The pandemic changed the way we work. Offices that went fully remote at the start of the pandemic have recently switched to the hybrid setup with the pandemic receding. And this shift has been far from a smooth one.
Most companies have been struggling to manage their office space, coordinate work schedules and foster communication between in-office and remote employees. But what they are finding much harder to do is maintain company culture.
In a traditional setup, the office was synonymous with the place of work. And it was the centre of fostering employee interactions and building company culture. But in a hybrid workplace, the place of work depends on where the employees work rather than the office. This makes maintaining company culture difficult.
But how exactly does the hybrid workplace shift company culture? Read on to find out.
- A Hybrid Workplace Fosters an Open Communication Culture
In a hybrid setup, some employees work from the office while others work remotely. Hence, unlike a traditional workplace where in-person communication was the norm, communication is mostly online in a hybrid workplace.
There are fewer water cooler conversations and fewer in-person meetings. But communication takes less time, is more productive and is more honest. Take a look.
- More Valuable Communication
Instead of knee-jerk reactions, employees get enough time to frame a well-thought-out response when communicating online. They also ask more direct questions directly to their peers and are freer when asking for help. Thus, communication in a hybrid workplace is more to the point and hence more valuable.
- Fewer Interruptions
During crucial ‘heads-down’ work, employees can follow their chain of thought without being interrupted by their coworkers. They can respond on their own time without affecting the company culture.
- Hybrid Communication is More Honest
Online communication helps employees who struggle putting their views forward to express themselves without fearing pushback. It allows managers to collect and give out more honest feedback as well.
- A Hybrid Workplace Calls for Greater Accountability
A hybrid workplace demands greater accountability from employees. Employees are expected to stay on top of their work whether they work from home or the office.
While some companies believe their employees will be accountable for their work, others opt for a more hands-on approach to meet deadlines. In the latter case, managers resort to regularly checking up on employees, asking for updates and tracking work progress. Such excessive leadership fosters mistrust and, therefore, a negative company culture.
Company managers must carefully navigate accountability in a hybrid workplace to promote positive company culture. They can conduct professional development workshops that educate employees on time management and hybrid work ethic, etc., to improve accountability.
- Hybrid Workplace Facilitates Collaboration
A hybrid workplace model reduces the requirement for office space drastically. With employees working remotely and in-office, there is no need for a fixed allocation of seats within the office. This is why companies are transitioning to flexible desks.
A flexible desking setup is economical because it takes up less space and enables collaboration across teams. How? By breaking the monotony of sitting around the same coworkers every day.
Employees across departments and teams can collaborate through a flexible seating plan in the office. Whether it is ideation, mentoring or simply finding like-minded individuals, a hybrid workplace brings more opportunities to interact with employees beyond specialized divisions.
- Hybrid Workplace Reduces the Insight Into Individual Employee Contributions
Given few employees work from the office at all times in a hybrid setup, managers do not have a clear overview of employee contributions at work. So, remote workers may not be recognized for their contributions and may miss promotions and incentives.
All of this makes for a subpar employee experience and creates a culture of animosity at the workplace. To prevent such instances, companies should foster clear communication and facilitate frequent online or offline interactions. This helps build transparency and allows superiors to gauge their team members more critically.
- Customs in a Company
In a traditional office setup, in-office gatherings, team celebrations and dinners were common. But when half of the employees work remotely, such gatherings may not be feasible. Naturally, companies shift how they follow office customs.
Where birthdays were celebrated with a cake in the break room, now they are celebrated over virtual meetings. Weekend getaways with team-building workshops are replaced with online seminars with unique exercises.
Companies know that celebrating personal and professional milestones inspire feelings of camaraderie and belongingness among employees. This is why they retain them even in a hybrid workplace.
Final Thoughts
Adopting a hybrid work environment will undoubtedly impact company culture. But it also is a rare opportunity for companies to rethink and realign their functioning to meet the needs of their employees and their goals better.
It is flexible work that employees want. Employee sentiment lies with a better work life balance. And hybrid working models promise exactly that.
Are you looking to get on the future of work bandwagon? Then look no further than WorkInSync hybrid workplace software. Your perfect return to the office guide, it comes with a bunch of features including desk booking, meeting room management, wayfinding and more.
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