Let’s face the facts, and Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have caused a significant shift in the perception of the workplace. Millions of people who began working from home almost two years ago recognized numerous benefits of this work model.

Now that the serious health threat is under control, numerous Twitter and LinkedIn “surveys” have shown that most work-from-home employees want to continue working entirely remotely or take the best of both worlds and embrace the hybrid model. This means that they’d like to have the option to choose when they would work from home and when they’d prefer to go to the office.

If you’re one of the numerous business owners who need to adapt to these changes and meet your employees’ needs, keep reading. We’ll offer you some practical ways to create a highly productive hybrid work environment that will make your employees happy and do wonders for your business.

1. Make Sure to Offer Options

One of the lessons learned during the pandemic is that every employee likes to have options. Some people function better when working remotely because they cherish the flexibility and a sense of autonomy this work model offers.

On the other hand, others prefer going to the office because they miss in-person communication and social interaction when working from home. So, make sure to offer either fully remote or fully office work while transitioning towards the hybrid model and provide this choice for every employee.

Furthermore, try to create a weekly “work from office” schedule so your employees can choose when to work from the office, making sure to mark the days dedicated to meetings or in-person collaboration.

2. Cultivate “People First” Company Culture

Another important lesson we all have drawn from the pandemic is that every business should foster people-oriented culture. Once this harmful virus has threatened employees’ health and even lives, numerous business owners realized that meeting the employees’ needs has to be a number one priority.

Therefore, you need to offer flexibility in your hybrid workplace to keep your workers happy and highly productive. Don’t impose strict rules and schedules; they need to stick to just because you used to do similar things before. This doesn’t mean you should abandon planning altogether. You need to set clear expectations to get things done. However, do not try to go back to the pre-Covid schedule because things have changed, and the office pleasure never is the same again.

Another key ingredient in creating a people-focused company culture is empathy. Employees tend to be motivated to do their best when they feel appreciated. Also, be prepared to listen to their suggestions and ideas, encouraging them to talk about issues that may bother them. By knowing that they can express their thoughts and feelings freely, employees will build mutual trust and commit easily to common goals.

3. Provide Seamless Communication and Improved Project Management

Moving business online during the Covid pandemic demanded significant support from various digital solutions. Keeping communication clear and employees’ high productivity were two primary concerns of numerous managers. For this reason, they started using Google Office, Slack, and similar advanced platforms to exchange emails, direct messages, or host video meetings.

These practical tools that ensured clear asynchronous communication between management become indispensable in hybrid workplaces.

But if you want to build a successful hybrid model, you’ll also need to keep track of your time and project management. Effective monitoring software for employees will give you a real-time insight into employees’ activities, tracking time spent on various current tasks and projects. This information will provide you with the chance to distribute workload accordingly, helping employees become more productive.

You will also use a productivity tracker to make predictions about upcoming projects, setting reasonable deadlines and timeframes. This will save you time and money, making your clients happy and employees motivated to reach set goals.

4. Final Words

A hybrid work model gives the best of both worlds. Here much-needed remote work flexibility is combined with in-person collaboration and social interaction that the work-from-home model lacks.

Try following these tips to create a successful hybrid model using effective tools to make communication easier and boost team performance. But make sure to create a work environment where your employees will feel appreciated and motivated to fulfill their potential.