Hybrid workplaces are here to stay, but all those innovations can create or worsen inequities. By keeping five design points in mind, as Grace Lordan, Teresa Almeida, and Lindsay Kohler explain in this Harvard Business Review article, organizations can help ensure fairness and inclusion, maximize performance, and also maintain cultural cohesion.
- Recruitment and Remote Onboarding: Giving people an option during onboarding to self-select their level of technological savviness can help employers determine and schedule remote IT assistance so all employees are provided for.
- Working Together Even When Apart: Physical distance can lead to psychological distance. Open the virtual office door, with an “open for chats!” message or virtual meeting rooms to enable communication and outreach, even on bad days.
- Resolving Conflict: “Silent bullying” can poison remote work but focusing on psychological safety can empower an environment where all voices are heard.
- Team Cohesion: Foster the flow of information between informal relationships and “weak ties” to bind disparate groups of employees together as a team.
- Promotions: Shifting workspaces can put a new focus on skills such as communication. Paying attention to who gets rewarded for what will keep your promotions in step with your new reality.