Nurturing Your Dream Team: Crafting a Thriving Culture in a Hybrid Workplace

In Part 1 of our series, we explored outreach techniques for finding your dream team through social media. Now, in Part 2, we delve into the heart of the matter: nurturing your hybrid team by creating a thriving workplace culture.

After years of lockdowns and social distancing, teams everywhere are finding that the future of work is a middle ground between remote and office settings. However, the hybrid workplace demands fresh perspectives and strategies to uphold the culture that helps teams thrive.

In this article, we will go over the essential components of creating a culture that attracts top talent and retains and motivates them in a hybrid work environment.

Understanding the Hybrid Workplace

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The hybrid workplace refers to an arrangement where employees have the flexibility to work both remotely and on-site. This model can take various forms, such as alternating between remote and in-person workdays or allowing employees to choose their work location.

Let’s say you run a North American IT company, and that you’re looking for new members to join your team of software developers. You may advertise these openings to people from outside the country, such as LatAm or Eastern Europe, where people would be working remotely for you. For instance, trends show how American companies increasingly hire from Latin American countries and consider them peers due to their expertise and competence.

Since these team members would be fully remote, you might consider permitting your “local” staff to work from home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while requiring in-office presence on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This work model offers several advantages, including increased flexibility, reduced commuting time for local teams, and access to a broader (or international) talent pool. However, it is challenging to maintain team cohesion and communication and ensure a fair and inclusive work environment.

Most of all, the hybrid workplace profoundly influences team dynamics. It requires a shift in how teams communicate and maintain a sense of togetherness. Addressing these changes is part and parcel of crafting a thriving team culture. More on that below.

Cultivating a Hybrid-Ready Company Culture

The following are three key features of a company that is well-prepared for hybrid work:

• Digital tools. Communication and collaboration tools are the foundation of successful remote (and thus hybrid) work. They are there to bridge the gap between in-person and remote team members by facilitating real-time interactions, file sharing, and project management. Some of the best collaboration tools for remote teams include Microsoft Teams and Slack, though you will want to research each tool before investing in it to ensure it provides all the features your team members need to deliver their best work.
• Adaptability. In a hybrid environment, adaptability becomes a cornerstone of company culture. Employees must be consistently encouraged to embrace change and remain flexible in their task approach. Additionally, managers and team leaders should ensure that employees can seamlessly transition between in-person and remote work, e.g., by offering training on company tools and protocols related to hybrid work.
• Accountability. For your employees to feel accountable for their work, they need to be motivated to set clear goals and track their progress. Time tracking contributes to this, as it empowers team members to take ownership of their responsibilities, enhancing overall project management. A tool like Paymo simplifies the time-tracking process, making it a valuable asset in the modern workplace.

Fostering Team Cohesion

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Team cohesion is the extent to which team members are interconnected and operate collaboratively. Maintaining this cohesion is one of the main aspects of nurturing your dream team, as it directly impacts productivity and overall team performance.

However, in a hybrid work environment, where team members may often be geographically dispersed, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration can be challenging to achieve.

Luckily, there are several strategies you can employ to keep your team connected and engaged:

• Regular team meetings. This is obvious, but it doesn’t hurt to point out that you should regularly host (virtual) team meetings that bring together both in-office and remote team members. All-staff meetings provide opportunities for updates, discussions, and even team bonding activities. For example, if you’re about to build a startup team, you have the unique opportunity to influence these team dynamics right from the start. Talk to your team members to decide whether these meetings should occur once every week, once every two weeks, or whatever frequency works best based on everyone’s availability.
• Team charters. Another good idea is to develop team charters, i.e., guidelines that outline team values, goals, and norms. This document can serve as a reference point for team behavior and expectations. Try to make it a one-pager so that people can easily refer to it as needed without having to scroll through multiple pages of text each time.
• Inclusive decision-making. Remote team members need to be included in decision-making processes. After all, their input is just as valuable as that of their on-site colleagues, and they should be allowed to express their opinions on general matters. When decisions are made collaboratively like this, all team members feel a sense of ownership and commitment to the outcomes of those decisions.
• Team-building activities. Gone are the days when team building activities necessitated a single physical location and the presence of all staff members. Virtual activities, such as online games and quizzes, can also create a sense of togetherness and allow team members to interact in a relaxed setting. Best of all, they can be held more often than live team-building exercises due to how easy and convenient it is to host them.

Employee Feedback and Listening

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Actively seeking feedback from your team members should be a standard practice, no matter the work environment. However, doing so is particularly important in a hybrid setting.

For one, the needs and preferences of your hybrid team members can vary widely; some may thrive in remote settings, while others may prefer the structure of an office. Regularly soliciting feedback lets you gain insight into these diverse needs so that your management approach accommodates everyone. Although many companies tend to make this mistake, performance reviews should not be the only occasion you use to collect feedback.

The hybrid model also presents unique challenges, such as communication gaps, feelings of isolation among remote workers, or difficulties maintaining work-life boundaries. Collecting feedback from your team members can help you identify these challenges promptly and develop appropriate solutions.

Here are some ways to effectively collect feedback from your team:

• Anonymous surveys conducted regularly on various aspects of the hybrid work environment. Highlight that anonymity is an option to encourage candid responses.

Example:

Our quarterly anonymous survey invites your honest feedback on your hybrid work experience. Your responses are confidential.

• An open-door policy, both virtually or in-person, means that team members can approach you privately to share feedback or concerns whenever needed.

For example, during your next all-staff meeting, say something along these lines:

My virtual door is always open. If you have feedback or questions you would like to discuss privately, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

• Anonymous feedback boxes — physical and digital ones — can be used by team members to submit suggestions or concerns regarding the day-to-day matters of your hybrid team culture without revealing their identity. Introduce them by saying something like:

Our anonymous feedback box is a safe space for you to share your thoughts. Your input helps us improve.

Remote Onboarding and Training

Effective onboarding for remote hires is the key to ensuring they integrate seamlessly into your dream team. You must create a structured and welcoming onboarding process in a hybrid work environment, where some employees may never set foot in a physical office.

Here are some ways to achieve this:

• Have a clear onboarding plan. Develop a clear and comprehensive onboarding plan tailored explicitly to remote hires, outlining the essential steps, training modules, and resources they need to get started successfully. For example, a company looking to expand its sales department through remote hiring will need to understand the intricacies of sales onboarding, e.g., ensuring that remote employees all use appropriate audio and video equipment and having them go through special prior training to maintain the same level of quality and responsiveness as their on-site colleagues.
• Provide a digital welcome package. Remote employees may also benefit from a digital welcome package with essential documents, such as company policies, an organizational chart, and instructions for accessing company systems and tools.
• Host a virtual welcome session. Use video conferencing to introduce new remote hires to the team, company culture, and mission. A session like this sets a positive tone for their journey with the company and provides a platform for initial interactions with their new colleagues.
• Offer structured training. Structured training videos or modules covering job-specific skills, software tools, and industry-specific knowledge are an excellent asset for any employee. Remote hires, in particular, should have full access to your training materials to complete them at their own pace, whether in different time zones or due to flexible work hours. Read this guide on how to create professional training videos for your employees.
• Develop a mentorship program. Consider assigning a mentor or buddy to remote hires. This mentor can provide guidance, answer questions, and offer insights into the workplace culture. Mentors should be employees with relevant experience and a good understanding of the company to guide new hires effectively. Remember that this program will also take up some of the time; their workload should be adjusted accordingly.

Over to You

The hybrid workplace demands a culture that adapts, engages, and recognizes the contributions of each team member, regardless of their physical location. With the insights and strategies shared here, you should be well-equipped to nurture your own team in the dynamic world of hybrid work.

First published on October 26, 2023.