When the pandemic hit, it created substantial changes within several organisations worldwide. One of the most critical ones was the work-from-home policy that enabled the safety of all employees. However, with the pandemic subsiding, many grew accustomed to their new work environment. They realised they didn’t need to work for a company that mandated everyone suddenly report back to the office without adequate preparations. That’s where a hybrid work policy proves to be an ideal middle-ground.

Yet, businesses can encounter issues implementing it. Throughout this guide, you’ll learn about what challenges such practices entail and how to solve them efficiently.

Why Are Companies Moving Swiftly To Implement a Hybrid Work Structure?

A hybrid work plan involves assigning a certain percentage of employees to report to the office, while the rest can take a remote work mandate. That way, the employer can ensure enough employees within the workplace to justify the infrastructure while also preparing that workplace and other employees for a comprehensive full-time shift. Maintenance jobs may be required since the pandemic, and any new hires might not have workstations assigned to them.

But that mandate has cleared a genius plan companies are ready to adapt: why not make it permanent? According to research from Zippia, 74% of all US businesses are considering a permanent hybrid work model. They report positive feedback from all employees, increased performance, and a lower turnover rate. You can observe this trend gaining traction in Eastern countries as well.

Obstacles Associated With Hybrid Work

As illustrious an image as hybrid work policies projects, companies can run into various issues trying to implement them. Here are a few noticeable ones alongside their respective solutions.

1. Lack of Transparent Communication

Communication is a crucial part of workplace management. Although there have been efforts to make the process digital, communication through physical interactions is often the preferred method for clarity and privacy. That can be challenging to conduct in a hybrid workplace, as you can’t ensure everyone will be at their Skype or Slack screen when you make an urgent announcement.

Solution: It’s best to have a multi-platform solution that immediately alerts all employees of any announcements. If it has an integrated feedback system, such as an emoji reaction, you can observe how many employees have seen the message and connect with the few who haven’t personally.

2. Issues With Coordination and Performance Evaluation

The lack of communication also makes evaluating employees’ performances and collaborating among various departments challenging. You can’t always determine that someone not answering their DMs is dozing off or working on an important project. Thus, the distribution of promotions and bonuses can cause some discontent within the organisation.

Solution: A proven technique is reducing burnout using micro goals and micro wins. The minute tasks allow you to evaluate the performance of each employee precisely and provide genuine grounds to redistribute financial incentives.

3. Situational and Logistical Issues With Hybrid Work

The global supply chain is under massive stress due to geopolitical issues. As per statistics, there were more than 11,600 disruptions in the global supply chain in 2021 alone. Therefore, being resource-ready for multiple sites is only sometimes viable, especially for SMBs. They can’t always fulfil their office requirements, much less those of employees working from home.

Solution: It helps to plan the resources ahead of hybrid assignments so employees know what to expect each day. For instance, you can assign a high-powered PC on-site for a designer who has an urgent project and give a less powerful laptop to a marketing executive who only needs to monitor their active campaigns.

4. Underutilisation of Physical Office Infrastructure

A distressing situation often arises from a hybrid work mandate: offices are not utilising their infrastructure to the total capacity. Meeting rooms might be left empty for weeks, or workstations gather dust simply because employees prefer more advanced versions.

Solution: You can employ an asset tracking software that alerts the facility manager if the infrastructure is left unused for extended periods. They can then assign the next batch to use them instead of their conventional workspace. It also encourages a sense of cooperation among the various departments and lets various departments socialise like they won’t regularly.

5. Increase in Labour and Operational Costs

Regardless of what kind of business you operate, you have to account for increasing operational and labour costs. Those can scale when you have a hybrid work policy. If you go with remote work, you have to incur additional costs for providing your remote employees with the necessary resources they need for their tasks.

Solution: In the case of digital resources, you can install all the required APIs within a single platform. That way, you can ensure that all employees have access to the tools at all times. For physical resources, you can assign the employees who require the infrastructure to report to the premises on the required shifts.

Conclusion

For companies looking to adopt a hybrid work model, there needs to be a set of solutions customised precisely to your needs. We hope this guide helps you solve the issues mentioned above. In case you require the best quotes for smart office solutions, be sure to check out the official Qbasis website.