Five Management Skills for Hybrid Environments

It is a challenging hiring market these days. We’ve dedicated more hours to each job candidate than ever, and the expectations of prospective employees have changed significantly over the last months and years. Organizations that offer hybrid environments are desirable to many workers because it allows more options and flexibility.

On the flip side of the hybrid employees are the managers who have to manage a hybrid operation. They require different skills to control the operation and employees effectively. Some employees are at home while others are in the workplace, and flexible managers adapt quickly to remote meetings and fewer in-person engagements. Here are five management skills to and systems needed to remain highly functional in an organization with hybrid schedules.

#1 – Self-Management

Employees who were able to work-from-home (WFH) during the pandemic often found themselves overwhelmed by calls, zoom meetings, and technology limitations. However, as those inconveniences smoothed out, WFH employees became more productive. Some could not set good boundaries on their workday hours, but more employees worked creatively in their new structure to accomplish more. Managers and WFH employees must determine how best to schedule themselves time to complete projects and accomplish necessary tasks.

#2 – Flexible Scheduling

One of the more difficult aspects of hybrid environments is managing the days when certain employees or teams are in the office. Every industry is different, and some worksites will stagger employee hours. Others will concentrate certain types of activities on specific days in the office. Days might be consistent each week, or they could shift depending on the organization’s needs. Managers must recognize the most productive methods for their organization and incorporate them. Of course, every employee needs to receive clear scheduling communication to ensure smooth shifts from home to work and back.

#3 – Management from a Distance

Managers now must engage employees that they seldom see in person. Good technology helps with record-keeping and communication, but it takes skill to coordinate employee productivity remotely. Team members may be in different states or living a more nomadic life. The employees must be reliable, too, but a manager’s ability to keep a pulse on how each person is doing is more challenging with remote workers. A successful team leader will dedicate more time to group interaction and understanding personal work preferences. With practice, it will develop a steady, interconnected group of employees.

 #4 – Home IT Support

As always, employees work best with appropriate resources. At the pandemic’s start, employers had to ramp up tech support quickly because home-based internet and personal computers often were insufficient to provide professional levels of service. Employers now often pay for service, hardware, and access to secure internal virtual worksites. Other companies have developed drop-ship providers who can send laptops and assistance to remote workers, ensuring that production continues is not hindered very long when a computer quits operating.

#5 – Adaptability

Nearly everyone has learned new skills and become more flexible. Recent changes demanded adaptability, too. Trying to work with noisy children at home, learning how to zoom, developing one’s schedule at home—adapting to all of these challenges are new necessities in our home-based work environment. The most valuable employees and managers will continue to execute their work using adaptive skills, and a successful manager will inspire employees to expand beyond their old, traditional roles.

Successfully managing employees in a hybrid work setting means that new skills and abilities are needed. Expanded systems and virtual practices play a larger role than ever in a productive hybrid environment. Focusing on these five skills, managers will maximize success and inspire staff to provide their best in a changing workplace.

Author Profile Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase employee scheduling software, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. For many years, Atlas Business Solutions has been named one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies.