How do you manage a hybrid team?

Perceptions of work and management models have been completely challenged in recent years. The experience of large-scale telecommuting during the Covid period illustrated the possibility of doing business differently. Today, nearly half of French employees (47%) prefer flexibility and remote working. And while the latter are increasingly in favor of flexible working and the use of coworking spaces, this is accompanied by a managerial revolution that encourages greater trust, autonomy and mastery of digital tools.

Managers and aspiring managers, here are a few tips to help you manage your team serenely in hybrid and sometimes multisite mode.

Listen to your teams' real needs

French workers are fervent advocates of flexible and hybrid working; let's face it! The teams atOwlabs, pioneers in videoconferencing technology, have conducted a survey on hybrid working in France in 2023. The survey shows that 72% of employees surveyed believe that teleworking should be a legal right, and that efficient technology is necessary for the smooth running of their business (76%). However, the same study found that only 25% of companies had managed to modify their videoconferencing tools over the past year. Indeed and Zoom echo this finding, confirming that the proportion of remote work offerings has increased by an average of 30% over the past year, and that hybrid working is far from being an epiphenomenon. In fact, it meets the indispensable need for flexibility, and demonstrates that productivity is greatly enhanced.

Over the past few years,workspaces have undergone a number of changes, and the use of coworking spaces and other turnkey offices has become increasingly popular.

However, there are still a number of managerial issues to contend with, not least the risk of asynchronized working, as companies claim to allow flexibility on the one hand, but demand that employees adhere to the working hours and collective presence initially defined in their employment contracts on the other. So how do you manage employees with different working hours, who sometimes don't even see each other at work?

Learning to manage from a distance!

Hybrid management, combining face-to-face and remote work, requires a balanced approach to ensure employee commitment. It calls for a wide range of interpersonal skills and resources, but there are some keys to successfully getting your staff on board in hybrid mode. These include

Adopt transparent communication

Transparent, regular communication is crucial. Make sure you establish effective communication channels, both virtual and physical, to keep team members connected. Create new habits that enable team members to forge social links with each other. The challenge for you as a manager is to maintain close management from a distance. To do this, set up more frequent and participativeteam and projectanimation rituals, such as icebreakers or other convivial rituals. And above all, stay in touch.

Develop a climate of trust

For this climate to be as optimal as possible, make sure you clarify three main pillars: recognition of your team's expertise, clarity of each member's mission and your expectations of them (personal and collective + performance measurement elements), and the quality of long-term relationships. You need to demonstrate emotional intelligence and empathy. Cultivate a culture of inclusion, by promoting the diversity of talents and recognizing individual contributions. Organize social events, even virtual ones, to strengthen bonds and create a sense of belonging.

Get feedback

Don't hesitate to ask questions and listen actively to understand what motivates your team. In addition, to maintain a good quality of working life between team members, you need to create breathing space.

Keep your team informed

Don't leave any room for uncertainty, and provide your team with keys to understanding your organization, the activities of other teams, the positioning of your competitors and their strategies...

Encourage flexibility

Recognize different needs and work preferences. Offer options for reconciling professional and personal life, while maintaining clear performance standards. Involve employees inhybrid work organization decisions, to foster a sense of active participation.

Invest in technological tools

Facilitate remote collaboration, and ensure that all team members are trained in their use. Promote regular meetings to strengthen cohesion, and encourage everyone to participate, whether in the office or telecommuting. Today's digital tools range from videoconferencing to post-it walls, quizzes and digital whiteboards... Vary the pleasures and co-construct with your team.

Offer high-performance workspaces

Prevent your teams from feeling isolated by offering them remote spaces that help accelerate these behavioral changes. Coworking spaces, for example, can be a great way of supporting your employees' day-to-day activities.

In short, the key to hybrid management lies in balance, transparent communication and the creation of an environment where every employee feels valued and at ease.