Hybrid work has skyrocketed in the UK since the pandemic. Last year, Deloitte said that it was running at roughly three times the levels seen before the pandemic, with about 40% of us working partly or wholly from home. However, what hybrid workers gain in convenience, they can lose in productivity. How can technology help with that?
Most challenges for hybrid workers revolve around disruption. For example, disrupting real-time, face-to-face communication affects team cohesion, undermining the quality of collective work.
Whether you're working at the kitchen table or lucky enough to have your own dedicated in-home office, home-based distractions are also a common problem. Kids or dogs coming to say hello or door deliveries break the state of 'flow' - that feeling of intense focus when people are at their most productive. Visiting the office breaks the flow again as employees switch contexts between one environment and another.
Technologies to make transition seamless
Cloud-based services can help to solve these problems. Services like Microsoft Teams enable people to message each other in appropriate groups, while also quickly setting up high-quality video and audio calls. Used properly, that can help to improve communication and keep everyone aware of what's happening.
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Services that combine many functions also offer a way to maintain that all-important flow for hybrid workers. Traditionally, we would start different software programs for discrete tasks. People are not built to do this while staying focused. Just remember the last time you opened your email to search for a message from someone only to spot another message and disappear down a ten-minute rabbit hole.
Companies like Microsoft solve this problem by integrating different functions into a single place, revolving around topic-focused groups or channels. This helps to keep employees on point, providing easy links between different functions all related to the task at hand.
These cloud-based services, which include document storage, also ensure that the same applications and data are easily accessible whether you're at home or in the office, easing the transition between the two environments.
Hardware for hybrid work
Making hybrid workers fully effective also means going beyond software and cloud services to invest in the appropriate hardware.
A suitably lightweight laptop (perhaps even a two-in-one hybrid tablet) is highly useful for workers frequently moving between two locations.
Employees will also need decent quality hardware for video conferencing. Ensure that the laptop has a good webcam. 4K isn't strictly necessary; although 4K cameras typically provide superior optics, most videoconferencing systems including Teams and Zoom downscale resolution to 1080p. However, features like good low-light operation and autofocus are a must.
A solid microphone and speaker setup is also key. The microphones on most webcams are suitable, but for better quality you'll want a directional mic and/or one that cancels background noise.
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The appropriate technology to interact properly with office resources is also important. For example, some employees will need to interact with presentation systems. Consider a wireless presentation hub in your office that allows visiting employees to easily share their screens in the meeting room from their portable device.
Monitoring performance
A final word goes to monitoring employee performance when they're not always in the office. This doesn't mean installing software that monitors their mouse movements or even their screens to see if they're working, as some horror stories in the press have reported. Instead, train both employees and managers on regular check-ins and clear, quantifiable goal-setting that can be measured effectively. That will enable companies to track productivity in a humane, respectful way even when the employee is working from home.
Hybrid work can be a great way to blend the best of both worlds while improving employee morale. A little forethought in your choice and use of technology can ensure a successful hybrid working practice, while perhaps even keeping your commercial real estate costs lower than at their pre-pandemic levels.
In conclusion, tackling productivity issues in a hybrid work environment requires a strategic blend of technology, thoughtful management practices, and appropriate hardware investments. Ultimately, with the right technological tools and a considerate approach to management, hybrid work can effectively combine the flexibility of remote work with the collaborative benefits of in-office presence. Get in touch for a free consultation.