GLINC Differently About Hybrid Work

Whether you call it a hybrid, dynamic or blended work model, chances are your company may be considering this new approach of work as some look to transition back to the office. A hybrid workforce is a type of blended workforce comprised of employees who work remotely and those who work from an office or central location. With over 65% of Ontario’s population now double vaccinated, many businesses are starting to have conversations with their employees about their own transition back to work.

Questions like, “should I create a set schedule for when I expect employees to visit the office, or should I give them the freedom to continue working remotely?” are top of mind.

At GLINC, we recently had a team discussion about what we thought would work best for us and our clients given the small size of our company and the nature of our business. If you’re interested in hearing more about the types of questions posed and the insights coming out of that conversation, you can listen to it here.

TLDR: Our plan for transitioning back to the office will be at our own pace, meaning there is no set timeline for when all employees are expected to return to work. We will maintain a hybrid work environment in the months to come but this new approach will require a lot of testing and refinement. The expectation is that if someone decides to go into work, they will book an office space on the public calendar, so others know how much space is still available. We’ve reframed the way we’re thinking about the physical office space to be used for more collaborative projects like brainstorming and face to face time with colleagues versus an everyday space we “have to be in to get work done.”

We’ve found that for our team to feel informed and connected while working remotely, having two team meetings a week (each highlighting different priorities) and one touch point with our team leader, is what’s worked best. We hope to plan more social dinners and group bonding activities as well, since new members have joined our company since the pandemic first began.

In terms of safety precautions that have been implemented, tenants of our office must sign into the building every morning to complete a COVID screening test, and wear masks in common areas. In our unit we’ve also provided hand sanitizer and plan to maintain social distancing requirements.

There have been many technological advances within the last 2 years that without the pandemic, might’ve taken much longer to develop. Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Go To Meeting, Web X, and various file sharing apps have improved the way we meet and work as teams. We’ve become more productive without having to commute to work, and meetings and have strengthened our ability to balance work vs home life.

Human nature is typically resistant to change. We’ve only just adapted to a comfortable routine within the last 18 months and now some of us may be asked to shift back to our old habits. The “social gym” was a term recently introduced to me as a concept that requires your mind and body to build back lost strength when interacting with people. Most of us have probably gotten used to not socializing with friends, family, or even strangers these last year and a half, which may mean it will take some time for us to get back into the groove of things.

I know my colleagues and I have missed interacting with one another in person because body language just isn’t the same over a Zoom call, and tone of voice can be misinterpreted over text and email. As a result, many of us may be “out of practice” with certain aspects of social and work etiquette so it’s important to remember not to read too much into things and to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Our advice to managers or leaders looking to transition back to the office is to first ask your team what their preferences are and then do your best to accommodate accordingly.

Use this opportunity to also reconsider your current processes – are you hosting unnecessary daily or weekly meetings simply because that’s how you’ve always done things? Are communications and reports sent to employees still relevant and useful today? Are the metrics or KPIs used to measure performance still adaptable to current activities? Am I setting unrealistic or unfair expectations requiring my team to work overtime?

For employees, having reduced commute times, flexible working hours, and improved work/life balance are huge advantages for continuing to work from home. So, take a step back and consider the opinions of your employees before asking everyone to return to the office if it may not be necessary.

I’m personally looking forward to going back to the office a couple times a week mostly so I can feel like this pandemic-fueled chapter of my life can come to an end, and a fresh, new normal can begin. I’m sure many of us have felt like we’ve been cast in Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day while working from home so here’s to hoping for a flexible and accommodating return to work.