Creating a more inclusive environment for hybrid employees

Hybrid work has become the rule rather than the exception in many companies, including in Bulgaria. Leaders face challenges in ensuring the full inclusion of all employees at different stages of their work for the company, as telecommuters face prejudice. An example of this is proximity bias is the assumption that those who work from home are less productive than those who work from the office.

A hybrid structure can be created to support employees at every level, from hiring to leaving the company.

Appointment process

During online interviews for open company positions, it is essential to communicate the most important details, such as the expectations of the person who will occupy the position in question, as well as the corporate culture and values. Company culture reflects and influences its values, beliefs and attitudes, in addition to levels of employee engagement, productivity and job satisfaction.

People want to work for organizations that treat them with respect, whose values ​​and beliefs are aligned with their own, and that offer a positive and engaging workplace culture. Candidates are wary of working for an organization with a known poor company culture and are more likely to be hesitant to accept job offers.

The interview is the candidate's first contact with the company, so the information received provides valuable guidance determining his/her decision whether to join the team or not.

Onboarding and training

Welcoming a new team member hybridly requires extra effort. The process in which the new employee gets to know the team, his job and the systems he needs to use takes time and patience. It's good to think about the form of training and to keep in mind that different people learn differently. Providing content in different forms can greatly improve accessibility. Written publications are intended for readers, but audio recordings are useful for people who learn best by listening. Infographics and charts are examples of visual presentations that can help convey complex information in an easier-to-understand style.

Detention

With the great competition for talent in the labor market, retaining them in the organization is a complex task. The development of the culture of inclusion it involves creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and valued. The employees who feel inclusion, are more likely to be positively engaged in the organization.

Conducting interviews with key employees to find out what they like about their role and what they would like to change is tactics, used by many American companies. This "re-recruiting" can give managers the information they need to develop their employees and prevent talent from exploring other opportunities.

In order to understand the reasons for leaving key employees, some companies conduct pre-exit interviews. These interviews are an opportunity to gather honest feedback and constructive criticism about the workplace.