In some ways, managing a hybrid team’s success is more challenging than managing a fully remote team. Hybrid teams create imbalances that leaders cannot ignore. However, when you find out how to manage a hybrid team’s success, this working structure may prove to be particularly beneficial for your company.
Challenge of Rotating Schedules
For many companies, having a hybrid team means saving money on office space. Instead of having all 100 employees in person daily, for example, they may only need space for 30 at any given time. Leaders may find this rotation to be a challenge, though.
When looking at how to manage a hybrid team’s success, consider how to use your employees in each location. Leaders may want to use in-person days to get their whole teams together but find that they have to rotate because of available space or employees' schedule needs. How can you manage a hybrid team’s success when you cannot physically get everyone together on the same day?
Look for Opportunities
Use in-person days to give extra attention to those employees who are with you. Alternatively, set up opportunities for them to have small-group working sessions with their peers or other departments. This way, employees benefit from in-person days without missing the feeling of being with a larger team.
When leaders spend 1:1 time with those in person, it’s essential to consider any fully remote employees. In cases where much of the team is hybrid, but some people are never in person, you want to ensure those you physically see are only getting their fair share of attention, opportunities, or promotions. Finding a way to balance your employees is vital to successfully managing a hybrid team.
Lean Into Scheduling
The in-person employees on any given day may be particularly valuable for collaborating internally. This could mean having a working session with a few people to plan upcoming projects or arranging with another department to do a big whiteboard session to collaborate on communication strategies. Certain types of meetings are more manageable in person, and these should be prioritized when possible.
While internal, small group sessions can be great for in-person employees, other meetings are particularly suited for those not in the office. For example:
- This may be the best time to prioritize those working remotely if you work with an external stakeholder like a partner, client, or vendor.
- If the external call happened via Zoom or Teams anyway, having remote employees join lets each person participate fully with their own screen and mic.
- On the other hand, when five employees join a teleconference from a shared room, there is less connectedness, with some people sitting in the background or too far from the microphone to be heard well.
A hybrid team can bring many benefits, including happier employees, the ability to recruit from a larger geographic area, and reduced office costs. However, hybrid teams also face challenges in terms of feeling connected to their peers, understanding their manager, and having equal opportunities compared to those entirely in person.
With Amazing Workplace, you have the potential to boost profits, enhance financial performance, drive growth, and elevate stock prices, while simultaneously fostering happier employees. Learn how you can both understand and improve your team's happiness and satisfaction — whether hybrid, remote, or in-person — by scheduling a demo with us today.