How to Prioritize Employee Wellbeing in a Hybrid Workplace

With 68% of organizations implementing some sort of hybrid work model, figuring out how to make the shift while maintaining employee well-being is essential. A model where employees are working remotely at least some of the time comes with both benefits and challenges for your team. By prioritizing hybrid employee wellbeing with these tactics, you can create a healthy and productive hybrid work environment for everyone in your organization. 

1. Offer Social Support

52% of employees crave more connection at work according to a recent study by BetterUp.

Offering support can go a long way toward improving employee wellbeing. For employees who are working remotely, services such as virtual sessions with mental health professionals, employee assistance programs, and mental health awareness events can go a long way in ensuring everyone has what they need to thrive. 

2. Invest in Technology

Working remotely can be a productive and enjoyable experience, if employees have what they need to do their job wherever they are. Setting up a supportive and successful hybrid work environment, and cultivating hybrid employee wellbeing, means investing in the technologies and systems that make remote work and collaboration easy and efficient. 

This can include messaging platforms like Slack or software that allows them to securely access the information they need everywhere. Investing in employees’ home office spaces so they have a comfortable and ergonomic place to work is also a good option for organizations moving to a hybrid work environment. 

3. Provide Opportunities for Growth

“45% of workers would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development,” according to Zippia. This is of particular concern if you’re looking to hire and retain Gen Z employees as they prioritize learning opportunities highly.

Providing career development guidance, such as customized development plans for each employee, is important to ensure employees feel supported in a hybrid work environment. Offering opportunities for learning and development such as virtual training, online resources, and mentoring programs can help improve hybrid employee wellbeing by giving your workers a path forward in their career, from any location.

4. Support Work/Life Balance

Working from home can improve work-life balance – and it can also make it more challenging. Less time spent commuting to the office is a benefit of a hybrid work environment, but it also means that the boundaries between home and work can become increasingly blurred. 

To support hybrid employee wellbeing, be sure to establish clear norms around when employees are expected to be working and gently remind them to take breaks and time off. Leaders and managers should also model balanced behavior themselves to reinforce these norms so employees know that taking care of themselves can truly be a priority. 

5. Communicate Proactively

Effective communication is essential in any organization – but it’s even more vital in a hybrid work environment.

Your organization should focus attention on your internal communications strategy to ensure all employees are in the loop about both the big picture, like your vision, as well as smaller decisions and updates. Since employees won’t be in the same place often to share this information informally, developing a formal plan is a critical part of building a healthy remote workplace culture.  

Hybrid work environments have many potential benefits for employers – but it can come with challenges for employees as well as perks. But with these tips, you can balance organizational priorities with hybrid employee wellbeing nd happiness.

If hiring hybrid employees who will succeed and stay is a priority for your team, see how Cangrade can help.