In our last blog, we introduced the concept of “hybrid work” and explained its likely widespread usage throughout 2022 and beyond. The concept of combining remote work with in-office work as a standard business model is one that many employers believe in. Clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a problem. So many business owners will approach the new year with “safety first” at top of mind.
For many employers, hybrid work is seen as a way to both keep employees safe and ensure productive outputs. There are many different ways to make hybrid work beneficial for your company.
Create an inviting office environment.
Although many of your employees may enjoy working from home, it’s important to make clear that coming into the office is still a viable option. In some cases, it may be necessary. It’s wise to create a warm and inviting atmosphere at your place of business. We all hope the pandemic will end at some point soon. Having a workplace that people want to work within is a vital part of a company’s longevity.
“Don’t let the workplace experience slip,” insists Tiffany Fowell on Envoy.com, “While your employees may not come on-site every single day, it’s important to ensure they don’t lose interest in going in some of the time. If they do, it could lead to more no-shows and a duller on-site experience for those who do show up. This would be a waste of on-site resources and investments—not to mention it goes against the spirit of a hybrid work model.”
Offer a consistent experience.
Don’t make your remote workers feel less important than your in-office workers. On BuiltIn.com, Hailley Griffis stresses that organizations should strive to give both remote and in-office employees the same experience. They can do this by creating guidelines that prioritize communicating online over in-person.
“The company should plan meetings and events with remote workers in mind,” writes Griffis, “Rather than gathering most people in a meeting room and having remote workers join from a screen to the side, everyone should have the same experience by joining the meeting remotely from their own laptop. This way, remote workers won’t feel uncomfortable speaking up or contributing.”
Request and accept regular feedback.
How are your team members taking to the hybrid work model? The best way to get accurate answers to this question is to ask your employees directly. Schedule regular feedback sessions with your remote workers the same way you would as if they were in the office. The only difference, of course, is you will need a video conferencing platform to conduct those meetings. According to Fowell, collecting feedback will help you to build a hybrid workplace that thrives.
“As you work toward building a hybrid work environment that’s ideal for your company, remember to gather employee feedback,” she urges, “Be sure to provide more than one way for employees to share their thoughts. For example, you might have an ‘always-on’ Slack channel dedicated to employee feedback. In addition to that, you might send out quarterly feedback surveys to your workforce. “
Accept payments virtually.
With Unity Payments’ Virtual Terminals, you can accept credit card and debit card payments wherever you are working. We can turn your mobile devices into credit card terminals so that you can process payments in-person, online or on the road using your smartphone, tablet or laptop computer! To learn more, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca.
