Policy & Practice | December 2021

from the field By Trinka Landry-Bourne and Kimberly James

10 Ways to Support a Hybrid or Remote Workforce

T here is no denying that after the events of the past two years, remote and hybrid workforces are here to stay. This is true across all business sectors, from private industry to big technology companies, to health and human services, and everything in between. Media articles describe the planning processes that multi-billion-dollar companies like Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are investing in to ensure that their staff’s return to the office, after working fully remotely during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, is as smooth as possible. As a part of this shift in workforce location, some companies are engaging in skills assessments for their staff to ascertain current skill sets and levels, given the differences in complexities that working remotely vs. working from the office create. Companies desire to have their staff apply and use their strengths at work. What they are finding, in part, is that those strengths may have changed over the course of working fully remotely. Supporting a remote or hybrid workforce is different than supporting a workforce that is fully present in the office. In this article we have captured 10 ways to support a hybrid or remote workforce.

staff wants to have time together. Studies show that one of the key indi cators of a healthy workforce is one that feels a sense of connectedness to others in the workplace. So, have those monthly virtual all-staff meetings and coffee hours. Schedule lunch hour walks outside or set up in-person meetings that adhere to your com pany’s health and safety guidelines. Being intentional about providing the opportunity for staff to connect shows staff that they are valuable, and that time together is important enough to add and protect on their calendars.

with agreement and support from their supervisor or manager. Staff is able to identify what time of day they will more actively work and when they may be less available for meetings or connecting with others. This includes continual intentionality for supporting a work–life balance for staff, which allows them to work at their most optimal times, thereby boosting productivity and supporting positive morale. 2. Create opportunities for staff to be “together.” Whether done in person, via tech nology, or a combination of the two,

1. Actively involve staff in creating their workplace plan.

In order to ensure a successful tran sition from working fully remotely to working in the office again, or a hybrid of the two, staff needs to be actively involved in creating a schedule or workplace plan that is desirable for them, created with their input, and

See Workforce on page 28

Photo Illustration by Chris Campbell/Shutterstock

6

Policy&Practice December 2021