11 Tips For Working With Hybrid Teams

While remote working has become a growing trend among organizations, businesses are now considering the hybrid model. It involves the use of a co-located office space – some work in the office while the other team members work from home. But one challenge that businesses face is the creeping of `them and us’ culture.

IMAGE: PEXELS

Voice Messaging

If you want to create a successful hybrid team, you need a tool that supports voice and video messaging. Here are 11 tips for working with hybrid teams.

1. Set Clear Expectations

When the rules of engagement are set up front, everyone knows what to expect. The team members need to know the type of questions to address in meetings and those to address via email.

2. Review And Adjust Team Norms

As a manager, you should routinely adjust the norm of the team. Also, you should invite the group members to share ideas on adjustments. You can even host a `ways of working’ discussion.

3. Pay Attention To `Us’ And `Them’ Thinking

Working as a group brings a sense of belonging, and that’s how we fit into the world. When managing a hybrid team, you should eliminate us vs. them thinking. Make sure the remote workers get in touch with on-site employees via voice messaging.

4. People Agree When And Where To Work

You should encourage healthy work habits for the team. Inform your team that you don’t expect any email outside the working hours.

5. Create Time For `Water Cooler Moments’

If you want to increase the productivity of workers, you should encourage some water-cooler moments. The employees can use voice calls – this sparks new ideas for engagement. It’s a simple way to boost interaction among individuals.

How about introducing a fun game for your virtual team? With a hybrid team, you must focus on teamwork and cohesiveness. And after every meeting, you should use the best tool for screen recording.

6. Hybrid Managers Should Know Every Development In The Organization

As a manager, you should focus on getting the job done right and efficiently. First, you need to articulate the priorities and focus to achieve the shared goals. If there are new developments, you should guide the team on what they ought to do.

7. Communicate The Right Way

If you want to create a successful hybrid team, you should move from the old methods of communication. In today’s digital age, voice messaging has helped workers discover new ways to communicate.

Also, channels can be set for specific topics or departments. You may want to use tools that offer public channels to ensure the conversation is accessible to the entire team. You can also share the recordings based on voice and video conferences.

Another aspect of communication is caring for each team member. The truth is – remote workers worry about being excluded from spontaneous conversations. You should demonstrate empathy such that your employees don’t feel excluded.

8. Set Your Meeting Etiquette

Every member of the team connects separately, so you should decide how the meetings should be held upfront. Unlike an office setup where the participants connect in a room, a virtual meeting requires everybody to face the camera.

One area that requires strict office etiquette is voice messaging. The best way to avoid distractions is to turn off chat applications. Workers should also silence the phones and close any application that is not essential for the meeting.

9. Must Have A Document Management System

An automated documented management system helps hybrid workforces to share documents anytime. It transforms the workflows and breaks the status quo.

10. Fair Assessment And Reward

As a team leader, you should set clear and precise goals. You can monitor the progress of the team through frequent review meetings, checking daily and weekly reports, and keeping specific times for feedback sessions.

11. Be Selective When Recruiting

The most effective way to conduct recruitment is through video interviews. It works well for potential candidates regardless of geography. As you screen the applicants, you should look for traits like adaptability and the ability to work with minimal supervision.

Communication is key when working with hybrid teams. Screen recording and video messaging tool Stork.ai is a versatile tool that allows managers to see and hear the team conversing in real-time. And once the meeting is over, you can play it back. In addition, you can use the voice messaging feature. All voice calls on Stork are recorded and saved in MP4 format.

Not to mention, it supports screen recording of your calls and meetings – you can choose private or public channel recordings. Instead of scheduling a zoom call, you can turn the conversation via video messaging. If you want to hold a virtual meeting for hybrid teams, Stork guarantees seamless communication.