With evidence that remote working models can create real financial benefits, the question becomes how can you ensure inclusivity? Follow these five principles to make sure you build an inclusive, friendly and supportive workplace where your people will remain happy and productive.
1. Build and maintain a positive culture
The culture of your business is about how your people feel and behave wherever they are. In a hybrid workplace, the office is only one part of the culture equation.
Culture is not only about shared values and beliefs, it’s about shared experience. Don’t forget those who are remote working, particularly when it comes to the more social aspects of employee engagement. Remember to make time for having fun and sharing success with all employees.
2. Find new ways to embed inclusivity
The best outcomes will come when your people are engaged and delivering regardless of where they happen to be working.
Educate your leaders on the importance of inclusivity and help them to establish new ways of working to make sure you give all your people a voice. Rethink how you engage with your team. For example, if some of them are working remotely, have everyone join your meeting online. That way no one is at a disadvantage.
3. Look after your people and be flexible
Your policies should not only set the tone for both employees and managers but should also ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of your workforce – individually and collectively.
Be mindful of each person’s personal circumstances as well as the different challenges they may face in different work environments by virtue of their personality type. For example, introverts and extroverts will face different challenges in different situations and your hybrid working policies will need to be flexible to accommodate everyone.
4. Focus on learning and development
Consider how you ensure that your people are equipped to deal with a more hybrid way of working.
Do you need to adapt or develop new infrastructure (technology and processes) to support hybrid working? Is your existing training and support sufficient for your leaders, managers and employees to be successful? Give your employees the training, tools and devices they need to enable them to work from anywhere.
5. Make time for communication
Effective and proactive communication underpins the implementation of best practice and is a key driver of business success. You should always set aside time for communication. In hybrid working environments you may need to make more time for those who are less outgoing and have quieter voices. Effective and proactive communication needs to be embedded within your company culture. It is management accountability but everyone’s responsibility.
It is important to remember that people are your most valuable asset; look after them and they will help you to look after your business. If your business is struggling to implement an inclusive, flexible and hybrid working policy and culture, then get in touch with our HR team to find out how we can help.
How can we help you?
Our HR specialists are on hand to give advice and guidance on how best to implement a working hybrid model and how to create hybrid working policies. If you would like to find out more about ensuring your hybrid working policy builds an inclusive workplace, please get in touch.
