As companies worldwide continue to grapple with the aftershocks of the COVID-19 crisis, it has become crystal clear that the hybrid working model has become indispensable. But there are also many new challenges.
Managing potential differences between remote and in-office experiences has become an increasingly common topic in Australian business, especially as many offices are shifting from a purely remote setup to a new hybrid environment. Yet only 13% of business leaders think about it.
As we enter a new era of work, business leaders need to think about productivity and DE&I holistically by considering potential disparities between those in the office and those who are remote. By integrating this consideration into their hybrid future, companies can level the playing field and ensure that all employees have equal access to the tools and applications necessary to lead themselves to a successful career.
A few years ago, when just 3% of the global workforce worked remotely five days a week, proximity concerns felt like a distant problem. As companies consider their return-to-office plans, that problem is imminent.
While the hybrid model is positioned as the new future of work, there is a risk that those who choose to work from home will be excluded from key elements of the business experience, have less of a say in meetings, or miss out on promotion opportunities.
Currently, companies are most focused on the day-to-day logistics challenges of balancing remote and personal teams. But we cannot overlook the bigger problem of ensuring equality. This starts with recognizing and addressing the potential biases managers may have regarding managers’ potential biases who ignore the needs of the three growing groups of workers — ha hybrid, in-office, and fully remote — who could inadvertently penalize and discourage their workforce. Logitech research shows that 42% of Australians would rather work from home than get a raise.
The first step in building an equitable hybrid workplace is to ask your employees what they need to be active participants and employees and ensure access is available.
Achieving employment equality in a hybrid world means equipping employees with the technical tools that make them feel fully seen, heard and valued wherever they are. To find the best t, t,ools to empower your teams, address common employee challenges and collaboration pitfalls that arise when teams fall apart.
In the hybrid work environment, much (if not most) of your workforce is remote. Even coworkers in the same office at the same time may not want to assemble in a confined space. Given today’s reality, it’s no surprise that video collaboration has become how organizations keep their people connected—with each other, partners, and customers.
For example, investing in a portable video conferencing device that can be easily moved into huddle spaces can enable screen sharing in the room from laptops or mobile devices and ensure that all participants are aligned so meetings are on schedule. Stay.
Investing in the right collaboration tools allows every team member, remote or otherwise, to participate fully, feel involved, and do their best work. In the old way of working, fringe collaboration tools might have reached the level. After all, most of your team was just a few steps away, and face-to-face meetings were almost an effort; but that was then… and this is now.
