Creating Company Culture in a Hybrid Working Model

At its core, company culture is all about how things get done around the workplace. That includes both the formal systems and the informal behaviours. But what happens for businesses employing a hybrid working model where, employees aren’t always physically in the workplace? Is the erosion of your company culture inevitable, or are there techniques you use to create and maintain your workplace culture despite not working in the traditional way?

With flexible working here to stay, company culture has never been more important. When employees are physically separated, it’s the shared values and beliefs that keep teams pulling in the same direction and behaving in the right way. The good news is that company culture can transcend the traditional office model - but it requires nurturing, planning and the intentional use of space.

Here, we discuss the different ways you can build your company culture in a hybrid workplace.

Prioritise Employee Engagement

You have to work harder to keep your employees engaged when you’re not physically in the same place. Without close connections and positive in-person interactions between colleagues and leadership, it can make it more difficult to develop relationships and collaborate in a meaningful way. But there are still a few steps you can take to promote employee engagement in hybrid teams:

Recognise good work and show your appreciation

Good work can often go unrecognised when employees and leaders are not in the same physical space. Taking the time to check in with your teams and showing appreciation for individual hard work and team achievements, as well as giving constructive feedback, can make workers feel recognised and engaged.

Be intentional about collaboration and inclusion

The employee experience should include those who are in-office and online. Scheduling team meetings so both remote and office-based workers can attend and using technology to bring everyone together is one simple step you can take.

To do that successfully, you need to find the right tools and technologies and have a flexible workspace that supports them. Many organisations have already installed the basics, such as video chat and instant messaging. However, you may need to upgrade your technology or make changes to your workspace if you are to function effectively in a hybrid workplace over the longer term.

Connect in-person

Prioritise engaging with employees in person as regularly as possible, in line with what’s realistic for your company and teams. Find a solution that works for you and your teams and create hot desking or coworking areas to accommodate fluctuating numbers of in-office workers.

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Carefully Analyse Performance

Measuring the performance of hybrid workers has been a contentious subject since the pandemic, and even more so when you look at it in the context of company culture. Performance management needs to be effective and agile without damaging the trust or engagement of employees.

One of the most effective ways to measure the performance of agile teams is through dynamic and regular goal setting. Unlike traditional performance management where goals are set and revised once or twice a year, you should regularly set and review individual and team-oriented goals to drive actions and deliver results.

Another priority for hybrid teams is to have frequent future-focused conversations that allow employees to say how they can be better supported and explore how they’d like to grow. This can help encourage open communication and drive collaboration. If employees feel listened to and their needs are met, they’re more likely to stay and develop their skills in your business, boosting employee retention.

Schedule Company Social Events

From quarterly team building days to weekly team lunches or after-hours socials, having regular face-to-face time with employees is critical to enhancing your company culture.

As well as scheduled events, you should make an effort to include hybrid workers in other company social occasions when they can’t be there in person. For example, if you’re providing food for a lunch meeting, maybe send a gift card for a food delivery service so hybrid workers can participate in the meeting and still feel like part of the team. Even online social events, such as quizzes and virtual coffee breaks with team members your employees don’t usually talk to or work with can encourage collaboration and help reinforce your culture.

Be Transparent

It’s difficult to create a positive culture in a company with hybrid working practices unless the communication between leaders and employees is transparent. Being transparent can help to foster a culture built on trust, honesty and values. There’s just something about knowing what the rest of the team is doing and working towards a shared mission and outcome that can keep morale and productivity high from a project’s conception through to completion.

As well as daily check-ins and regular updates, make it a priority to ask employees about their workload and capacity. Inviting feedback in one-on-one chats and through employee engagement surveys can also give you the insight to customise the hybrid working experience to suit each employee.

Treat Your Team to Some Branded Merch

Believe it or not, a little branded merchandise can go a long way to creating a positive company culture and making hybrid workers feel like part of the team. Office travel bags and carriers for lugging laptops to and from the office can be useful, while coffee cups and water bottles, particularly eco-friendly varieties, will be a welcome addition to most home offices.

You can also put new starter packs together with everything your new employees might need — and you can even have some fun with it. Who doesn’t want a branded mini desk vacuum to keep their desk crumb-free? That will help to show the human side of your business and reinforce that all-important workplace culture.

Find Flexible Workspaces that Enhance Your Culture

The popularity of hybrid working has made a positive company culture more important than ever. Despite hybrid working removing the mandate to commute to an office, employees do still want to be a part of something. You should not underestimate the value of the office as a strategic tool, carefully curated to promote company culture and attract and retain talent. More than just a space for people to work, it should be positioned as the best place to collaborate with colleagues and act as a beacon for your company’s brand, purpose and values.

At Knight Frank, we can help you find your perfect flexible office space. Whether it’s a satellite office for project teams or a central hub that hybrid workers want to commute to, just tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll do the hard work for you. We’ll arrange and attend your viewings with you and use our market knowledge to negotiate a fair price.

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