As an employer, it's hard to know if your team is doing their best work when they are not physically in the office. This can create trust issues between you and your team. However, although some employers are struggling with the new hybrid world, research shows that remote and hybrid working often boosts productivity.
Employers may be struggling with the shift in how we work since the pandemic and hoping for everyone to return to the office. But seeing as hybrid workers show improved morale, greater creativity, and better collaboration (compared with pre-pandemic levels) having everyone go back to the office full-time could be a big step back in the wrong direction.
Some businesses have taken steps to increase their employee monitoring to try and track performance. But this isn't popular with employees, and it is often seen as a Big Brother tactic that ends up having the opposite effect - a drop in productivity, a lack of trust, demoralized teams and a greater feeling of 'us and them'. Big Brother will never be popular.
All businesses need to understand how they are performing and decide which metrics give the best insight into productivity. But this must be done in a way that doesn’t leave employees feeling like they are just cogs in a machine and not trusted.
So, what is the best way to monitor productivity while also still respecting employees?
There is some clear advice for building a productive and successful hybrid environment:
- Encourage people to work in the way that’s best for them
- Find the right ways to measure performance – without people feeling like they’re constantly being watched
- Automate repetitive tasks to free up your team’s creativity
- Provide everyone with the tools and tech they need to do their job properly. That could include choosing the right devices, using communication tools that aid collaboration, and making the right connectivity choices.
If you’re having trouble adjusting to a hybrid world, get in touch – we’re here to help!
Until next time, keep fit and have fun!
TYYV (The Yada Yada Version):
Spying on your employees will not improve productivity. Yada yada yada, there are better ways to measure performance, we are here to help!
