Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Your Hybrid Work Schedule

As we move further and further away from the pandemic, many companies are asking people to come back into the office and are favoring a hybrid work environment over a fully remote or in-office schedule. Employees, now having mastered both fully in-person and fully remote arrangements, must adapt to a hybrid work week. Here, we will give you some tips on how to maximize success, productivity, and well-being as a hybrid employee.

1. Plan ahead

Most employees will tell you that there are some tasks that they accomplish better at home than in the office. Likewise, some teams-based tasks are better accomplished when everyone is together in person. If your schedule allows, we recommend that you concentrate on teams-based tasks and meetings on days when you are in person and focus on tasks you accomplish better on your own for when you are at home. Arranging your schedule like this will require some foresight and planning, but it will help you to maximize your productivity in a hybrid work arrangement.

2. Have dedicated work spaces

When you are oscillating between working in the office and at home, it can be hard to maintain dedicated workspaces since you are always on the go. Despite this, having a comfortable and inviting workspace will help you stay focused and help fuel your work. This is especially important at home, where there can be so many distractions. At IC System, we require that all of our remote collectors work in a private room with a closed door due to the handling of sensitive financial information. We have heard many positive reports about how this has also helped our employees maintain productivity and focus.

3. Maintain a schedule

It can be tempting to arrange your schedule differently each week. However, consistency in which days you are in the office and which days you are at home can be helpful so that your coworkers will know where to expect you. A lot of companies require you to maintain a set schedule, but even if yours doesn’t, we recommend sticking to one or having a way of letting your coworkers know when you will be in the office versus working from home.

4. Prioritizing balance

Constantly switching your work environment can be hectic. Additionally, it can be easy while working from home to let your work day bleed over into your personal time. To maintain your well-being, remember to take breaks. At IC System, we have a “Work Recess” page where employees can relax their minds with fun trivia, photos from the office, and employee spotlights to learn more about their coworkers.

5. Staying connected

One of the highlights of office life is regular conversations and interactions with coworkers. This can sometimes be challenging to maintain in hybrid and remote work arrangements. Some tips to stay connected are to regularly communicate with your team through office messaging tools and to follow your company’s social media pages. To facilitate connections among employees, IC System hosts a monthly in-person day where all employees are asked to work in the office. This is a great opportunity for employees to further develop working relationships and feel connected to the office community.

All in all, while hybrid work can be seen as the best of both worlds, it also can present some unique challenges. We hope that these tips are helpful.

To learn more about how IC has maintained employee engagement in the era of remote work, click here!