The notion of working remotely was once a sought after benefit that many individuals look for in a company. The flexibility of establishing your own workspace and the advantage of a pro work-life balance approach has appealed to many. They even coined the term “digital nomad” for people lucky enough to work remotely.

Unsurprisingly when forced to do so because of COVID, many individuals found it hard to adapt. According to a study by the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore indicated that there has been a likely increase in cases of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Working hours are also blurred as everyone is expected to be conveniently available as they’re connected digitally. With online meetings, phone calls, emails, and messages coming in past working hours, many question whether remote working indeed improves work-life balance.

It has been almost 3 years since then and just when many were becoming more acclimated to working remotely, they’re now required to work from the office or to adopt a hybrid work schedule. This disruption greatly impacts the morale, productivity, and even the mental health of employees.

So now the question is, as businesses, how do we go about helping our employees adapt to a hybrid work arrangement and at the same time, use this as an advantage to not only remain productive, but to also improve the morale of our workers?

Here are some best post-pandemic practices that work!

Best Post-Pandemic Practices

1. Understand that struggles are mutually exclusive

Although everyone is struggling to adapt to this work arrangement, people are also burdened with their own troubles. As employers, it is crucial to be empathetic with the struggles of each of your employees. To understand your employees better, some companies implement initiatives to speak to each individual to ascertain their troubles.

It is important to provide a platform for employees to talk about their struggles if they want to. This usually works only when employees are spoken to in private which is why allocating time to check in on employees individually really plays a part. The hybrid work arrangement can be highly disruptive for individuals who’ve built their schedule around a work from home arrangement.

Speak to your employees personally, understand their struggles, and work around to reach a compromise that works for both parties.

 2. Allocate time to check-in with employees

Managers, supervisors, and management level employees play crucial roles in managing not only performance but also the morale of their people. Allocating time to check in on employees individually allows a safe space for them to be vulnerable. This creates a platform for understanding your employees better.

It is also important to build a relationship with your employees which is also why having a meeting for the sole purpose to catch up and talk about non-work related issues will help strengthen this bond.

3. Allocate a facilitator for hybrid meetings to ensure smooth flow

Having to facilitate a physical meeting or a full digital meeting is much easier than holding a hybrid meeting. In-person attendees are usually more productive and it’s easier to collaborate with people who are physically present. This may draw a line between remote and in-person attendees, causing remote employees to feel left out or less important.

Having a meeting facilitator ensures that the meeting is productive for both onsite and offsite employees. The role of the facilitator is to ensure that everyone is given the chance to speak and that all attendees are actively participating in the meeting. A facilitator is also responsible for ensuring that the meeting runs smoothly without any technical hiccups that may disrupt the flow of the meeting.

4. Rethinking the purpose of a physical office

An office is to provide a cohesive and productive work environment for employees to collaborate as well as perform their own tasks. With a hybrid work arrangement, the office should be used as a work space to forge and promote collaboration while employees are still allowed to perform their own work responsibilities remotely.

As the preference of employees differ, it is important to identify those that prefer working remotely and those that prefer coming to work in the office. This provides flexibility and it gives employees the choice to work in an environment they’re most productive in. This converts the office into a space where employees can gather for workshops, events, and collaborative meetings.

5. Creative ways to connect, engage, and have fun!

Instead of having employees attend a party, why not bring the party to them?! With the lockdown, many fun and collaborative events had to be postponed. However, this did not stop some companies from having fun by hosting these events virtually. Employees are sent gift packages with food, drinks, and small activities to be done with other co-workers online.

Events like these help to strengthen the bond between employees and they’re sure to appreciate the company for taking the effort to host such an event online.

These practices are no doubt a great way to engage and motivate employees. However, many companies struggle to plan and execute such practices due to the lack of resources or experience, most times both. That is why some companies choose to leverage HR outsourcing services to assist with their needs.

Talent Spot is a HR outsourcing company that specialises in manpower solutions in Singapore. With over 700 employees in 8 countries across the APAC region, Talent Spot is no stranger to working digitally! We have the technology and tools to help your company succeed in adopting hybrid work arrangements and making it work to your advantage!

Our team of highly trained manpower consultants in Singapore are equipped with the necessary skills to provide solutions based on your industry and needs. They’re adept in identifying HR inefficiencies and suggesting highly customised solutions to cater specifically to your business requirements.

Speak to our industry experts today to find out how Talent Spot can help you utilise a hybrid workforce to grow your business!