How to manage a blended, hybrid workforce

Hybrid and blended workforces can provide a range of benefits for businesses, but there are major challenges to face too. Thomas Amos offers some tips for success.

Before covid, businesses were already adjusting to the rise of blended workforces – a mix of permanent and temporary staff. Now, with hybrid and remote working thrown into the mix, businesses need to find a way to manage blended workforces from a range of locations.

Hybrid and blended workforces can provide a range of benefits for businesses, from access to a wider talent pool to higher productivity and efficiency; while for employees it can provide greater job satisfaction. But they can also present different challenges to a traditional workforce of full-time permanent staff in a single location. These are some tips to ensure success.

1. Develop robust onboarding

Having a flawless onboarding process is critical for businesses with high staff turnover, such as seasonal businesses. New staff need to be set up to win, not fail. Continually refine your onboarding process by getting feedback and ideas from recent and longer-term staff. Research shows that businesses with a strong onboarding process increase new hire retention by 82 percent and productivity by over 70 percent.

Post-COVID, onboarding is even easier as demand for virtual onboarding sessions increase. Not only does virtual onboarding make the process more streamlined (we’ve managed to double the volume of candidates we onboard since introducing a virtual channel) but it’s also more efficient. Our experience has demonstrated that candidates are more likely to have all their required documents and certificates on hand prior to attending a virtual onboarding session.

2. Ensure workplace equity

One of the most important aspects of hybrid work is ensuring that all workers are treated equitably, whenever or wherever they work. This means making sure that everyone’s voice is heard, not just those in the office. Everyone needs to feel included and valued, so include temporary and casual staff in team meetings and activities wherever possible.

3. Have clear communications

Communications are of paramount importance when teams are distributed, and each shift may have a different mix of people. Everyone should understand the importance of each team member’s role, and be proactive with getting feedback from those working outside the usual shifts, such as night shift workers or cross functional teams. Don’t let them become “ships that pass in the night” – unseen and unheard. Consider individual catch-ups and creating a central place, virtual or physical, that everyone can access to get directions and updates.

4. Provide the right tools

Hybrid workforces need a range of different communication tools to succeed, and these will vary whether they’re being used in a regular office or for remote and field work. Technology breakdowns are one of the biggest causes of stress and lost productivity. When it comes to team collaboration, ensuring equity of experience for all participants, whether they’re dialling in remotely or there in the room, should be of upmost importance. Invest in the best equipment and technology and train staff how to use it.

5. Promote company culture

Immersing new people in your company’s culture ensures that they feel part of the team and that the culture is continued. Being the ‘new person’ is hard, particularly for temps and part timers. The more included and invested someone feels, the more they will contribute. Try to offer part-timers the same rewards and perks that full-timers receive. A positive company culture improves teamwork, raises morale and leads to higher retention. In a Deloitte survey, 94 percent of executives and 88 percent of employees saw a distinct workplace culture as important to business success.

6. Empower your people

People working remotely or on outside-hours shifts don’t always have the ability to contact managers or supervisors when they need them, and therefore, may need to make decisions and take quick actions in order to do their job properly. For businesses with a traditional, vertical structure, delegating responsibility can be more difficult. It may be that you need to assign more experienced staff to the night shift, or have senior people on call. Ultimately, showing confidence in your people builds trust and enables them to do the best job possible.

7. Offer training and development

Embracing a culture of continuous learning increases staff retention, leads to a higher skilled workforce and ultimately higher productivity. Even if someone is there on a temporary basis, it is still worthwhile to invest in their skills and career development. They may be a valuable rehire next season, or ideal for a permanent role that opens. Research shows that 63 percent of retailers plan to permanently hire 1 in 10 seasonal employees.

According to Deloitte research, 83 percent of executives and 84 percent of employees rank “having engaged and motivated employees as the top factor that substantially contributes to a company’s success”. Whatever the mix of your workforce, from office-based to remote and casual to permanent, ensuring that people know what their role is, and that they are empowered to do it, is the best way to achieve productivity and success.

Thomas Amos (pictured above) is CEO of Sidekicker.