Prevent hybrid work from affecting your company culture with these three solutions

Many employees love hybrid work models. In PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022, 62% of respondents said they prefer some mix of in-person and remote work, and 63% are expecting their company to offer this arrangement in the next 12 months.

However, maintaining a cohesive workplace culture is difficult if half or more employees are working away from the office. Problems such as internet connection loss and equipment failure could happen at any time and any day.

Hybrid work also impacts the sense of community and connection within the organization.

According to a Harvard Business Review study, 52% of employees who work partially at home feel more excluded from workplace affairs than their in-office counterparts. PwC’s Global Culture Survey 2021 also found that 44% of remote workers found it more difficult to maintain a sense of community with their peers.

Ways to solve this dilemma

To prevent the loss of a good workplace dynamic between a team and the whole organization, employers could try the following solutions”

• Understanding the workplace culture. Given the changes that happened over the past two years, going back and tracing the workplace culture will allow the team to refresh their minds on the pride and strengths of the company. It
• Build the right physical environment. With some still fearing the surge of COVID-19 infections, companies have to take a hard look at their office space and look into how it could be improved and be made comfortable for returning employees.
• Provide the right support mechanisms. This covers a lot of things — from the right tool needed for the job to the training provided to employees. Providing employees with these things will allow them to work effectively whether they’re in the office or in their homes.

The hybrid work model is a major shift in how companies usually operate, but this should not affect the team’s relationship with each other. By being more proactive, companies could retain their healthy company culture regardless of where their employees are working from.

Read more here.