In the past three years, the workforce has been subject to much stronger forces that have shaped new behaviors. From the daily presence in the office, in the field or in the production halls, to the sudden interruption of this routine by the imposition of work from home, for public health reasons, to the combination of the two ways of carrying out our tasks, we have all gone through a hectic series of procedures, some of them quite drastic. In general, companies reacted quite well, given the circumstances, and learned enormously from the situations they faced. The employees, for their part, have succeeded, to a great extent, not only in adapting to the situation, but also in perceiving the advantages of greater flexibility. However, we are no longer talking about adaptation, for survival, but about establishing a long-term strategy for development in the new normality.

Now that the danger has passed and the situation is under control, it’s time to find the best way to make things not only work, but evolve.

The daily commute to and from work is apparently a thing of the past for a large proportion of employees, being replaced in most fields by a combination of remote work and on-site work. This combination is known as “hybrid work”. In theory, to a greater or lesser extent, we have all experienced this way of working. In practice, however, things are not quite so simple, as hybrid arrangements must take into account individual human concerns, not just institutional ones. Employers should put in place a fair and flexible policy and migrate to a hybrid environment only after building a solid foundation to support remote work.

Achieving success in adopting a hybrid way of working is itself a process, requiring careful change management. Unlike at the beginning of the pandemic, when everyone was suddenly forced to work from home, the return to work is extremely fragmented and we will probably never go back to where we were before.

In the following, we will provide you with some suggestions that you can start from to outline a strategy for implementing the hybrid work program. Of course, organizations will design very different policies depending on their industry, clients, regions and the type of work they do, but there are some basic principles that can be applied regardless of the field of activity.

• Make sure the technology works

No one wants to drive miles to office and find that the printer doesn’t work or that the internet speed was better at home. Office technology must be accessible, up-to-date, and functional.

• Commuting doesn’t have to be a chore

Commuting costs both time and money. The price of fuel and public transport has increased, and the traffic is as congested as before. To make things easier to bear, you can offer transportation compensation and change work schedule to one that does not overlap with peak traffic times.

• Implement safety measures

Although the pandemic appears to have died down, many employees will fear returning to public spaces. Moreover, no one can guarantee that there will be no more waves of COVID. Consider documenting a COVID-19 prevention program and the possibility of medical examinations before returning to the office.

• Respect employees’ personal/professional balance

The pandemic has blurred the lines between personal and professional time. Even when working remotely, employees can feel overworked. It is important that they feel that their personal life is respected and that they are not burdened with work overtime.

• Encourage collaboration

Recent experience has shown that people can be productive working from home, and many fear that returning to the office will slow them down. It’s a legitimate concern, but we need to remember that collaborating in person with our colleagues is an essential part of success. The more people return to work, the more the energy increases. Revitalizing this cycle will attract others as well.

• Resume training programs

Training and development efforts have declined significantly over the past three years. It’s time for them to resume. Training sessions bring people together and rekindle their desire for professional development. In addition, it is quite possible that the skills of employees have also undergone changes, so reopening training programs becomes a necessity.

If hybrid work is a viable option for your organization, you can also count 100% on the Co-Factor digital platform!

The platform’s Internal Communication module facilitates communication and collaboration between employees, so necessary in this hybrid work context. It works transparently and in real time, connecting and informing all employees at the same time, whether they are in the office or in the field.

The multi-award winning Co-Factor platform is employee-centric, easy-to-use and employs gamification as a catalyst for engagement and performance. Through its functionalities, the platform motivates employees to deliver results faster, be more efficient and get the recognition they need. Extremely useful action tools are also integrated, associated with the objectives set by each company, such as OKR, check-in, performance timeline, leader boards, 360 evaluation or real-time feedback.

With the software developed by Co-Factor, employee engagement and performance can be increased and measured, all types of feedback can be encouraged and monitored, a specific recognition and appreciation strategy can be created to support employees to perform, organizational culture can be promoted and results can be measured in real time, thus obtaining a clear picture of everyone’s spirit, engagement and performance.

The Co-Factor platform also has a mobile app extension that allows employees to stay connected anywhere, anytime!