by the Spacestor Experiential Research Team
Across the globe, teams are settling into their new hybrid routines. Once a temporary measure, hybrid ways of working are now commonplace, a result of post-pandemic return-to-work procedures consistently favoring the hybrid model.
The hybrid model generally refers to employees choosing whether to work remotely or from the office as they see fit. This approach has a whole host of benefits, combatting the biggest contributing factors to The Great Resignation by offering greater work/life balance, physical and mental health benefits.
However, a hybrid office does have its drawbacks, not least that it destabilizes what was once a relatively simple-to-implement inclusivity strategy. So how can businesses implement an inclusive design for all while remaining hybrid?
Inclusivity is Important
Inclusivity is key to having a high-performing workforce. Inclusive organizational cultures that foster trust and support their employees benefit from increased retention rates, collaboration, and report higher job satisfaction. An inclusive workplace requires implementing a universal design and corporate policies that considers all colleagues, regardless of race, gender, religion, age, and physical ability.
When considering a hybrid team, the playing field is uneven by design. With some members of the team in the office and others at home, co-working spaces or coffee shops, staff will naturally have varying experiences of the working day. There is an increased risk that remote employees may feel left out of important decisions, events, or conversations and that employee comfort and productivity could drop.
A Hybrid Strategy
A McKinsey study found that over 75% of survey respondents that had adopted a hybrid model over the last few years wished to retain it going forward, while 71% went a step further and said they would seek opportunities elsewhere if their current employer stopped offering it. This is representative of a global workforce, with 63% of high-growth businesses using hybrid work models.
The hybrid model is here to stay, but for the majority of the working world a comprehensive plan is still lacking, with 72% of businesses reporting an absence of a clear hybrid-work strategy in AT&T’s Future of Work study. Without a clear strategy, inclusivity, performance, innovation and workplace culture is at risk. Here are our top tips for building an inclusive hybrid workspace:
Host Inclusive Team Meetings
Make sure to plan out how meetings attended by remote and office-based employees can work effectively. Sending an agenda out well in advance of the meeting will give all members an equal opportunity to prepare and raise questions. By offering soundproofing as well as technology to support video conference calls, remote workers can experience face-to-face interaction with their colleagues and feel included.
Host Regular One-to-Ones
One of the biggest risks to the hybrid model is that remote employees feel as though they are no longer as embedded in their company culture and could therefore be passed over for promotions, development opportunities, and wellbeing checks. Ensuring that teams have access to their line managers regularly and setting aside time every day for casual chit-chat is a great way to reduce the chances of feeling alienated.
Implement an Empathetic Workplace Design
While the majority of the focus is on making sure that remote-workers don’t feel disconnected, employees that come to the office may feel that they are missing out on all the benefits that come with working from home. Implementing an empathetic workplace design that emulates home, implements biophilia and resimercial design is a great step to building a kinder, community-first office culture that can rival the comfort of off-site work.
Make the Office Agile
Hybrid working means that any amount of people could be in the office at any one time. A universal design ensures that all employees have equal access to facilities, even if they are rarely in the workplace. Modular and adaptable seating and desk solutions are a great way to make sure the office is welcoming to everyone. Agile locker systems allow workers to control storage using their phone, easily keeping their personal items secure while at the office.
Encourage Culture & Community
When people are in the workplace, it is vital that they feel included as part of a community. Creating activity-based zones increases the opportunity for socialization – a key requirement for remote workers – and removing pre-allocated seats in favor of building office neighborhoods allows opportunity for collaboration across departments and working patterns.
Ensure all Employees Have a Voice
Experimenting with hybrid workplace solutions is a great way to make your team feel valued and included in key decisions, creating a truly inclusive workplace. Gathering feedback and experimenting with a number of designs, layouts, and furniture, and then piloting these solutions allows leadership to gain a better idea of how to mesh the needs, desires, and requirements of a diverse workforce. This is a great engagement exercise that can result in a universal, well-designed office.