Did you know that 74% of US companies are using or plan to utilize a hybrid working model? If you want to implement a hybrid working model into your company, then you need the right tools. Since some staff members will work from home, you’ll need to ensure they’re organized and have effective means of communication.
To assist you, we’ve provided information on what tools and platforms you need to ensure your hybrid team stays motivated. With the proper guidance and stimulation, your team will become highly productive, which will improve your bottom line.
A Feature-Rich Emailing System
The most important tool your company simply can’t do without is an email client. Having a feature-rich emailing system can save your company thousands of dollars. It will lower your printing costs and your telephone bill each month.
You’ll need an emailing system to communicate with partners, employees, customers, or clients. However, you must use a platform that helps improve productivity. Choose a system that allows your hybrid team to create pre-written emails to save time typing out information.
There are also emailing systems, such as Spike, that allows you to search and find important messages in long threads. Bulk actions are also important so your team can archive, filter, or delete hundreds of messages at a time.
Tools That Keep You Focused
One of the biggest challenges remote workers have is staying focused. Distractions can lower productivity levels and increase stress and anxiety. What’s more, employees don’t have managers watching over them while they work, so they may get distracted by social media.
Consider providing your hybrid team with focus tools to keep them fixed on their tasks. There are downloadable apps that will temporarily disable notifications from distracting sites such as Facebook or YouTube. Additionally, there are apps that play ambient music in the background to help employees concentrate on difficult tasks.
Or use tracking tools that show you which sites interrupted workflow and how much time lapsed between each interruption. A tracking tool can help your team eliminate distracting sites while they’re working, which will significantly improve workflow.
Collaborative Tools
A hybrid workforce means that some employees work from home while others complete tasks at the office. But since these employees are separated, it can be difficult to collaborate on projects.
In that case, you’ll need online collaborative tools where team members can create folders for specific projects, upload briefs, and add instructions. With collaborative tools, employees can delegate tasks to one another and set deadlines for important tasks.
Furthermore, a team management or collaboration platform updates information in real-time. So if someone from the office uploads a file onto the system, an employee working from home can access the file immediately.
Collaboration platforms eliminate the need for meetings that can take up valuable company time. It provides faster information-sharing and task completion, which boosts productivity.
Platforms to Keep Your Hybrid Team Organized
Another struggle that people face when working from home is how to remain organized. Sometimes distractions cause team members to forget important tasks or meetings. Provide your staff with organization tools such as digital calendars or apps that allow employees to create lists.
If you have a quality email client, you can schedule tasks or events using its integrated calendar. But for lists, staff can use tools like Asana or Microsoft’s To-Do. Team members can create folders, lists, and deadlines for important projects and receive notifications to remind others to complete tasks on time.
With the right organization platforms, your hybrid team can work together to keep track of their progress. Staying ahead of schedule will optimize your team’s productivity.
Tools to Have Meetings With Your Hybrid Team
It’s important to touch base with your hybrid employees to see if they’re coping with their environment and the work you’ve given them. Experts suggest that companies should host a meeting with staff once a week to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Since some of your staff members are working from home, you’ll need a video-calling site to host a meeting with everyone. Platforms such as Zoom allow you to have up to 500 people on a call. Skype allows you to have at least 100 people on a call.
These video calling sites also allow you to share your screen with the viewer, which helps if you want to show your team important information or figures. You can send documents via the chat feature during the call.
Video conference calls eliminate the need to travel to the office, which saves a lot of time. Your team can then spend more time completing tasks after the meeting.
Final Thoughts
Managing a hybrid team can be challenging because you don’t know what their struggles are like on a daily basis. However, providing them with the right tools will help them stay focused and organized and allow them to communicate with team members successfully.
Lastly, ensure you have an open-door policy so your hybrid team knows they can always talk to you if they’re experiencing problems. Use the tips in this article to help boost your team’s motivation and productivity.
