Hybrid working has had its fair share of pitfalls and challenges, but it has immense potential if managed with intention and strategy

Hybrid working has racked up its fair share of debate since it was shoved into the limelight in 2021. According to Gallup, it has been painted as a power struggle scenario between those who want remote work and employers who want them in the office. However, the truth is that hybrid working has the potential to be a delightful balance within the business, offering companies and employees the opportunity to expand their skillsets and approaches within evolving frameworks. As Ayesha Mohamed, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Africonology Solutions says, hybrid working is a space where teams can thrive if given the right tools and processes.

“Most employees are leaning towards hybrid and remote working conditions since 2020, it is still very much a value-added benefit for them,” she adds. “Leveraging technologies such as Microsoft’s ecosystem, real-time messaging and constant communication tools, teams can work as effectively from disparate locations as they can when they’re in the office. For some people, they work even more efficiently without interruptions.”

The hybrid working model becomes a success when companies recognise that, just like full-time in-office working and full-time remote working, no model is perfect. Every model has its downsides. Hybrid, for example, can cause communication issues within teams, even though they’re using online communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Hangouts.

“Despite face-to-face digital interactions, there are instances where people may not understand a brief as effectively as they would in person,” adds Ayesha. “There are also instances where you miss the team building and collaboration that comes with working in an office. This can affect the strength of relationships in teams and the development of a tight-knit team.”

A blend of synchronous and asynchronous communication across teams and individuals can support hybrid working and help smooth out some of these wrinkles. Although, as Ayesha warns, it’s important to not read tone into messages – this is where it becomes key to take advantage of video calls to clarify concerns in real time.

“The benefits, of course, are the fact that people can avoid traffic and the anxiety that brings, they have more energy as they can work from home, and they start their day with a lovely work-life balance,” says Ayesha. “These may sound like small things, but they can have such a powerful impact on employee engagement and wellbeing.”

Building on these benefits requires that companies focus on moving beyond the traditional technologies of Teams, Zoom, and WhatsApp and look at integrating more cohesive ecosystems that tap into engagement at every turn. For example, Microsoft instant messaging within Teams can be used to enhance meetings with in-person discussions, manage meetings and set up training sessions. There’s also the use of productivity and project management tools, such as Slack and Asana, to provide everyone with visibility and accountability. Also, and perhaps most importantly, there has to be a clearly defined operating policy.

“If you want hybrid to work, you need to know everyone is on the same page and that every employee knows how to use the technology to its best possible advantage,” concludes Ayesha. “When your teams know the rules of hybrid working across technology usage, visibility, updates, KPIs and operating hours, among other key factors, then they are confident in how they approach hybrid working and their deliverables.”