With a phased return to traditional work spaces, many businesses will have considered the role of the office and the number of days employees may need to be physically present. However, one question business leaders should consider is: "how will our hybrid model work for our teams, people and customers?"
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, at least one in three employees worked remotely. With organisational surveys and pulses demonstrating that a large proportion of employees have a preference for a hybrid-working model, organisations now need to shift their attention to the challenges and opportunities such a model may bring when it comes to supporting future growth.
Key challenge: embedding new behaviours and ways of working
Designing and implementing new behaviours and work practices that support flexible and hybrid working will be central to enhancing team performance. However, defining and implementing how work gets done, when, and by whom may be more complex in a hybrid environment. According to PwC's CEO Survey 2021, roughly half of business leaders identified workplace behaviours and culture as a priority to improve business competitiveness.
Aligning employees to your organisation's values and demonstrating how their work contributes to the success of their teams and the organisation as a whole will be central to ensuring that new ways of working are adopted. This will be an ongoing challenge as companies staff up to support business growth in the years ahead.
Key challenge: communication and engagement
Communication and staff engagement initiatives will become more complex with some staff physically present in the office and others working outside the traditional office space. This challenge was acknowledged by business leaders in PwC's CEO Survey 2021, with 31% of participants citing the importance of staff engagement and communication as part of their workforce strategy and its impact on competitiveness.
Ensuring that staff can collaborate on work tasks while feeling part of a joint purpose, empowered, motivated and solutions-focused will be key for team leaders in managing this transition.
Leveraging technology to bridge the gap between employees that are physically present and those that are working remotely may form part of a solution, alongside establishing a regular cadence to meet with team members. This will ensure that clear lines of internal communication are embedded.
Key challenge: upskilling and building capability
Building new capabilities and staff adaptability is a priority for business leaders, with one in three CEOs citing upskilling as a strategic focus to drive organisational competitiveness.
With organisations continuing to increase headcount and align working behaviours, the provision of training will be a key enabler for team managers. However, hybrid working presents clear challenges to the traditional in-person approach of upskilling and training employees.
Organisations will need to define when, where and how they upskill staff to support their teams. While digital tools may be considered as part of a solution to embed new training models and facilitate team coaching, dedicated time for sharing insights and conducting 'on the job' learning with managers will support an uplift in team capabilities.
The five key actions businesses can take now
As offices reopen and organisations start to implement working models that best suit the needs of their business and their people, business leaders will need to navigate these key challenges and approach them in a way that helps their teams thrive.
While changes in where and how we work are here to stay, you can take a number of actions to ensure that employees can perform well in a flexible working environment that also supports their well-being.
1. Implement the digital tools that drive performance
Investing in digital tools that support your hybrid-working model will enable business leaders to address key challenges. Digital tools should facilitate team and cross-team communication, be fast and flexible, and provide real-time data to managers and team members on their daily, weekly and quarterly performance indicators.
Also, having a dedicated digital space to collaborate on team-wide tasks will improve employee engagement and facilitate transparency on value-add activities.
Many businesses will assess digital tools to drive performance, with 49% of CEOs planning to increase their investment in digital transformations by more than 10% over the next three years according to PwC's CEO Survey 2021. 37% also indicated that they were seeking to boost their organisation's competitiveness through digital investments in the workforce.
2. Improve internal communication
While communication is a priority for employees and management alike, both top-down and organisation-wide communication must be clear, concise and continuous. This approach will foster a culture of adaptability and trust throughout the organisation.
Maintaining clear lines of communication, especially among hybrid teams, will be essential to improving operational performance. Consider starting each day with functional and team performance meetings. 15-minute huddles will enable teams to assess their performance targets, prioritise tasks for the day ahead, and discuss risks and issues that may hamper performance.
3. Drive new ways of working
With dispersed team members, business leaders may have to implement new ways of working to drive team performance. Relying on what worked for a purely traditional or remote working model will not be as effective in a hybrid-working environment.
Focus on establishing clear roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth operational transitions between team members and teams. Be metrics-led and allow decision-making to be based on measures that matter to the organisation. And finally, drive new behaviours that align to the team's overall values.
These actions will ensure that employees are going in the right direction, are aligned to team objectives, and are clear on the role they play in adding value to your organisation.
4. Train team leads to manage a more remote or flexible workforce
As the work environment and team dynamics continue to evolve, managers will need to adapt their skills to manage staff, both in-person and digitally. Creating a dynamic that works in a hybrid environment places more pressure on management to balance the need for task-orientated outputs with employee satisfaction and well-being.
Daily coaching with team leaders can support businesses in embedding a management style that enhances performance while enabling team leaders to have productive conversations and develop team members. Leadership and talent development is a priority area for CEOs, with one in four looking to significantly increase their long-term investment in talent development as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, according to PwC's 2021 CEO Survey.
5. Optimise processes and embed a proactive approach to change
As working models are changing and adapting, now is the time to review existing processes and assess whether they are still 'fit for purpose'. By analysing current practices and eliminating non-value-add activities, your team can work in a more agile and lean manner.
This should be a continuous exercise. Each staff member should feel empowered to drive change, and organisations should strive to foster a proactive view of change that positively impacts team performance.
We are here to help you
PwC has helped many clients implement change programmes that address the challenges of hybrid working while driving performance improvements.
Our 'Perform' offering leverages coaching and digital platforms to embed more effective new ways of working, drive greater employee engagement and communication, and facilitate on-demand upskilling. This is a long-term, sustainable solution to improve team performance for hybrid working.
If you'd like to talk to us about how we can help your organisation with any of the above, please get in touch with our People and Organisation or Operational Effectiveness teams. Or learn more about Perform Plus.
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