Flexible working arrangements have become a part of the norm, but managing them is another story. Overseeing remote employees may be intimidating at first, but many companies are now reaping the benefits of workplace flexibility, including greater employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity. To help you get started, Spot On Talent has gathered our top 5 tips on how to manage flexible work schedules.
1. Refresh Employee Journey Maps
Update or create new employee journey maps for the hybrid model. Like customer journey mapping, employee journey mapping helps you visualize and understand your employee’s experience at your organization and helps you identify what you can do to improve their experience further. Read more on Employee Journey Mapping: The 6 Essential Steps // Qualtrics.
2. Utilize Multi-Channel Communications
Improving internal communications is always a big task. Consider the best method for your respective teams to work together efficiently and effectively. Across industries, people have proven to be productive while working remotely. The next step is to standardize and create formalized processes around how your teams can thrive online. It is time to review your team communication tools and make sure everyone is set up with the right technology solutions. Determine the right communication toolbox and train the team on how to use them.
“Sometimes in tech, we get pigeonholed into the areas that we’re most comfortable with,” she Cynthia Stoddard, CIO at Adobe. “So as CIOs, we need to help people open up their eyes to how new technologies can be applied and can coexist, and maybe even sometimes replace the ones we know.”
3. Define Deliverables
Define what productivity looks like for each role and how it will be measured. Quantifying productivity will ensure empowerment through data. Give your team visibility to their KPIs and hold them accountable to the indicators. Maximize employee productivity and organizational resilience by enabling the secure, seamless ability to perform across physical locations, remote offices, and everywhere in between.
4. Evaluate Critical Skills
Organizations need to revisit and redefine critical skills — the skills needed to meet strategic goals. In a hybrid model, skills might not equate with roles. Reengineer your workforce planning to focus on critical skills versus critical roles. The shift to hybrid work is a strategic business opportunity for every organization – one that requires a new operating model. Read more in Microsoft’s Hybrid Work: A Guide for Business Leaders.
5. Diversity & Inclusion
Fortify your new culture with inclusiveness. Ensure that leaders develop emotional intelligence and other soft skills with their team. Be aware of the varying viewpoints on remote work based on gender, ethnicity, and caregiving responsibilities. An active inclusion program is key to a successful hybrid model.
Managing hybrid teams poses a new opportunity for leaders. Our team has been incorporating these hybrid model tips into our hiring briefs and recruiting plans to ensure your next hire is spot on for your company’s hybrid culture.
If your company is looking for employee solutions for remote work, Spot On Talent can help! Check out our employer page or shoot us a message and we will identify the best candidates in market to fit your needs.
