Business Education

3 Common Long-Term Hybrid Workplace Challenges

A hybrid workplace is one that employs a combination of traditional office workers and remote employees. This setup has become more popular in recent years as technology has made it easier for people to work from home. While there are many benefits to this arrangement, there are also some challenges that must be faced in order to make it work long-term. In this blog post, we will discuss three of the most common challenges: employee work time, fewer team interactions, and time-sensitive deadlines.

Hybrid vs Traditional Workplaces

Traditional workplaces existed for many decades before the introduction of hybrids, which of course, became ubiquitous during the pandemic shutdown. At that time, businesses hurriedly transitioned from tradition to hybrid. Of course, this triggered a learning curb. And, some businesses experienced mostly smooth sailing. But, others struggled to make it work. Regardless of how it started, what’s unfolding or about to happen unleashes some unintended consequences.

One thing is clear about the future of work: At least in the near term — and possibly for much longer — hybrid work arrangements are going to be the norm for many organizations, in industries ranging from tech to pharmaceuticals to academia. There are good reasons why many companies and employees are excited about this mix of in-person and remote work — and equally good reasons why many feel trepidation about the shift. —Harvard Business Review

Businesses always face challenges. From small to large, there’s no end to obstacles and issues. Going hybrid will solve some of those problems. Still, the transition and new normal will also breed new challenges. Fortunately, there are ways to cope and deal with those obstacles.

3 Long-Term Hybrid Workplace Challenges

The great thing about a hybrid workplace is that it offers flexibility, freedom, and lessens commute woes and expenses. But, it does create unique challenges that weren’t likely present before its establishment. So, if your business is transitioning into a hybrid workplace or it’s already been implemented, here are three of the most common challenges facing hybrid companies:

Employee work time. One of the biggest challenges faced by companies with a hybrid workplace is ensuring that employees are working the same number of hours. This can be difficult to do when some employees are in the office and others are remote. It can also be difficult to track employee time when they are working from home. In order to overcome this problem, managers need to have clear expectations about when their employees should be available for meetings or assignments and how long they are expected to work each day. This might include having regular check-ins with remote staff during normal business hours so everyone knows what is expected of them.
Fewer employee team interactions. Another challenge faced by companies that have a hybrid workplace is that there are fewer opportunities for employees to interact with one another. For example, when people work from home they may not have as much time to talk about their day over lunch or exchange ideas in person during meetings. This can lead to feelings of isolation among employees which is never good for productivity levels. In order to overcome this challenge, companies need to find ways for employees to interact with one another even when they are not in the office. This might include using video conferencing tools or having regular team-building activities.
Time-sensitive deadlines. A final challenge faced by companies with a hybrid workplace is that remote employees can sometimes have trouble meeting time-sensitive deadlines. For example, if someone is sick or has an unexpected emergency that requires them to be away from work for a few days then this could mean missing out on important projects which could lead to loss of revenue and customers. In order to avoid this problem, managers need to make sure they are clear about expectations when it comes down to deadlines so that employees know what needs to be done by when. This might include having regular check-ins with remote staff during normal business hours so everyone knows what is expected of them and how long they are expected to work each day.

What other common challenges do hybrid workplaces face? Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your input. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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Is Your Chatty Employee Costing You? The Surprising Truth for Small Businesses

February 27, 2025 No Comments

We all know someone who tends to rattle on a little too much. It’s one thing when it’s a relative or friend outside the office, but an entirely different dynamic when it’s a work colleague.

Alex Jones, InfoWars, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube — Why it’s All Gone So Bad

October 10, 2018 No Comments

Alex Jones is all over the news. His controversial content sparked a national conversation about free speech. And, social media corporations have received public pressure to remove the conspiracy theorist’s presence. They’ve mostly complied. Regardless of what you think about the man, it not only brings up the issue of free speech but also puts another dynamic at the forefront. That is the age-old saying, “One bad apple can ruin the bunch.” Or, in this case, how these various social networks put themselves in an untenable condition. How One Bad Employee can Damage a Company The real crux of the matter comes down to the fact that social sites do police and prohibit certain types of content. (Violent images, pornography, and more.) But, we’ve seen that just one user can easily tarnish the reputation of the entire platform. The same holds true for business. A bad employee can utterly damage a company. Once the damage is done, it becomes an even larger issue. There’s that one person on your team — the bad apple who has nothing positive to say, riles up other team members, and makes work life miserable. If you can’t fire him, how do you respond to his behavior? What feedback do you give? How do you mitigate the damage he inflicts? —Harvard Business Review.org All it takes is a single instance of an egregious behavior. Or, a pattern of bad practices that go without correction. This is why Disney parks enforce so many employee behavior rules. The theme parks are selling experiences. And, all it takes is one bad encounter to absolutely ruin a whole family’s trip. Because, that’s what they’ll most remember — the bad stuff. If you don’t believe this, just look at the statistics about how many people an unhappy customer will tell their friends about a bad experience. It’s double, even triple, the number of people a happy customer will tell others about a good experience. 3 Ways to Prevent Employees from Ruining Your Business If you sense or have already encountered a situation where an employee is damaging your company, you must take action immediately. Here are some effective ways to prevent employees from ruining your business: Privately deal with the bad behavior. Once it’s happened, you can’t ignore it. Bring the employee in for a private chat. Have an honest talk about the circumstances and give positive guidance. Then, follow up periodically to ensure things are going well. Regularly monitor everyone for toxic behavior. Yes, one bad apple will ruin the bunch. And, this goes for employees. Bad attitude easily spreads throughout a business’ culture. So, keep your eyes open and listen for any negativity. Encourage team members to openly recognize one another. It’s not just on you as the leader. Encourage employees to praise each other and encourage one another when appropriate. The more positive the environment, the better. How do you deal with bad employees? What methods are the most effective? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How to Turn Your Idea into a Business

January 3, 2018 No Comments

It’s easy to turn your skills into a business. That’s one thing. You already have methodologies and experience. But, what if you just have an idea? Something you can’t seem to shake? It’s there day-in and day-out. You simply can’t get it out of your head. But, you’re afraid to tell anyone because you’re not sure it has merit. Or, it’s a take on something else that’s a proven model. Whatever the case, you’re eager to turn your idea into a business. How to Know when It’s Time to Start a Business The biggest barrier people have to starting-up a business isn’t money. It’s not a lack of motivation. The largest barriers are self-imposed. It’s over thinking things. In other words, a kind of paralysis by analysis. People come up with all sorts of reasons they can’t start a business. Funds. Time. Competition. Take your pick because there’s no lack of excuses. Which ultimately, that’s what these so-called reasons really are in practice. Ideas are just ideas. An idea is the seed of a successful product or service. Without proper care and maintenance, it will not bloom. Ideas require solid research of the target market, a good strategy and a sound business plan, without which, ideas cannot go much further. If you want to start a business and make a go of it, you need more than just an idea. —Entrepreneur.com We’ve all heard the success stories about entrepreneurs who didn’t give up. Take Walt Disney for example. Turned down by lender after lender, he never gave up. So many years later, we all see his crazy idea as a terrific business. Now, those theme parks are the best of the best. But, it all started with an idea — nothing more. How to Turn Your Idea into a Business Of course, you might not think your idea is necessarily business worthy. However, you don’t know until you give it a genuine try. Although it’s intimidating, there’s a big reward just waiting if you put in the effort. Here’s a few suggestions for how you can turn your idea into a business: Ask friends and family for feedback. Don’t let fear stand in your way. Your idea needs feedback. If you speak with a few people about it, you’ll learn something interesting. This is a great way to flesh it out. And, it might even give you more ideas that contribute in a wonderful way. Try to find working versions of it. If your idea isn’t out there as a reality yet, chances are excellent there’s something like it. Look for similar businesses and see how they operate. Even if it’s a new take on a common business model, you’ll learn through some simple research. Start by giving it away for free. Next, put it into action. Set aside some time to give it away for nothing (or a very cheap price). When you put it into practice, you’ll see where it naturally takes you. And, you’ll also learn if it can actually be monetized. Be ready to rework it along the way. Of course, you’ll need to give yourself permission to make mistakes. Use them to your advantage to better the service or product. As you do it over and over again, you’ll refine the process. What other suggestions do you have to turn an idea into a business? Where did you start your company? How can someone set up for success with just an idea? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.