Presently, many organizations are embracing hybrid schedules. However, when not every employee is responsible for tasks that make remote work a possibility, a “why not me?” attitude can be the result. Resentment can develop between onsite workers and their remote colleagues. As an HR professional you will be tasked with reducing the friction and creating cohesion.
1.Identify the Cause of Friction: Create employee engagement surveys and schedule focus groups to get to the heart of the resentment.
2. Be Transparent: Reiterate organization mission and strategy, and communicate clearly and specifically about what needs to happen to accomplish them.
3. Define What Flexibility Means: Offer the same flexibility to on-site workers afforded remote workers. Ask employees their flexibility needs, and design a schedule based on those responses. Flexibility is about working differently, not less.
4.Rethink What Roles Can be Performed Remotely: Take the time to analyze the tasks required of each role, and then re-evaluate the role for partial remote options. Facilitate discussions between remote and on-site workers to dispel false ideas of advantages of either option.
5.Address Distance Bias: Emphasize to all employees that results are the goal. Train employees to focus on results, and use that as a measure to dispel their bias about remote colleagues being absolved of responsibility.
6. Build Trust: Onsite workers can feel less trusted than remote workers because they feel that their remote colleagues are less “managed.” On-site workers are suspicious to what degree their remote colleagues are working. Create opportunities for collaboration between the two groups, as well as required on-site meetings several times a year.
7. Show Appreciation for the People Who Show Up Every Day: To an on-site worker, a remote work opportunity equates with greater appreciation. As a manager make sure to provide plenty of praise and feedback to your on-site employees.
https://rb.gy/wplm5i