Hybrid work environment & HR challenges

Future trend of the HR department in Hybrid Work Model

As organizations begin their return to office (RTO), need to discussed question is the hybrid office model here to stay? The concept of hybrid work model was developed in response to work restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now deeply enrol in business operations. Businesses around the world are now working with employees in a hybrid approach to balancing work from home (WFH) and work from the office (WFO).

How will this model involve in current context? Can organizations reap the benefits of hybrid working while mitigating its drawbacks? For those HR professionals can arrange and prepare the positive work module for staff by considering future trend of the work place. 

1. Hybrid working  will be become the standard practice in future & HR work on this

Recruitment & Onboarding

One important task that HR will perform in a hybrid manner is the recruitment and onboarding of new employees. A large part of the recruitment process may be automated, with organizations using technology based on artificial intelligence, analytics, and Augmented or virtual reality, such as ATS (applicant tracking systems), resume screening, chatbot first screening, and online testing, these were new to many before COVID-19 but will likely always remain the “new normal” (Blazewicz,j.,2022).

Virtual help desks in the form of multilingual chatbots can be very helpful not only for candidates but also for employees (Gatan et al., 2021). The readiness of candidates, especially those of different age groups, to use such technology in the recruitment process. 

Globally, most employees had never used a hybrid model before the pandemic. A recent report from Google found that this was true for 70% of survey respondents for the hybrid work model will work in the next 3 years. But over the past two years, the ability to work flexibly from anywhere has become established in the operating system (Darwinbox blog, 2022).

Establish the clear policies and expectation 

HR department should be mentioned before the recruited employee, what is entitled work scheduled and provide the required work scheduled for newcomer. Now it has become a new responsibility for the HR department. 

Develop transparent guidelines that should be outlined when and how the employees can select their work location. By setting off the pre-scheduled that can increase employee productivity as well as the responsiveness of work.

Facilitated the technology 

Invest in the right facilities or tools to engaging seamless communication and collaboration. This platform supports video conferencing, project management, real-time document collaboration can in-office interaction. 

Enhance the establishment of the Trust 

This is the most important skill in a hybrid work environment, and it goes both ways. Trust is a quality that represents a person even though they may not be present. For team leaders and supervisors, not having team members personally monitored to ensure their productivity can lead to anxiety. When anxiety persists over a long period, it can lead to further frustration, leading to avoidable conflict. As a leader, you must have enough trust in your employees that they can get the job done without you physically being there to pressure them (Smith et al.,2019).

Likewise, anxiety when your team members are away should give you an idea of what type of work you are doing as a leader. Examining the root causes of this condition can help you understand why finding it difficult to trust your employees. On the other hand, working with high trust will help you approach their tasks with confidence, thereby instilling in them the drive they need to succeed. (Iqbal et al,2021).

Communication 

The challenges of connectivity are not limited to technical communication and logistical coordination issues. There's also a larger issue around social connections and how they can be threatened or disappear entirely when working remotely. We know that professional networks and mentoring relationships are important to advancing in the workplace and that building and maintaining these relationships can be especially challenging for women and minorities. 

We also know from research that relationships are socially sustaining and important to our mental health. Mixed working may create a "dominant class", (Iqbal et al,2021).

This creates meaning and connects employees more closely to the organization. The consequence can be that employees are less happy and loyal, and they are more likely to look for opportunities elsewhere.

Critical Thinking & Creativity

These two are essential skills for the hybrid workplace. Creativity is helpful in autonomous situations where a supervisor is not present. Staff must be able to solve jobs creatively challenges can be made if circumstances occur. Creative skills will enable employees to adapt to new technologies and solutions that fit the current needs of your company or business. This will help him take full advantage of the unique skills of each member of the team. In complex situations, critical thinking helps find a way out. For example, if a lot of things are happening at the same time.(Wadhera.R.et al.2023) 

As challenge of the HR department is, to ensure and create a healthy working environment for employees who work remotely & if they report to work ensure the same work conditions have been established for them. 

For example for creating, critical thinking & creativity, the department can implement the brainstorming event through Zoom.

Creating positive Culture 

Creating the a positive culture and its values include the remote worker equally. This can be achieved through regular virtual team building activities, which ensure all the meetings are accessible remotely and recognizing contributions from both work models remote and in-office employees.

Before the Covid 19 pandemic continuously staff should have reported to the workplace, once those people reported to work, they should be aware of the company values, norms, and the expectations of the higher management from peers. Now, as existing employees leave and new hires come on board, the increasingly high challenge is how to socialize these new hires and integrate them into the company culture, whether they are interns, entry-level employees or executives

Conclusion

As organizations change their work patterns, the HR department plays a major role in aligning all aspects. Sometimes, it's tough to keep up with daily operations. 

The key lesson from this blog is that HR professionals need to embrace organizational changes transparently and effectively. To foster a positive working culture, all team members should be involved and supported by management. Regardless of the work pattern remote, hybrid, or in-office HR must ensure equal treatment for all team members without bias. 

In my experience, we've implemented a hybrid model for some departments. Tracking remote employee attendance, especially for those less monitoring, like some from the X generation, can be challenging. HR should gather employee feedback before making work pattern changes and if this need to change HR should be communicated and provide the technical training and awareness for relevant employees.

Reference 

Asen,S (2022) Hybrid vs Remote: All About Each Work Environment [blog entry] 29 June 2023.Available from https://www.officernd.com/blog/hybrid-vs-remote/#:~:text=Hybrid%20work%20and%20remote%20work,or%20any%20other%20remote%20location. [Accessed 30 March 2024]. 

Iqbal,K.M.J.,Khalid,F.and Barykin,S.(2021) Hybrid Work place: The Future of Work. Handbook of    Research on Future Opportunities for Technology Management Education, DO10.4018/978-1-7998-8327-2.ch003 Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353464236_Hybrid_Workplace_The_Future_of_Work/citation/download  (Accessed 30 March 2024).

Mason,A.(2023) The Role of HR in Shaping a Successful Hybrid Workforce.(Blog Entry) 23 September. Available at:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-hr-shaping-successful-hybrid-workforce-andrew/.(Access 29 March 2024) 

Teresa, G., Gloria.G, Mazzei, M., Zappala,S & Toscano,S. (2021) Work From Home During the COVID-19 Outbreak- The Impact on Employees’ Remote Work Productivity, Engagement, and    Stress,Journal of Occupational and EnvironmentalMedicine. Available at https://journals.lww.com/joem/fulltext/2021/07000/work_from_home_during_the_covid_19_outbreak__the.16.aspx,( Pg.e427) (Access 29 March 2024)

Wadhera.R., Raja.V., Kalahasthi, P and Gebrehiwot,T.( 2023) "The Future Of Work: Navigating Hr Challenges In The Era Of Remote And Hybrid Workforces” (2023) Boletin de Literatura Oral - The Literary Journal, 10(1), pp. 2922–2930. Available at:https://www.boletindeliteraturaoral.com/index.php/bdlo/article/view/595 (Accessed: 09 April 2024).