10 questions to help managers get hybrid working right

Rather than relying on an HR policy to help you manage a team who are working flexibly, try asking yourself these questions to make sure you’re getting hybrid working right.

1. Do I work flexibly – or am I always in the office? What subliminal messages am I giving about where it’s best to work?
2. Am I being clear about the outputs I want and then giving flexibility about where and when the works gets done? Or am I still managing by overseeing tasks?
3. Am I being inclusive enough, or are my meetings geared to people in the office/at home? Am I accommodating the different needs and personalities on our team?
4. Am I having grown-up conversations with my team about hybrid working? Am I being flexible enough, or am I being too accommodating and not pushing back if it causes problems with customers or the rest of the team?
5. Am I having enough quick check-ins and chats about career development with the people I don’t see very often?
6. Am I clear on the ‘moments that matter’ for my team? When should we be together face to face? Have I asked them when they feel it’s important?
7. Am I using a range of tools such as WhatsApp or Slack to keep conversations going outside of meetings?
8. Do my team members have what they need to be able to work effectively from anywhere?
9. Am I realising the potential benefits of hybrid to create a more diverse team?
10. Am I being too inflexible about where my team work because I don’t trust some of them? Could I handle this in a different way, so I don’t punish the many to manage the few?