The transition to remote work was considered the future last year, but it’s now the present. Companies across North America have embraced work-from-home strategies, while at the same time continued to allow some employees to work from the office.

That means managers need to adapt to the ‘new normal’. A world in which they are required to manage a hybrid workforce made up of both staff coming into the office, as well as workers (either permanent or contingent) who are working off-site.

In fact, a new global business survey commissioned by Xerox found that companies are investing in new resources to support a hybrid workforce, with 56 percent increasing technology budgets and 34 percent planning to speed up their digital transformation in 2020.

With that in mind, how exactly can your organization transition to this new hybrid workforce model and balance the requirements of both on-site employees and remote workers? HCMWorks has listed some tips here:

Invest in technology that supports a hybrid workforce

Bridging the gap between your on-site employees and remote workers is one of the most important steps you can take when successfully managing your hybrid workforce. That’s because remote workers can face a disconnect from your internal operations, and this will have a negative impact on the work they produce. 

Communicating with your on-site employees is no doubt easier. You can stop by their desk, have a quick standup meeting or go out for a lunch break. For your remote team, however, you might feel you need to be more formal by scheduling a meeting or sending an email.

In reality, you need to invest in technology that gives your entire organization the feeling that they are working together - no matter where they are located. Real-time communication and collaboration tools are a great way to make sure your on-site and off-site teams stay in constant communication with each other. 

Clearly define which roles work where

To successfully create a hybrid workforce, you need to find the right balance between those working at home and those coming into the office. There’s no doubt about it, some roles are simply better suited to office work while others can easily be done remotely. 

Take some time to consider which roles would be more productive and effective from home, and those that would be more effective in the office. For example, transitioning a new job to remote work may potentially open the opportunity for your company to acquire top talent by dipping into the contingent workforce. 

Focus on cybersecurity best practices

A hybrid workforce means you’ll have more access points to your company’s network. Your on-site employees will be sending documents to remote workers, and those remote workers will be accessing files from public WiFi connections. This increases the likelihood that a cybercriminal can gain access to your data.

You can prevent this by ensuring you follow some simple cybersecurity best practices to protect your business. This includes creating a disaster recovery and data loss plan, encouraging remote workers to use VPNs, upgrading your antivirus software and enabling multi-factor authentication. 

Implement a contingent workforce management strategy

One of the biggest driving forces behind the hybrid workforce revolution is the growth and benefits of the contingent workforce. By hiring non-permanent workers, your business can hire talent to fill the skills gap, create faster and more cost-effective hiring processes, build a more flexible workforce and adapt to changes within your marketplace by assessing your workforce needs on an ongoing basis. 

However, managing a contingent workforce can be complex. Without a proper strategy in place your business will be losing out on hidden costs, poor hiring practices and inefficient processes. 

The use of an expert managed services provider (MSP) and vendor management system (VMS) will resolve those issues. By gaining complete visibility and control over your non-permanent workforce, your organization will be able to realize the wide range of benefits that contingent workers have to offer. 

Are you interested in learning more about managing a hybrid workforce and how a robus contingent workforce management program will drive your business into the future? Contact HCMWorks today. We have years of experience implementing successful contingent workforce solutions into companies across Canada and the US.