How to bridge the gap between home & office work with tech
As recently as 2020 it would have been hard for most organisations, especially outside the tech sphere, to imagine moving to a hybrid working model.
The main reason that so many businesses were able to implement remote working policies so effectively during the pandemic, and are looking to continue with hybrid working from 2021 onwards is having access to the right technology.
We’ve had a look at some of the main areas where technology is facilitating and enhancing hybrid working, and offered some pointers on how to make it work for you.
Ensuring that all employees, remote, office-based or flexible, have access to the same opportunities for learning and development is vital to making a hybrid model work. Learning management systems, such as Moodle Workplace, provide a central hub for distributing resources, conducting assessments, managing certifications and tracking achievements.
Beyond L&D itself, the company learning platform is also ideal for remote or hybrid management of the onboarding/training process, upskilling and reskilling staff, and ensuring compliance and continuity.
Top Tech Tips for L&D Success
- Give staff access to courses on wellbeing, work-life balance or stress management
- Use online quizzes to gather feedback from employees on how the hybrid model is working for them
- Integrate your LMS with MIS or HR systems to give a more holistic picture of how employees are doing
02 Communication
Keeping in touch with staff working across various locations is an obvious challenge for hybrid workplaces. With a range of options at your disposal, it’s important to choose the right tool for the job to ensure effectiveness, avoid disruption and maintain inclusion.
The choice will depend on your individual circumstances, but it’s always good to think twice about the purpose of any communication before
For example, before scheduling an in-person meeting, consider whether a group email or Zoom call might work just as well. Or, before sending that feedback email, think about whether a face-to-face chat next time the colleague is on-site would be more appropriate.
Top Tech Tips for L&D Success
- Avoid having remote staff “dial in” to group meetings - one webcam per person works best
- Use asynchronous tools like Slack, IM or email to avoid unnecessary disruption
- Set ground rules around expected response times for non-urgent messages
03 Scheduling
The ability to communicate instantly with colleagues across the globe is great for fostering collaboration and teamwork. However, it’s important to minimise disruption. In the office, it’s easier to judge whether a colleague is free for a chat or deep in focus just by reading their body language. Remote workers can sometimes suffer, as they may be perceived as being “always available” – and a constant influx of messages or requests can disrupt and delay their work.
Rather than reaching for the “call” button, it’s healthier to schedule contact time via a calendar app such as Outlook or Google. Whether it’s for a formal meeting or a quick 5-minute catch-up, it’s important to offer an appropriate amount of notice, and allow colleagues to keep control of their schedules.
Top Tech Tips for Scheduling Success
- Encourage remote staff to block out time for breaks on their calendar
- Keep meetings/messages to office hours only where possible
- Provide alternative scheduling options rather than a single time/date
04 Reporting and analysis
The ever-increasing mountain of data created by businesses on a daily basis is an invaluable asset if it can be properly reviewed and analysed. Reporting and analysis is particularly important in hybrid workplaces, where staff are often working remotely, not in terms of surveillance, but to allow managers to monitor the workloads, development and wellbeing of their staff.
The advent of machine learning and AI-powered tools means that generating useful insights from large datasets is no longer the preserve of data scientists – today’s applications use rich visual dashboards and automated pattern recognition to draw out the most useful and meaningful stats from the background data, allowing non-technical users to base their decision making on solid evidence.
Top Tech Tips for Scheduling Success
- Conduct regular welfare checks - look for unexplained changes in your data
- Compare how different ratios of remote/office time affect employees in different roles
- Use tools like Intelliboard to add more reporting options to your LMS
Navigating the age of Hybrid Work - eBook
The new world of flexible and remote working sounds like a dream, but isn’t without its challenges. Grab your copy of our free guide to deciphering what hybrid working really means for your organisation.
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