It's been quite a few years since 2020, and hybrid work models aren't going anywhere — but they're certainly changing. Today's hybrid work schedules prioritize communication, productivity, and employees' needs.
Some employers have expressed concerns over remote work schedules potentially impairing employees' performance. However, with the right practices and technology, your hybrid team may find more efficient ways to get work done than ever before. Explore our hybrid work schedule best practices to learn how to approach your new scheduling model.
What Are the Benefits of a Hybrid Schedule?
Hybrid schedules have many advantages and disadvantages over in-office schedules. A flexible hybrid model can improve each employee's performance, engagement, and work-life balance. Beyond that, it can consolidate your communication to enhance your information-sharing and speed of service.
Improves Employee Engagement and Productivity
Operating from home gives employees more autonomy and control over their workdays. They can block out time, play background music, and take breaks around their preferences. This approach is critical for getting employees engaged. After all, no one knows your employees' best practices and environments like they do.
Recent studies have revealed that about 35% of remote employees feel more productive. This is likely because of their controlled work environments and lack of a commute. Beyond that, remote employees earn an average of $19,000 more than in-office employees. This pay increase is believed to result from their heightened productivity directly.
Provides Opportunities for Inclusion and Diversity
Years of being restricted by in-office schedules caused many employers to overlook high-quality candidates. Remote and hybrid work environments make your organization more accessible to everyone. This includes parents, international workers, and employees who can't drive every day. As a result, you can vastly expand your talent pool, especially if you offer fully virtual positions.
Workplace inclusion is also critical for your diversity and company culture. Individuals from different backgrounds may share unique perspectives that aid your entire organization. Plus, improving your accessibility means you can likely retain your current staff even if their living circumstances change.
Increases Employee Satisfaction and Retention
Every worker has different needs and preferences. Nevertheless, most employees prefer a hybrid model over working fully in person. Hybrid workweeks can improve an employee's job satisfaction in the following ways:
- Expanding their work opportunities
- Decreasing their commute
- Simplifying meetings and tasks
- Letting them do what they like during breaks and lunches
- Working around pet and school schedules
That said, hybrid hours can also impair employees' job satisfaction. Some staff members may prefer working entirely in person for its social dynamics. Even if these employees get to go into the office every day, they may still feel disconnected from their remote colleagues. So you must be aware of all employees' preferences when implementing your hybrid work schedule.
Top 7 Best Practices for Hybrid Work Schedules
Every hybrid team operates differently, so you'll likely need at least a few weeks of hybrid work experience to learn the best strategies for you.
Until then, follow our hybrid work schedule best practices to implement your new model effectively.
1. Define a Hybrid Work Policy and Establish Scheduling Guidelines
Most hybrid models adopt different policies and strategies. For example, one organization may require everyone to be in the office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Meanwhile, another organization may specify only one in-person day per week. Employees can then adjust the rest of their schedules around their needs. Many of these models require minimum in-office hours, though the dates and times aren't always important.
Hybrid work policies and guidelines set clear expectations for out-of-office schedules. They should at least cover eligibility, restrictions, and limitations. In doing so, they ensure your hybrid work arrangements are consistent and fair for your entire team.
A hybrid work policy should specify the following details:
- The policy's purpose
- Virtual and hybrid eligibility requirements
- Attendance expectations
- Compensation or benefit adjustments
- Which departments the policy applies to
- Eligibility for department transfers
- Starting dates and time frames
- Commitment to safety
- Commitment to continuous learning
- Company values
- Guiding principles
- Hiring practices
2. Ensure Schedule Visibility for All Team Members
One of the most significant drawbacks of hybrid work scheduling is that employees can easily fall out of the loop. This impaired communication can cause colleagues to overlook one another's availability. As a result, projects and messages may need to be put on hold until certain employees clock back in. This can create tedious delays over the weekends or when employees take personal time off.
Fortunately, hybrid technology has revolutionized how remote workers interact with one another. Tools such as Scoop let employees quickly view their colleagues' schedules, from their daily tasks to their monthly agenda. This makes it much easier for team members to work around one another and feel included in the greater team.
3. Set Expectations for Teamwork
Keeping colleagues on the same page is one of the most essential hybrid work best practices. Hybrid teams that understand their responsibilities should be more productive and efficient. Beyond that, they shouldn't stress too much about overlooked mistakes. This can improve their morale and work-life balance.
First and foremost, you should set expectations for synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous communication comprises calls and time-sensitive messages that require everyone's attention. On the other hand, asynchronous communication includes messages and emails that don't need to be opened immediately. Differentiating between these two messages helps colleagues prioritize critical information and not stress over things that can wait.
Other expectations to set for hybrid employees include the following:
- Which tasks are a higher priority
- When to share project updates
- Project deadlines, including specific times
- Slack and group messaging guidelines
- Formatting guidelines
- Required attire and camera settings during virtual meetings
4. Leverage Technology for Collaboration
Virtual work will never have the same level of interaction as in-person office days. Nevertheless, Scoop, Slack, and other hybrid work platforms can fill the communication gap. For instance, employees can now talk to colleagues from across the country just as easily as someone in the same area.
These tools can make it more efficient to collaborate remotely than in person, depending on your type of work. You can share files securely, stay updated on projects in real-time, and share your schedule with your team with just a click. So take some time to get to know your platforms to ensure you're maximizing your technology.
5. Embrace Flexibility
Flexibility is key to the hybrid employee experience. Depending on your policy, hybrid workers can shift their schedules around their kids, clients, or personal preferences. This level of control lets each individual optimize their work in the best ways. As a result, they'll likely feel more engaged and motivated, especially if they know they aren't missing anything important during work.
Furthermore, flexible schedules make many hybrid and remote jobs more popular than in-person positions, so embracing flexibility in your hybrid schedules could also improve employee retention and hiring possibilities.
6. Promote Overcommunication
Overcommunicating can be bad if you're talking directly into someone's ear, but it's essential in remote and hybrid work locations. Unlike verbal conversations, group messages and recorded video meetings can be a paper trail for you and your colleagues. This way, you can quickly review previous discussions to find the necessary details immediately.
That said, you shouldn't turn your general Slack channel into a free-for-all conversation hub. Instead, consider creating multiple channels and threads with distinct topics. For instance, you could establish a channel for each department along with separate threads titled "General," "Breakroom," and "Urgent." This separation will limit the number of "spam" notifications employees receive for irrelevant conversations.
7. Gather Feedback to Adapt Schedules to Your Organization
You should build your hybrid work schedules around your employees' preferences and needs. Like any good business practice, you must listen to employee feedback when optimizing your hybrid model.
Employees may be more likely to share their thoughts if your surveys are brief and anonymous. so you may not benefit as much from a lengthy questionnaire. Instead, consider sending employees frequent surveys with just a few questions as you introduce your workplace changes. This will enable you to immediately respond to any concerns and issues they may have with your hybrid work model.
Aid Your Hybrid Work Model Implementation With Scoop
Some employees may face challenges adapting to your new hybrid work policy, so communication is important. High-quality platforms such as Scoop are designed for hybrid teams with different experience levels. Using these tools to implement your new work model will help colleagues stay on the same page without getting lost. Plus, with improved organization, employees may complete their work faster than they would in person.
Download Scoop for hybrid work to learn how it can help your team.
