The shift to a hybrid working model is inevitable. Whether running a new startup or a global corporation, you can no longer expect all your employees to be co-located. While some might prefer to come to the office, others will want to continue working remotely.
A recent survey of knowledge workers found that nearly 50% of them would prefer a fully remote or hybrid working model. Also, they want the freedom to decide their work hours and accommodate other responsibilities.
As a business leader or manager, the sooner you embrace hybrid work, the better. It’ll help you cater to the changing preferences of your employees and maximize their productivity. Also, it’ll help you recruit from a global talent pool and run operations round-the-clock.
The Challenges of Hybrid Work
Despite its benefits, hybrid work brings unique challenges for entrepreneurs. When part of your team is co-located and the rest work remotely, it can create communication gaps. Also, it’ll cause your remote employees to feel disconnected and isolated from their coworkers in the office.
That, in turn, will make it difficult for team members to collaborate on different projects seamlessly. Also, it can increase churn among remote employees and increase recruitment and onboarding costs.
The good news is that there are ways to overcome these challenges and ensure frictionless collaboration in a hybrid workplace. Refael (aka Rafi) Edry, a world-renowned entrepreneur, has demonstrated several qualities and skills that can come in handy while managing hybrid teams.
In the following sections, we’ll discuss a few key lessons from Refael Edry’s exemplary life to help you deal with the challenges of hybrid work. Let’s dive right in.
Empathize With Your Employees
As a successful businessman, Refael Edry runs several companies in Africa and Israel. He can afford all the material pleasures in the world and live a life of comfort and luxury. But things weren’t always as easy for him.
He had barely gotten the hang of adulthood when his family started grappling with financial hardships. Born and raised in Safed in Israel, he was the oldest of three brothers. He was named after his uncle, Refael Edry z”l, a brave war hero who was martyred in Israel’s War of Independence.
Rafi Edry (the nephew) started working odd jobs to ease the stress on his father and support his family. While he managed to turn his life around, he knows that millions of children in Israel still struggle for basic necessities. Living on the country’s periphery, they lack access to school supplies, clean clothes, and high-speed internet.
The thought of letting these children resign to their fate compelled philanthropist Refael Edry to launch the Ahinoam Association for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities. He works with his younger brothers, Eyal Edry and Moshe Edree, and several volunteers to support the children and adolescents in Israel’s periphery. His efforts have helped many youngsters find their footing and work toward a better future.
Refael Edry’s social endeavors are a lesson in empathy for anyone dealing with a hybrid workforce. Now, more than ever, your employees want to be seen as living, breathing humans (instead of resources that get work done). You must recognize that and make an effort to connect with them at a personal level.
Discuss things beyond work, including their family and mental health. Ask about the problems they’re facing while working remotely and provide them with the necessary resources. Give them the flexibility to plan their workday around other responsibilities (like preparing meals or homeschooling kids).
Nip Problems in the Bud
When quarantine and social distancing became the norm in 2020, most schools in Israel switched to online classes. But despite being the epicenter of tech innovation, more than 400,000 children in Israel don’t have personal computers. Also, many of them lack internet access at home.
Unfortunately, schools and government authorities remained oblivious to these problems. But Refael Edry realized that denying these children the right to education would have long-term repercussions and threaten Israel’s growth.
He took things into his own hands and started a fundraising initiative with his brothers. Their timely intervention helped provide computers to more than 30,000 children and let them retain a sense of normalcy during the pandemic.
When dealing with hybrid teams, you’ll come across several unexpected challenges. To ensure seamless operations, you must identify these challenges before they become full-blown roadblocks. Talking to your team members (both remote and co-located) will help you preempt problems that might stall work or affect their productivity.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of adopting a hybrid working model outweigh its drawbacks. As an entrepreneur, it’s up to you to identify ways to boost employee morale and engagement. Empathizing with them and giving them more freedom at work will help.
Also, use proper communication tools to stay connected with employees and identify problems that could disrupt the work environment. Make sure you tackle these problems before they wreak havoc on your hybrid team.
