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PA Enterprise
executed, a hybrid workplace could create a include those caring for either young children
divide between those who work in the office and or an elderly parent, those dependant on public
those who don’t. transportation, and those with anxiety who
simply don’t feel safe returning until a vaccine
How to implement a hybrid workplace model is developed. It is therefore important to ensure
Say hello (again) to your intranet that employees who continue to work remotely
are provided the same opportunities for success
The hybrid work environment may be new, but as those who return to the office.
the challenges associated with connecting and
communicating with employees aren’t. The Don’t neglect your culture
good news is that these problems were solved A hybrid workplace requires the management
a long time ago with intranet software. Long of two distinct employee experiences, making
before COVID-19, organizations around the it challenging to retain and grow a unified
world depended on their intranet to increase workplace culture. Again, it’s about investing
knowledge management, communication, an equal amount of effort into your at-home
innovation, efficiency, and resilience. Modern employees as your in-office employees. Virtual
intranets take it one step further by automating a social hours video townhall meetings, and
variety of business processes, like those involving the continued usage of online collaboration
paper forms. platforms can help keep all employees connected
Intranets play a key role in the success of a hybrid to your shared values and goals.
workplace by providing centralized repositories Communicate your plan
for ever changing information related to the
pandemic. Intranets also make it easy for To ensure the best outcome for a hybrid
communicators to understand if employees have workplace initiative you must ensure it’s carefully
read important announcements. communicated to all employees. Employees must
understand their expectations, as well as what
Include your employees in the process they can expect from their leadership.
There is a greater chance your hybrid workplace
initiative will be successful if employees feel In conclusion
included in journey and related discussions. If there is a silver lining from 2020, it’s that the
This could be accomplished through employee pandemic has empowered us to re-imagine the
surveys, where employees are asked for input on workplace, and the opportunities to optimize
how they feel about returning to the workplace. it. But for the hybrid workplace to be successful,
Make it safe it must be well planned and executed, and not
treated as a novel experiment.
Any return to the physical workplace must satisfy
all health and safety requirements. Guidance While the hybrid workplace may seem like an
can be found by contacting local health or work answer to a temporary problem, it’s really a
safety authorities, and should aim to answer solution for the future of work. It’s about finding
questions relating to maximum amount of ways to structure and balance work, safety,
employees allowed in a workplace, cleaning and communication, and mental health.
hygiene techniques, employee communication, The pandemic will eventually end. And when it
social distancing guidelines, and risk assessment. does, the workplace will be a happier, healthier,
Establish an even playing field and more productive place than before.
As mentioned above, not every employee may be
able to return to a physical workplace. This could www.thoughtfarmer.com
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