How can you ensure equitable hybrid workspaces for all employees?

Hybrid workspaces are becoming the new norm for many organizations, but they also pose unique challenges for ensuring equity, inclusion, and collaboration among all employees. How can you design your workplace to support both remote and onsite workers, and foster a sense of belonging and engagement across different locations and modes of work? Here are some tips to help you create equitable hybrid workspaces for all employees.

1 Assess your needs

Before you design your hybrid workspace, you need to understand the needs, preferences, and expectations of your employees and your organization. Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gather feedback and insights from your staff. How often do they want or need to work remotely or onsite? What are the benefits and challenges of each option? What are their communication and collaboration preferences and tools? What are their ergonomic and accessibility requirements? How do they feel about the culture and values of your organization? Use this data to identify the gaps and opportunities for improving your hybrid workspace.

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Remy Pruniaux - Rizzuto

Innovation and Industrialization Portfolio Manager - Marketing, Innovation & New Mobility
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Prendre en compte les besoins personnels Privilégier les équipes resserrées et l'auto-détermination du modèle hybride (pas de one size fit all) Réinterroger de manière régulière les besoins et les équilibres dans une logique d'amélioration continue

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2 Create flexible and inclusive spaces

One of the key principles of equitable hybrid workspaces is flexibility. You want to provide your employees with options and choices that suit their work styles, tasks, and preferences. This means creating spaces that can accommodate different levels of privacy, noise, and interaction, and that can be easily adapted and reconfigured as needed. For example, you can have open-plan areas, private booths, breakout rooms, meeting rooms, and lounge areas. You also want to make sure that your spaces are inclusive and accessible for all employees, regardless of their physical abilities, cultural backgrounds, or personal identities. For example, you can have adjustable furniture, assistive devices, diverse artwork, and gender-neutral facilities.

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3 Enable seamless communication and collaboration

Another key principle of equitable hybrid workspaces is connectivity. You want to ensure that your employees can communicate and collaborate effectively and efficiently, regardless of where they are working from. This means investing in reliable and secure technology and infrastructure, such as high-speed internet, cloud-based platforms, video conferencing tools, and digital whiteboards. It also means establishing clear and consistent policies and protocols for communication and collaboration, such as when and how to use different channels, what information to share and document, and how to handle feedback and conflict. Moreover, it means creating a culture of trust and respect, where employees feel valued and supported, and where they can share their ideas and opinions freely and constructively.

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Remy Pruniaux - Rizzuto

Innovation and Industrialization Portfolio Manager - Marketing, Innovation & New Mobility
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Privilégier la communication asynchrone pour renforcer l'inclusion et les temps de chacun Affiner les informations essentielles (actions, délais...) pour l'équipe et permettre la continuité d'activité, les tuilages des temps individuels

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4 Balance synchronous and asynchronous work

Another challenge of hybrid workspaces is managing the time and energy of your employees, especially when they are working across different time zones, schedules, and rhythms. You want to balance the need for synchronous work, where employees work together in real time, and asynchronous work, where employees work independently at their own pace. Synchronous work can foster alignment, engagement, and creativity, but it can also cause fatigue, burnout, and disruption. Asynchronous work can enhance productivity, flexibility, and autonomy, but it can also cause isolation, confusion, and delay. To find the optimal balance, you need to prioritize the tasks and goals that require synchronous or asynchronous work, and communicate them clearly and regularly to your employees. You also need to respect the boundaries and preferences of your employees, and avoid overloading them with meetings, messages, or deadlines.

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5 Support learning and development

Equitable hybrid workspaces are not only about the physical and digital environment, but also about the human and social aspects of work. You want to provide your employees with opportunities and resources to learn and grow, both professionally and personally. This means offering training and coaching programs, mentoring and peer support networks, and feedback and recognition systems. It also means encouraging your employees to explore new skills, roles, and projects, and to share their knowledge and expertise with others. By supporting the learning and development of your employees, you can enhance their motivation, performance, and satisfaction, and also create a culture of innovation and improvement.

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6 Monitor and evaluate your results

Finally, you want to monitor and evaluate the results of your hybrid workspace design, and make adjustments as needed. You can use various methods and metrics to measure the impact of your hybrid workspace on your employees and your organization, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, performance indicators, and customer feedback. You can also use tools and platforms to collect and analyze data, such as dashboards, analytics, and reports. You should review your results regularly and systematically, and involve your employees in the process. You should also celebrate your successes and learn from your failures, and keep experimenting and iterating your hybrid workspace design.

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Remy Pruniaux - Rizzuto

Innovation and Industrialization Portfolio Manager - Marketing, Innovation & New Mobility
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Une méthode utile : les OKR pour aligner les objectifs personnels et collectifs Mesurer oui, mais surtout définir le plan d'action adjacent si besoin

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Remy Pruniaux - Rizzuto

Innovation and Industrialization Portfolio Manager - Marketing, Innovation & New Mobility
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La vraie question est peut être moins celle de l'espace que du temps dans le design du workplace. L'espace est un curseur à trouver entre le travail à domicile, sur site et entre les 2 (transports, tiers lieux, co-working ...)

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How can you ensure equitable hybrid workspaces for all employees?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Assess your needs

2 Create flexible and inclusive spaces

3 Enable seamless communication and collaboration

4 Balance synchronous and asynchronous work

5 Support learning and development

6 Monitor and evaluate your results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Workplace Design

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How can you ensure equitable hybrid workspaces for all employees?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Assess your needs

2 Create flexible and inclusive spaces

3 Enable seamless communication and collaboration

4 Balance synchronous and asynchronous work

5 Support learning and development

6 Monitor and evaluate your results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Workplace Design

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