Hybrid work may be the dominant paradigm for many companies, but senior managers are still ironing out the details as they weigh how to balance the needs of employees and senior management colleagues.  

CIOs want to give their employees flexibility and ensure companywide goals are met. At the same time, a hybrid model also brings new challenges, including the need to improve communication among teams and build a cohesive culture, executives said. 

We asked a panel of CIOs in a recent CIO Professional Network roundtable to reflect on how the transition to hybrid work is affecting their teams. Here are some of their observations.

Remote work is boosting productivity

The ability to work remotely lets employees focus more, improving the quality of output, suggests Stephen Greco, CIO of Vertican Technologies.

“By allowing people to be remote, we’ve allowed people to work asynchronously, not be interrupted and perform more deep work than they could in the office,” he said.

Companies need to be clear on why they need employees in the office

Companies have been balancing the need for in-office and remote work, with firms settling on two to three days a week in the office. A recent study from WFH Research found that employers are planning to offer around 2.3 remote days per week versus employees’ desire for around 2.8 work-from-home days. Regardless, employers need to present a compelling rationale to come into the office, or employees won’t comply, argued David Hatz, vice president of technology at RoomReady. 

Onboarding and team culture development can be more difficult in a hybrid environment

Building a team culture may be more challenging when all employees are not physically at the same location, with the onus shifting to leaders to bridge the gap, executives said. 

“The only downside that we’ve experienced is that if new people join the team, assimilating them into the culture is a little harder to do remotely,” said Jon Bowker, CIO and CISO of Ncontracts. 

Managers can help foster team culture through collaboration technologies, including, for example, a requirement to keep cameras on during video calls, he added.

A flexible approach builds trust

A rigid approach to hybrid work isn’t likely to encourage buy-in from employees, executives said. Brooks Automation, for example, is considering employee input as it transitions to a hybrid model, said Geetha Kumari Kommepalli, the company’s global director.

“We have implemented [hybrid work] in such a way as to work with each and every manager,” she said. If employees have particular needs that require accommodation, the company works to find solutions, she added.

Flexibility is also crucial for talent acquisition and employee retention, others said. 

“We were able to gain talent because we were able to support remote workers,” said Patrick Wendolek, CIO and vice president at Gulf Winds Credit Union. Some of the credit union’s new hires were facing return-to-office mandates from their former employers, he added.

Managers need to empathize with employees through regular check-ins

Informal conversations are common in office environments, but in the hybrid workplace, leaders need to proactively reach out to employees on a regular basis.

Some are turning to technology to seek input from employees. HMP Global, for example, is using tools to survey employees on a regular basis, according to Hisham Mohamed, the firm’s chief technology officer.

“You have to make an extra effort [and say] ‘Hey, how are you doing? Are you having any challenges?’” said Muthu Balu, vice president of information technology at True Religion Brand Jeans. 

Ongoing, proactive communication with employees is part of an empathetic culture that leaders need to nurture in a hybrid environment, suggested Balu. 

“When we’re having a conversation, you can see if [employees] have something that they’re struggling with,” he said. “We need to continue to partner with [employees] and try to put ourselves in their shoes and empathize with some of their challenges.”

A successful hybrid environment comes down to leaders showing empathy and vulnerability, said senior technology leader Hursh Juneja.

“We have to first accept what flexibility means,” said Juneja. “It should not matter whether someone has a child in their lap or whether they’re walking the dog. Are they able to produce and are they happy?”