The Post-Coronavirus Transition to a Hybrid Remote Team
Some considerations for building a partially remote and non-remote team
No one knows for certain what the transition will look like as coronavirus-mandated shelter-in-place orders end. It will most likely be a slow transition as businesses reopen, schools open in the fall, and we can begin casual social interactions once again.
One thing is certain: after the great worldwide remote work experiment of 2020, more and more companies will realize they want to either go fully remote, or have a hybrid remote team, where some employees are in a physical office and others are working remote.
So what does that look like and how can you, as a conscious leader, navigate this change successfully? The following are some considerations for leaders as they contemplate the future of remote work for their organization and team.
Talk to your team about their remote work experience now
Many employees I’ve coached over the years have consistently shared that they wished their employer would provide flexible work-from-home options. Others say they need the social interaction of an office to make them stay connected and focused. Due to the current circumstances, regardless of whether they wanted it or not, everyone with the ability to work from home is doing so.
As a conscious leader, start talking to your team now about how they’re doing. Are they enjoying the experience? What would make it better? Where can they improve their experience? This is valuable feedback for you on how to implement a long-term solution for your team. We don’t know what the future holds. It’s my belief that remote work will become the norm beyond the immediate crisis.
So take advantage of this current emergency work-from-home situation to collect real-time data so you can streamline the process of a fully remote or hybrid remote team. You’ll discover which employees are completely ready, which ones need some coaching, and which ones may be better suited for the physical office space of your hybrid team.
Consider the economic benefits or costs
Many companies find that going partially or fully remote with their team saves significant resources. Instead of a pricey downtown location with parking and office amenities, they can cut their overhead and save their employees’ commute time. It ends up being a win-win for the company, employees, and the community.
The costs of a hybrid remote team really relate to benefits and the need for occasional in-person meetings. If you have team members in other states or countries, how do you handle their salaries, healthcare, retirement, and other employee benefits? And how do you balance that against a team in a physical office that may require higher salaries or benefits because of the office location? A team in a city like London or San Francisco will need significantly higher pay and benefits than those living in Medellin or Boise.
Many hybrid teams with whom I work allocate budget for a few in-person meetings every year so the team can have valuable team-bonding and collaboration. It’s not necessary, but for hybrid teams, it can help build relationships between those in an office and those working remote, so there isn’t an imbalance in team bonding.
Consider the benefits and cautions of a hybrid team
One of the key benefits of a hybrid team is you can have a core team at the main office for those roles that need direct, immediate interaction and collaboration. Perhaps you have a business that needs a physical location for customers or production. But you can also offer flexible work locations for those that don’t need to be on site. You can draw top talent from around your region or the globe with a hybrid team.
A caution for a hybrid team is potential lost collaboration and communication. There are some connections and conversations that are significantly better in person. When considering this for your team, evaluate the cost of decreased in-person collaboration versus the benefits to your teams and your company’s budget.
Also consider the potential for cliques to form in a hybrid team. Those in a physical office location are interacting more personally and bonding during quick hallway conversations. They have the advantage of seeing the subtle facial expressions and energetic shifts that a remote team member may miss on a conference call. The remote employees may feel left out unless the conscious leader carefully cultivates intentional relationship building amongst the entire team and guards against bias.
Consider your priorities as a leader and the organization’s vision
One of the key things to consider about transitioning to a hybrid remote team is your vision for the organization and what’s required for a successful enterprise. As a conscious leader, you want to attract top talent, continue to nurture that talent, and see the resulting karmic benefits in the success of your company.
So consider what team combination will help you accomplish your vision. Is it having a hybrid team where some members work in a physical office? That may be required for the type of company you have. Is it fully remote? If you have a technology or service-oriented company, a fully-remote team could draw in the best talent and strengthen employee engagement.
Ultimately, the decision of a hybrid or fully remote team will be determined by your priorities and what your organization wants to accomplish. Regardless, a conscious leader wants all their employees to succeed and find great happiness in work and life. It’s a decision you can make with each employee based on their and your needs. Either way, you’ll be serving both your team, your company, and your community. And you’ll be paving the way for the conscious leadership we so desperately need in the world.
I will soon be launching a training series for employers and employees to hone their remote work skills and bring more conscious leadership to work.
Stay posted for these exciting and timely new courses!
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