With a study on hybrid work at Audi revealing the importance of mutual trust, we look at how transparently testing, learning and optimising is key to the success of hybrid.

Recent years have proved once and for all that businesses can be just as productive when employees  work flexibly. With people saving time, stress and money with less commuting, employee wellbeing has seen a boost too – and a happier workforce clearly leads to increased productivity. The hybrid model, which is a combination of homeworking, working in the company HQ, as well as using a flexspace, has provided the perfect vehicle for flexible work to flourish.

But for businesses to keep benefiting from flexibility, practices must be thoughtfully managed and adjusted if things don’t flow. To fully harness the power of hybrid work, studies show that employees must be engaged in the process, and the system must be regulated with transparency and mutual agreement on rules and practices.

Hybrid working at Audi

A recent study looked at hybrid working through the eyes of 1,500 Audi employees. They found that agreeing on working practices created higher levels of mutual trust, a stronger affiliation within teams, improved performance, increased productivity, and employees who are less emotionally drained.

Establishing mutual agreements and rules is about finding a balance between individual and company needs. Audi canvassed employee opinions on where and when they prefer to work, how often they’d like to meet face-to-face, and whether they’d like to meet or eat together.

Stephan Böhm, director of the study and an Associate Professor of Diversity Management and Leadership at the University of St. Gallen, says that hybrid work models give employees more freedom and autonomy. The flipside means there’s a greater need for coordination when employees are not face-to-face daily.

“You always have to find a balance between the needs of the individuals and the needs of the groups and the company,” says Andreas Mack, a study participant and Head of Time Management at Audi. His team agreed on one face-to-face day a month, also taking time to eat breakfast together, creating a strong sense of cohesiveness through these rituals.

Carina Behrends, project leader from the Diversity Management department at Audi says that regulated flexibility leads to more inclusion. “When regulations are defined on a team level,” says Behrends, “they have a positive effect on a sense of belonging and authenticity, as well as on diversity of perspectives and equal opportunity.”

Other sectors are clearly benefiting from the growth of hybrid working too, Christian Bigsby, Cisco’s Vice President of Workplace Solutions, describes the pandemic as a “catalysing moment” for flexible working and explains that hybrid can have huge benefits for a business.

“If you think about the way employers can now target the best possible talent, it isn’t dependent on specific geographies,” he says. “If we really take advantage of that, we’re going to go after the best possible talent, wherever that market is – and we don’t need to have a headquarters within a 30-mile commute.”

As well as embracing a dispersed workforce, establishing mutual agreements and building trust, there are other ways in which hybrid systems can be optimised, regardless of the business.

Managing workflow

Within a hybrid routine, colleagues don’t meet daily, and so the need for clearly set goals and expectations is increased. Employees should have a clear idea who they can contact at any given time if they require support or come across an issue. Workers are arguably more accountable for their performance than pre-Covid times, but they must also feel fully supported by managers who check in regularly, lay out their pathway for development and assist on that journey wherever possible.

It’s all in the tech

According to Cisco, 98% of meetings will have at least one remote participant in the future. The need for high performance tech has never been greater and will continue to grow.

With a vast range of innovative new software on the market, nurturing collaboration and managing productivity should be seamless. With the right systems in place, employees at home, in virtual offices, in local flexspaces, or at company HQ are equally visible, reachable and communicative, at any given (agreed) time. As well as real-time meeting and chat functions, digital platforms offer in-app guidance to make task lists, calendars and downloadable documents, making workflows and processes easy to manage.

Get connected

As the Audi study showed, communication is key to enhancing collaboration and cooperation. Leaders who listen meaningfully can prevent remote employees from feeling disconnected, improve visibility and facilitate collaboration and brainstorming.

With so many tools at our disposal, an employee should never feel excluded, wherever they are, as long as they’re supported by the necessary infrastructure to enable fast and easy communication. Effective use of audio or video calls and chat rooms leads to effective collaboration, discussions – and ultimately, solutions. Combine these ways of working with open and candid conversations between employees and managers, and communication can become a key strength of a hybrid team. When people feel comfortable enough to express their true feelings within a team, cohesion improves across the board.

Time is of the essence

Time management is crucial for successful hybrid working. When mutually agreed weekly, monthly and annual goals are set, planning and work pace becomes easier to manage. You can’t just tap a colleague’s shoulder to remind them that a meeting is about to start – punctuality and organisational skills should be up to scratch, especially for those not in the office.

Inspiring leadership through inclusivity

Don’t let anyone feel that they’re out on a limb when they’re not in the office. Meetings can take place on Zoom or Teams, as well as in the office or flexspace, and managers should check in with team members and create remote working ‘shifts’, so that not everyone is at home or in the office at once. Organising bonding, brainstorming and social events to bring people together at certain times helps create harmony and inclusivity too.

A hybrid system is a living organism that has to be continually scrutinised, discussed and, if necessary, realigned. Flexibility is key to offering employees freedom and autonomy, alongside value and fulfilment, and will ensure a happy workforce and a thriving business.

If hybrid could be on the table for you and your team, a Regus office space offers the perfect solution, with access to meeting rooms, break-out areas and a worldwide network of business lounges.