How to build a strong hybrid workplace culture

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Just in this past March alone, a record 4.5 million people quit their jobs as the Great Resignation charged ahead.

The pandemic dramatically changed both how and why people work. With remote and hybrid work now a more accepted practice, workers find themselves free to find jobs with the best pay, benefits, work-life balance and culture without physically relocating.

While many factors play a part, businesses want to ensure they create a healthy digital and in-person workplace culture. The question for employers now centers on how to retain current employees while also attracting new ones in a hot job market. Let’s look at how.

A strong hybrid culture

Remote and hybrid employees can quickly feel disconnected from the workplace. This lack of connection can lead to apathy toward their job, potentially fueling a desire to look elsewhere. Companies need to approach employee engagement in hybrid workplaces – and all workplaces – with purpose, as in being deliberate, planned, focused and intentional.

Leaders must recognize that employees have unique job requirements and personal preferences, and that there will never be one single arrangement that will work for everyone. Employees need options for collaboration and engagement, understanding that their company values them and has made an effort to ensure their inclusion. For example, virtual components for all meetings so those online do not feel left out of the conversation. Virtual inclusivity is muscle memory, and we have to establish rituals to bring our hybrid communities together.

The most inclusive cultures will be thoughtful about what makes each of our individual employees and the whole system most effective. That includes using accurate data to understand employees and equipping managers and leaders to leverage data in making decisions that impact the experience for their people. The best source of data is the employee voice. Employees want to know that what they have to say actually matters to the leadership team. The simple act of listening creates goodwill with employees. To help create this culture, successful companies will want to deploy methods of continuous listening with a feedback loop to share input from all employees in real time. This is a significant component of human-centered leadership that can make or break a company’s culture.

Leveraging technology advances

Cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service offerings have provided businesses with an excellent suite of potential tools to improve efficiency and connectivity. Companies should leverage these tools, but also realize that not all employees will utilize all available tools. Companies can avoid employees using rogue Shadow IT applications that threaten security by providing multiple sanctioned options, enabling them to use their own personal devices safely.

Selecting additional third-party software is often necessary to provide an added security and compliance safeguards layer. When choosing platforms, look for options with a strong security posture that doesn’t disrupt the user experience. If that is the route your company needs to go, make sure you choose a vendor who offers flexibility, focuses on the unique characteristics of collaboration, and can cover various platforms and use cases.

Related: Using data to better understand employees’ benefits priorities

With these collaboration tools in place, companies should create rules of engagement for each platform which includes what can be discussed and shared, the timeliness of responses, and other user expectations.

The importance of executive buy-in

In our new hybrid world, more tenured executives and managers have been struggling to adapt to remote work. They like seeing employees at desks and providing oversight into projects in a physical setting. However, those who cannot adapt to today’s working environment will become even more susceptible to higher attrition rates.

An organization’s Chief People Officer and Chief Information Officer must partner to ensure that the organization’s culture, integrity and security stay protected. They need to use data on employee engagement and set clear KPIs that show other executives the effectiveness of employee experience related programs.

The best way for a business to understand the needs of the hybrid environment is simple: talk and listen to employees. Leverage continuous listening strategies, real-time feedback, and monitor metrics related to retention and development. As companies build a roadmap to embrace more modern, collaborative technologies, they can expect to reduce the footprint of legacy tech such as email.

Now more than ever, businesses should see the Great Resignation as an opportunity to invest and shape its culture for the better. Creating a strong company that values employees and keeps team members engaged will result in solid retention, recruitment and overall better productivity. Listen to employees, provide them with the tools they need for success, and your organization will find itself thriving in this new workforce environment.

Erin Souza is the Chief People Officer at Aware.