The trend to hybrid working has changed the business environment, providing greater flexibility and a more balanced approach to work-life integration. However, this progress has its own set of obstacles, particularly in the areas of cooperation, engagement, and data management.
Changes in UK law took effect on April 6th, allowing employees to request flexible working arrangements as soon as they start their jobs, rather than after 26 weeks, as was previously required. Employees will be able to request more flexibility twice a year under the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, and they will not be obliged to explain how their working arrangements would affect the overall firm. Employers will need to respond to inquiries within two months.
1. Overcoming the challenges of collaboration especially when working hybrid
For many businesses that provide hybrid working, the’silo of one’ has become a concern. Hybrid work can break down team chemistry, making real-time collaboration more difficult. Disparate settings can also stifle the spontaneous exchanges that fuel innovation. Collaboration has obvious importance for a business, especially one dealing with the challenges of digital working. According to recent Gartner data, 71% of HR leaders are more concerned about employee collaboration than they were prior to the epidemic. According to GoRemotely, collaboration increases employee engagement by 50%.
Solution: Enhance collaboration by making it easy and frictionless
Creating ways to collaborate means making access to digital workspaces available to the entire workforce. If the organization uses Microsoft Teams, for example, everyone should be able to access Teams from wherever they are and on any device.
Atlas integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, facilitating real-time collaboration and communication. Its centralized knowledge platform ensures that team members, regardless of location, can access and contribute to shared projects and information.
Making collaboration easy and frictionless is another way to break down silos. If people need to switch to another digital application to chat to a team member, share a document or make notes everyone can see in real-time, collaboration becomes a burden.
2. Engagement can be hard with hybrid working
Maintaining employee engagement in a hybrid setup requires effort. Without regular face-to-face interactions, employees might feel disconnected from the organization’s culture and goals. The physical presence of our co-workers is something we’ve taken for granted. Being in the same physical space keeps us on the same page and reminds us we’re part of a team. Without it, it’s harder to stay engaged. And as a leader, it can be difficult for you to motivate your staff when you don’t know what might be affecting their morale.
Solution: Boost engagement with knowledge
People are increasingly accustomed to a more social digital experience, even at work. Knowledge plays a huge part in how engaged employees are. At the core of the thinking behind Atlas is the idea that knowledge needs to be captured, shared, democratised. When people can tap into all available knowledge, they work smarter and better and are more engaged in their work. Therefore, by centralizing corporate knowledge and resources, Atlas helps sustain a sense of belonging and alignment with organizational goals, enhancing employee engagement and participation.
3. Lower barriers to adoptionÂ
Teaching people new things is difficult! Even more so when you’re trying to teach someone a piece of technology using that technology – a situation many of us found ourselves in with remote working software. It’s slow-going getting people up to speed with new solutions.
Having a company intranet with a help centre full of how-to videos, FAQs and forums where people can ask questions helps employees learn how to use new technology and processes and troubleshoot issues.
Solution: Streamline adoption with familiat tools
When things are designed with a people-first principle they become more user-friendly and easier to figure out. With its intuitive interface and integration with familiar tools like Microsoft 365, Atlas lowers barriers to adoption, encouraging employees to embrace new technologies with minimal resistance.
4. From sprawl of data to a unified experience
As people spread out, so do their files. Slow internet connections, VPN difficulties, and clunky legacy software can lead employees to store information wherever they can access in the moment. Often this isn’t a place anyone else would think to look! Annoying in the office – disastrous when working remotely.
The decentralization inherent in hybrid models exacerbates data sprawl, with information scattered across various platforms and locations, leading to inefficiencies.
Solution: Unified data and experience
Atlas automatically tags content when it’s saved, making it easily searchable. Atlas centralizes information, making it easier for people to find what they’re looking for. Instead of having to search for a document in email, chat and a SharePoint library, for example, a single search query will collate all related information.
Atlas takes this principle further, using tools and AI to target and customise content and surface all knowledge relevant to the context. This means that people find knowledge even if they didn’t know it was available and get the information most relevant to them. Serving up relevant and requested information also helps filter out ‘noise’ and distractions.
5. Hard-to-find resourcesÂ
Locating specific documents or data becomes time-consuming, impacting productivity and decision-making. This is especially more difficult for new employees who have to navigate an idiosyncratic shared file system. It’s important for information to be shared intuitively so that people can find what they need.
Read Also: How to Onboard New Employees in a Hybrid Work Setting
The user-experience needs to be simply and friendly. A fast, comprehensive search experience is essential. Information and people who can help need to be easily found and contacted and knowledge sharing should be applauded.
Solution: Accessible resources on one platform
Atlas provides a unified experience of the information you need to get your work done, combined with powerful search capabilities and enhanced with AI. This ensures that employees can quickly find the resources they need, boosting productivity and efficiency.
6. Too many apps
The proliferation of applications meant to aid productivity often leads to confusion and app fatigue among employees. According to RingCentral the average person has 60-90 apps and 69% of workers waste up to an hour per day navigating between them all.
This has been exacerbated by digital working as people juggle communications software on top of collaboration platforms, as well as all the programs they use for their primary job.
Solution: App consolidation
Atlas, for example, offers a single digital platform from which you may access all of your work-related apps. Atlas eliminates app overload by providing a comprehensive range of communication, information management, and productivity applications. Even better, Atlas delivers a more intuitive, user-friendly interface to Microsoft 365 technology, making it easier to use and allowing you to integrate it into your workflow. Being able to access all of your digital tools in one spot is an excellent hybrid working solution.
7. Too many silos
Outside of the physical workplace, it is easy for teams and individuals to become isolated. Lack of communication can lead to people duplicating each other’s efforts or failing to share critical information. Poor communication and collaboration cost UK employers £8,000 per person every year, according to a Mitel analysis.
Solution: Break down silos
Changing silos necessitates a cultural transformation, one that appreciates knowledge and encourages people who share it freely. Atlas encourages information exchange and collaboration across divisions, reducing silos and promoting a more integrated workplace culture. Atlas facilitates this by centralizing information, cooperation, and communication. In other words, you don’t have to leave the application you’re using to send a file to someone or look for a document. By reducing the friction associated with these tasks, you enable people to freely collaborate across team boundaries.
8. Security concerns
The expanded digital footprint of hybrid work introduces complex security challenges, with increased risks of data breaches and cyberattacks.With employees logging in remotely, new vulnerabilities are created. These are exacerbated if frustration with slow legacy software leads people to use unauthorised programs for file sharing or digital communication. And IT support is more complicated to manage from a distance, leading people to seek their own workarounds for problems.
Solution: Robust security for hybrid work model
Technology such as Microsoft 365 offers underlying infrastructure features that meet your security needs. Furthermore, Atlas provides data security, enabling safe access and communication in a hybrid work environment. Atlas also has a user-friendly interface that allows users to self-serve within the governance framework established by your IT team.
9. Fatigue
The blurring of work and home boundaries can lead to burnout and tiredness, compromising employee well-being and performance. Many firms have attempted to overcome remote work issues by establishing a ‘virtual office’. However, attempting to recreate the real workplace has shown to be unproductive. “[Many] of the strategies that organisations are employing to ensure productivity are actually exacerbating these fatigue drivers, says Alexia Cambon, Gartner.”
Solution: Mitigate fatigue
Managers can reduce fatigue by focusing on the flexibility and opportunity that come with digital employment. Encourage intentional collaboration. Atlas’s efficient information structure enables employees to better manage their task, resulting in a healthy work-life balance and reduced burnout.
Furthermore, tools like as Microsoft Viva Insights provide employees and managers with options to manage this, such as scheduling ‘concentration time’ and spotting work tendencies that might be good and so promoted, or harmful and thus addressed.
Hybrid or fully remote working presents challenges, yes, but there are also digital working solutions and opportunities. These solutions can be found in everything from shifts in company culture and management to technology. Here’s a checklist for you to see how your company is handling these new work challenges.
- Setting clear expectations
- Providing the proper tools and support
- Making communication mindful and strategic
- Creating inclusive employee experiences
A robust digital working solution can support cultural changes such as democratising knowledge, setting clear expectations and enabling flexible working. It provides a tangible solution in the form of a digital space in which to collaborate, find information and communicate. And by making it easier for people to access information and tools and do their work it grows inclusivity and employee engagement. In short, a robust digital workspace helps people and businesses meet and solve the challenges of hybrid and remote working.
What are the 5 C’s of Hybrid Work?
In today’s quickly changing workplace scene, hybrid work models have emerged as the ideal solution for businesses looking to balance flexibility and efficiency. As a top flex office operator, we understand the challenges of navigating this new normal.
That’s why we’re focused on the five critical components of hybrid work: communication, collaboration, culture, connectivity, and continuity. These pillars are critical to creating a robust, inclusive, and responsive work environment.
Communication
Effective communication is the foundation of any successful organization. It guarantees that all team members, whether they work remotely or in the office, are informed, engaged, and committed to the company’s goals. If you haven’t already, use collaboration technologies like Slack or Microsoft Teams to encourage open and timely communication. Emphasize the importance of clear communication norms in avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring inclusion.
Collaboration
Hybrid work relies on seamless collaboration. It’s about combining different abilities and viewpoints to achieve common goals. Asana and Trello can help with project management, while flexible office environments enable spontaneous meetings and brainstorming sessions. Encourage the use of cloud-based tools for real-time collaboration, ensuring that no idea goes unnoticed, regardless of its source.
Culture
A strong, positive organizational culture is more important than ever in a hybrid environment. It’s the glue that holds your team together, instilling a sense of belonging and dedication. Focus on creating a culture that crosses physical boundaries through virtual team-building activities and recognition programs that represent your fundamental values. Highlighting your commitment to a friendly, inclusive workplace can also help your company brand.
Connectivity
Robust connectivity is non-negotiable in hybrid work environments. It’s about providing reliable, secure access to networks and resources, ensuring that team members can work efficiently, regardless of location. Ensure your IT infrastructure can support a dispersed workforce. A solid digital workspace is critical for maintaining productivity and engagement.
Finally, continuity planning is critical for reducing disruptions and ensuring operational resilience. This entails developing tactics that will allow your organization to adapt and prosper in the face of any obstacle. Update your business continuity plans on a regular basis, train your staff on remote work best practices, and ensure that your flex office solutions are capable of supporting a smooth transfer between work environments.
Adapting to a mixed work model necessitates a comprehensive approach that includes these five Cs. Businesses that prioritize communication, cooperation, culture, connectedness, and continuity can build a dynamic and adaptable work environment that benefits their people and organizational goals.
