straight into the camera (little green dot!) and remember to smile.
Be mindful too that our impressions of someone change when meeting them for the first time online i.e. be aware of our biases if they have a smart looking home office/room or working from their untidy kitchen to what posters/books they have in the background.
Being mindful of these biases, allowing the candidate to change their background to virtual and briefing each candidate in advance of what to expect in the interview and checking they have the right tech set up will help.
And unlike in a face to face interview, chances of interruption (cat/dog/doorbell etc) increase so set the tone at the start of the interview. We are only human.
2. Onboarding can have a lasting impact.
Many new hires joining their employer since the pandemic have never met their teams until recently or continue to work remotely. So creating a positive experience is paramount. Getting your new hire set up with the right tech in advance, schedule regular team/1 to 1 catch ups and virtual social events in their diary so they feel welcome and pairing up with a buddy can also help reduce that feeling of isolation.
3. Managing employees both in the office and remotely requires making a continuous conscious effort to ensure everyone feels involved and engaged by reminding office based workers that any meetings, discussions and decisions use video conferencing tools and agreed communication channels to ensure remote workers feel involved and their voices and contributions are valued.
4. Be mindful of in groups forming within in groups as those who work in the office may have their go to trusted advisors. Consider pairing up a remote worker in the team who works less with that person to prevent siloes being created and encourage more cross collaboration.
5. Regular check ins should be a permanent feature as we move from complete remote working (in many cases) to hybrid working. Ensure regular check ins, asking how those working remotely are managing, making use of the various communication channels like Teams to send instant feedback when a direct report has done a great job/presentation/shown consideration etc.
6. Monitor and actively review how decisions on performance and promotion are made. Are those who are based in the office more tend to be favoured more for a high profile project or put forward for promotion? And act on what the data is telling you.
If we are to make hybrid workplace a permanent feature and more inclusive, we need to continuously review how we’re doing, engage with both office and remote workers and create the right channels to ensure everyone feels valued and can thrive.
