No trust, no gain – Inclusive hybrid workforces

Fake news is something we are all used to by now, and sadly, the effect it has on society and on individuals every day is something that changed the world we live in. According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer report, trust in search engines, traditional media and social media has been declining by 3 – 8 percentage points over the last year. This sentiment carries into our workplaces as well: 60% of employees choose a place to work based on their beliefs and values. A place they trust will take care of them and their needs — outside of monetary compensation.

Employees’ needs are shifting

With the move from in-office work to a more hybrid workforce, employees aren’t just looking at job descriptions and salaries anymore. They are looking for flexibility and an environment where they know they are trusted to deliver quality work. Gone are the days where employees sit in traffic for an hour to get to and from work, rushing to pick up the kids before fitting the grocery shopping in. Employees are willing to work various hours throughout the day to align with their families’ schedules. They are looking for an organization that values this need and understands that the output is what counts, not how we got there.

The rise of hybrid or the loss of top talent?

Some organizations welcome their employees’ newfound freedom and support the notion of working from anywhere, anytime as long as projects are completed on time and within budget. It allows companies to search for talent in marketplaces they never considered before. On the other side of the spectrum, and with the end of the pandemic possibly in sight, we already see organizations requiring their staff to come back to the office — a move that might cost companies their top talent.

There is also the in-between, and more invasive option: the rise of technologies that allow employers to monitor their workforce while they work from home. This could include the tracking of an employee’s productivity, time, how fast they respond to emails and direct messages, and employee workstation monitoring. Just like a forced policy to come back to the office, monitoring employees won’t instill trust and result in loss of talent over time.

Organizations that want to build the workforce of the future need to build trust to succeed.

Create trust with a solid learning strategy

Having a solid learning strategy in place should include elements to help your hybrid workforce connect on a regular basis with their peers and manager alike. Here are some ways you can foster trust and inclusivity:

• Creating an online community — where people can go for help, to share stories, celebrate successes, and share what maybe didn’t go as well — is a great way to not only engage your workforce, but give managers insight into what’s going on day-to-day.
• Coaching and mentoring in a way that shifts from micromanaging to instead creating space for employees to be at their best and deliver results on time allows you to build trust every day. Good coaching happens in the moment either during 1:1s or while a task is being completed.
• Collaborating with one another is now more important than ever. Offer training to your workforce on how to get the best out of digital collaboration tools such as MS Teams or Slack to allow your employees to focus on collaborating vs. trying to figure out how to use the tool.

A strong learning strategy not only encompasses what to train when, but also focuses on the learner at all stages. Creating human-centered solutions, that take informal learning environments and change management practices into consideration, will have a higher chance of succeeding than programs that simply focus on execution. Experiences focused on the learner allow you to build trust from the get-go and have a happier, more impactful workforce in the future.

Want to learn more about how to build trust for your hybrid workforce? Contact us today and speak to one of our Learning Consultants.