After the Covid-19 pandemic hit and lockdown was in full swing, many businesses were forced to figure out how to run their operations remotely in order to stay afloat. Although business is regaining a sense of normalcy now, many job applicants continue to look for hybrid work environments when seeking potential job opportunities.
Many companies have thus realized the benefits of operating under a hybrid work model, but they still need to ensure their hybrid work environment is appealing to candidates. Here, 11 members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss various ways for business owners to ensure they’re providing what potential hires are looking for.
Young Entrepreneur Council members share how to make a hybrid work environment more appealing.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Ask What The Team Wants
Companies should look inward with their employees and take polls internally to see what works best for their company culture and environment. Then, during the hiring process, debrief with the human resources team to understand what candidates are looking for. – Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC
2. Ensure The Flexible Portion Is Actually Flexible
It’s important to ensure the flexible portion of a hybrid work environment is actually flexible enough. As employees evaluate new opportunities, they are looking for more freedom than ever, and many companies are willing to extend this freedom as long as it improves company performance. In addition to competitive remote work policies, it’s important to support applicants through their career goals. – Fehzan Ali, Adscend Media LLC
3. Create Opportunities To Socialize
To ensure this type of workplace is appealing to new hires, companies can create opportunities for hybrid employees to socialize and network. They can do this by hosting virtual happy hours, organizing group outings or providing access to networking events. Adequate support for those working remotely, such as stipends for home office expenses or access to online learning resources, should also help. – Tonika Bruce, Lead Nicely, Inc.
4. Let Employees Manage Their Time And Work
For a hybrid work environment to be appealing, you need to be flexible with working hours and allow employees to manage their own time. They need to clearly understand their tasks and goals and when they need to get them done. For this type of environment to be successful, you need to hire people you trust so you can rest assured that they’ll be highly productive with minimal supervision. – Benjamin Rojas, All in One SEO
5. Swear Off Micromanaging
Set goals for your hybrid team and let them decide how they will accomplish them. Basically, swear off micromanaging. Be sure this is featured in the job listing or in the interview at some point. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
6. Be Proactive About Changing Needs
So much has changed over the past two years—not just the physical workplace, but how people view it as well. A hybrid work environment involves catering to the ever-shifting needs of employees. That means making sure you’re proactive about providing career development opportunities. It also means being flexible about when and where your employees complete their work. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
7. Prioritize Community
To ensure that your company’s hybrid work environment appeals to its new hires, it’s important that it’s inclusive and demonstrates that it prioritizes community. This helps build a better balance for those working from home and at the office as they feel more comfortable. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
8. Let Employees Choose Their In-Office Days
Applicants are looking for flexibility in their work schedules. A hybrid system can help you achieve this step, but it must be done right. For example, if you tell your team that they need to come to the office Monday, Wednesday and Friday, your schedule isn’t as flexible as you think. However, allowing employees to choose their in-office days makes your offer more appealing. – John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC
9. Measure Productivity Over Hours
For an appealing hybrid work environment, it’s important to measure productivity instead of hours. Someone could take five hours on one task while another takes one hour, but both were equally as productive. So, it’s important to use productivity as a measuring stick instead of time. Time doesn’t always tell you what you need to know about someone’s performance. – Jared Atchison, WPForms
10. Allow Asynchronous Work
The key to making your hybrid work environment appealing is to allow asynchronous work. Many businesses start with the right idea by supporting working from home, but they make the mistake of compelling employees to work 9-to-5. Create specific times when employees have to attend business meetings but enable them to complete tasks asynchronously and you’ll attract more talent. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
11. Provide Employees With The Tools They Need
You can make your hybrid work environment more appealing to potential hires by providing team members with the tools they need to do their jobs while they are working from home. For instance, offering a company laptop and all of the premium software an employee needs to do their job can be a “make or break” moment for some candidates. – Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
