***HELLO WRITER, THIS IS DISCUSSION RESPONSE TO A CLASSMATE. IN THE RESPONSE, ONE MUST SPEAK OF THE REFERENCE/CITATION THEY PUT INTO THER DISCUSSION FOR THEIR TOPIC. PLEASE WRITE ABOUT HOW GREAT/OTHER GREAT REFERENCES/CITATIONS ARE***
The classmates discussion post about their REFERENCE/CITATION:
Hello Professor and class,
10 Ways to Support a Hybrid or Remote Workforce.
Citation metadata
Authors: Trinka Landry-Bourne and Kimherly James
Date: Dec. 2021
From: Policy & Practice (Vol. 79, Issue 6) ***hello writer, i attached this article the classmate is using just in case you need it***
Publisher: American Public Human Services Association
Document Type: Article
Length: 1,426 words
Document controls
There is no denying that after the events of the past two years, remote and hybrid workforces are here to stay. This is true across all business sectors, from private industry to big technology companies, to health and human services, and everything in between.
Media articles describe the planning processes that multi-billion-dollar companies like Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are investing in to ensure that their staff’s return to the office, after working fully remotely during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, is as smooth as possible.
As a part of this shift in workforce location, some companies are engaging in skills assessments for their staff to ascertain current skill sets and levels, given the differences in complexities that working remotely vs. working from the office create. Companies desire to have their staff apply and use their strengths at work. What they are finding, in part, is that those strengths may have changed over the course of working fully remotely.
Supporting a remote or hybrid workforce is different than supporting a workforce that is fully present in the office. In this article we have captured 10 ways to support a hybrid or remote workforce.
1. Actively involve staff in creating their workplace plan.
In order to ensure a successful transition from working fully remotely to working in the office again, or a hybrid of the two, staff needs to be actively involved in creating a schedule or workplace plan that is desirable for them, created with their input, and with agreement and support from their supervisor or manager. Staff is able to identify what time of day they will more actively work and when they may be less available for meetings or connecting with others. This includes continual intentionality for supporting a work-life balance for staff, which allows them to work at their most optimal times, thereby boosting productivity and supporting positive morale.
2. Create opportunities for staff to be “together.”
Whether done in person, via technology, or a combination of the two, staff wants to have time together. Studies show that one of the key indicators of a healthy workforce is one that feels a sense of connectedness to others in the workplace. So, have those monthly virtual all-staff meetings and coffee hours. Schedule lunch hour walks outside or set up in-person meetings that adhere to your company’s health and safety guidelines. Being intentional about providing the opportunity for staff to connect shows staff that they are valuable, and that time together is important enough to add and protect on their calendars.
3. Serve as a role model for remote or hybrid work.
We have all heard the mantras about the importance of “walking the talk” within a workplace. In general, it is important for employees to see their colleagues and leadership model and engage in whatever workplace guidelines and expectations have been set for employees. For example, if a message has been sent to staff that it is important for employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance as they engage in remote, hybrid, or in-office work, then this should be supported by the behavior and actions of employees at all levels. If employees act in a contradictory fashion, particularly those in leadership, this sends a mixed message to staff, which ultimately leads to confusion and uncertainty.
4. Provide the needed technology and resources.
Studies support that when staff feels prepared and equipped to get their jobs done, productivity and staff morale are more likely to remain steady and positive. Also, ensuring staff has the technology and resources needed to get their jobs done (in-person, remote, or hybrid) demonstrates that they are valued as an important part of the organization and their resource needs matter.
5. Be intentional in connecting with and celebrating staff.
As mentioned previously, studies show that staff who have a feeling of connectedness to others in the workplace have a better sense of well-being. The remote and hybrid workforce have less opportunity to organically connect with others on a daily basis. Thus, it becomes more necessary than ever to create opportunities in which staff connect. For example, for leaders and supervisors, it becomes even more essential to schedule and commit to having one-on-one supervision with employees.
Taking the time to celebrate, appreciate, and recognize staff for accomplishments, anniversaries, birthdays, and the like, provides another opportunity for staff to connect to each other and to the mission of your organization. This can serve as another point of grounding or connecting for staff health and well-being. This recognition could occur during meetings, over email, in a video, or through other means of messaging. Staff can even get creative about how this happens, creating a new monthly award that gets passed from one staff person to another.
6. Communicate clear expectations that exhibit transparency.
We all know that human beings, in general, feel safer and more secure when they know what is expected of them in any given situation. Expectations for behavior in and out of the workplace are not an exception. They become even more relevant when staff is adjusting to a new set of work circumstances like returning to the office full time or implementing a new hybrid work schedule. The more clarity that exists around remote or hybrid work guidelines, the better. An informed staff is a happier staff.
Intentional, regular, and transparent information sharing and communication are also important. In the absence of accurate or factual information, employees will default to filling in the blanks on their own. The results can be unsettling, especially as employees look to yet again establish a new normal for themselves with regard to their work schedule. Taking the time to connect and share information with staff on a regular basis leaves less room for uncertainty, confusion, or for staff to create a new narrative.
7. Keep employee mental health and well-being at the forefront.
Transitioning from working remotely full time to being fully back in an office space or to a hybrid schedule may be a welcome change for some but could cause stress for others. Managing this change might require staff to take inventory of what parts of their lifestyle will be affected and how to best manage those changes. Work-life balance might adjust for employees in ways they did not need to think about before, such as child care options, less time home with pets who may have difficulty adjusting to being alone, or care for elderly parents. Leaders are encouraged to ensure staff is aware of their employee assistance program options, should they need support.
8. Seek opportunities to utilize personal strengths.
Regardless of the physical space staff is working in, there are several mantras that still hold true. One of them is a sure-fire way for staff to experience job satisfaction: the opportunity to utilize their strengths on a regular basis. Ensuring that opportunities exist for staff to experience fulfillment in the workplace leads to higher productivity, higher staff retention numbers, and overall improved staff morale.
9. Demonstrate patience and grace with change management.
Often change does not happen overnight. Too much change, too quickly, can have detrimental impacts on organizational culture and the shape of new working models. Leaders should demonstrate patience and grace through the change process by allowing staff to feel heard and having some control over the new working models. The goal is for everyone to transition through the change successfully. Fostering the opportunity for staff to be innovative in creating new systems and tracking mechanisms can greatly help move the change forward.
10. Encourage staff to share successful strategies and outcomes.
Leaders often feel obligated to lead the way in strategic planning and with acknowledgment or recognition of successful outcomes. Narratives are best shared by those with lived experience. Don’t go it alone. Leaders should encourage staff to be involved in strategic planning and sharing outcomes. This approach allows staff to relate better to those as champions of change.
Overall, leaders should focus on the benefits of staff returning to in-person work or to hybrid models. Not all will buy in to the changes, but there is great value in returning to a community of support with opportunities to regularly engage collectively in a safe environment and group setting, all working toward a common goal. Giving focus to the benefits and gains of returning to work could possibly bring greater comfort and ease some of the anxiety of staff hesitant to leave their homes.
-Peter
Reference
Landry-Bourne, T., & James, K. (2021). 10 Ways to Support a Hybrid or Remote Workforce. Policy & Practice, 79(6), 6+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A692977008/AONE?u=lirn99776&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=decc45d7
Discussion Post –
How can you be sure your source is credible?
Is it Recent? Why or why not?
Is it Impartial? Why or why not?
Is it Credible? Why or why not?
Is it Consistent? Why or why not?
Is it Relevant? Why or why not?
My research topic required me to collect information on Human Resource Management (HRM) and remote work before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is a recent event that has impacted HRM and remote work, and by using my school’s academic database and searching for multiple peer-reviewed scholarly articles about my topic I was able to attain information that is credible, consistent, and relevant to my research. According to the Libguides from the University of Connecticut (2024), “Peer-reviewed articles have undergone review (hence the “peer-review”) by fellow experts in that field, as well as an editorial review process” supporting my argument that the selection of multiple peer-reviewed articles ensure the information is credible, consistent, and relevant to my research. To find information that was impartial and not biased, I delved into researching the source of this article to discover it was published as part of a policies and practice guide by the American Public Human Services Association, this ensures that the information is impartial, and its purpose is aligned with enriching the lives of American families not imposing a narrative for the author’s agenda.
Reference
Libguides: Explore information: Understanding & recognizing peer review. Understanding & Recognizing Peer Review – Explore Information – LibGuides at the University of Connecticut. (2024). https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/exploreinfo/peerreview#:~:text=Peer%20reviewed%20articles%20are%20often,as%20an%20editorial%20review%20process.
