As a staffing agency, we have noticed that top talent increasingly demands employers to prioritize work-life balance and flexibility. So, remote or hybrid work models are beginning to reshape how some businesses operate.
Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for switching from in-person to a flexible work model.
To gain more perspectives on how hybrid working can look different for every company, we reached out to several Ottawa business leaders to share insights on how hybrid work works for them and how they keep their teams connected, motivated, and happy in this increasingly digital world.
What is hybrid work, exactly?
The definition of hybrid work is, as its name suggests, a flexible approach to work that allows employees to split their time between the office and remotely. Usually, a hybrid team will spend 2 to 3 days a week in the office and work the remaining work week from anywhere, whether at a library, a cafe, or from the comfort of their homes.
In addition to comfort and convenience, studies have shown that a few remote workdays a week bring a slew of benefits, such as increased productivity and improved work-life balance. These benefits lead to happier employees and, in turn, reduce turnover.
While you may think remote/hybrid working is a new phenomenon following COVID-19 lockdown measures, but the transition to work without the constraints of a physical location began long before the pandemic.
Statista showed that before the pandemic, a respective 12% and 6% of employees either had a hybrid work environment or were primarily remote. That number rose to 14% and 59% during the height of the pandemic in 2020.
The case against a fully remote model
Now, we all know hybrid work has its benefits. But as with every good thing, it also comes with its own challenges. And the biggest one? It’s not for every company.
Melissa Reeves, COO of Linebox Studio, an architecture firm, advocates for in-person work, explaining that “the nature of our work requires us to be in person as much as possible. It’s also much more efficient and decisions are made more quickly in person than they are virtually.” She also highlights the difficulty of creating a strong team atmosphere online, something she believes is crucial for enabling better work.
Linebox Studio operates on a hybrid model but leans heavily towards in-person collaboration.
“We are in the office four days a week, and our team members can work from home on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday,” Melissa tells us. “Having virtual as an option is really great, but it’s rarely our first choice.”
That said, even with a strong in-office presence, Melissa emphasizes that simply working together isn’t enough—intentional efforts are needed to foster meaningful connections. In a hybrid workspace, making purposeful connections becomes even more critical. So, how can teams bridge the gap and ensure that every interaction counts?
It starts with focusing on building and maintaining those relationships, whether in person or remotely. Let’s explore how business leaders navigate this challenge while providing their teams with flexible working arrangements.
Connecting Effectively in a Hybrid Work Environment
1. Gather Intentionally
Let’s imagine an employee’s experience when it comes to adjusting to the transition back into the office. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending hours commuting across town, sitting at a laptop, working independently, and hopping onto virtual meetings when they could be doing the same at home.
To create more purposeful in-person gatherings, many business leaders use creative ways to make in-person days more intentional. Or, as Stanford Professor of Economics Nicholas Bloom calls it, organized hybrid.
A few examples of organized hybrid could be:
- Brainstorming sessions
- Collaborative projects
- Team lunches
- Parties to celebrate wins, birthdays and holidays
You can also create initiatives and holidays to keep in-office days interesting and fun.
For example, President Shelley True told us about her integrated marketing agency, TRUEdotDESIGN‘s Salad Days, “It brings the whole team into the office for a healthy lunch together.” We love an initiative that promotes wellness and team bonding in one go!
2. Routine 1-on-1 check-ins
Daily meetings and check-ins are essential for the health of a workplace. It’s no different on days when your team is working remotely. Managers and team leaders must dedicate time to catch up, ideally one-on-one, to ensure that team members feel supported and heard.
Sarwar Qureshi, Partner at Paterson & Company, a chartered accounting firm, tells us, “We regularly check in with people, whether in person or virtually, to ask how they are doing. Are they stuck on anything? Can we offer additional resources or support? Sometimes, it’s as simple as giving them more time or an extra set of hands to help.”
Messaging apps such as Slack or Teams are also powerful tools for staying connected. Sarwar explained how leveraging software is helpful for discussing different topics and staying connected throughout the day. This also provides different personalities with different ways to make connections.
You can also give your virtual team members chances to let their personalities shine. Priya Bhaloo, CEO of TAG HR added that she encourages the team to bring their full selves to work. “This often results in lighthearted dad jokes during team calls, along with sharing our latest hobby projects or introducing our furry friends, all of which help strengthen our bonds.”
By proactively checking in, you can catch small issues before they escalate. Michel Nungisa, the Lead Counsel and Workplace Investigator at Nungisa Law, puts it this way in our Leaders in Business interview, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. (…) Small signs of trouble can escalate if ignored.”
3. Dedicate Time for Team Building
You don’t have to sacrifice team building just because your team members aren’t together every single day. As a matter of fact, all the leaders we spoke to were excited to share the creative ways they’ve found to keep their teams connected and foster collaboration, both virtually and in person.
Fostering virtual connections:
At TAG HR, our team members are spread across the National Capital Region and the rest of Ontario, so we rely heavily on virtual bonding.
One of the things we do is bring everyone together on biweekly trivia games hosted by our marketing team. And it’s been a hit! Not only does it spark friendly competition and banter between our team members, but it also brings the entire team together, including those who don’t usually cross paths. It allows everyone to find common interests.
One of our favourite virtual bonding ideas came from TRUEdotDESIGN, where Shelley True introduced us to their ‘DJ Suki’ activity. Every Monday, the team starts the week with a virtual production meeting where one Tdot superstar was handed off the title of “DJ Suki” and presents their projects to the team for collaboration and feedback from different levels within their organization and giving space for everyone to have a small impact on each project.
Finding the right balance is key. While virtual team building keeps remote employees engaged, in-person interactions are just as important for creating strong connections.
In-person time together is still invaluable:
Just like how chatting in the office can’t build the same bond as solving an escape room together, virtual interactions might never fully replicate the depth of in-person connections.
With a hybrid or remote workforce, it’s even more important to dedicate time to foster face-to-face connections, especially when there’s a new team member.
As Sarwar Qureshi pointed out, regular team outings—something as simple as a recent day of pool and ping-pong—are essential for creating strong, cohesive teams. “We often turn those days into half days at work, so they don’t eat into people’s personal time.” He adds. After a day of socializing and bonding, some time away from the desk after the event helps them come back to work the next day feeling refreshed.
To make the most out of a team-building activity, consider your team members’ preferences when it comes to the time, place and the activity itself.
It also doesn’t have to be expensive and extravagant. For our team at TAG HR, many of our team members are nature lovers, so team hikes and nature walks are always a hit.
Priya Bhaloo emphasized that “Even simple gestures like one-on-one walks through a park or team meetings in a local café can spark creativity and foster a sense of togetherness that’s hard to replicate online.”
Of course, team building also doesn’t have to stop by the end of the work day.
Melissa Reeves recalls her team’s recent three-day retreat at Mt. Tremblant to unwind and get back to their passion for design and architecture.
“The opportunity to focus on our design work in a beautiful setting away from the office inspired us and strengthened our connections with one another. This ultimately allowed us to tackle our challenging projects in a much stronger and effective manner.” Melissa Reeves tells us.
For Linebox Studio, no virtual retreat could ever replace the profound impact that this in-person experience had on her team.
As you can see, every organization has creative ways to foster connections among their team members. We hope that you’re feeling inspired to implement or refine your company’s strategies for building meaningful relationships —whether your team is hybrid, remote, or somewhere in between.
Remember that being intentional is key. Creating purpose for in-person days, routine check-ins, or seasonal team outings will strengthen your team’s bond without sacrificing flexibility. The stronger the connection, the stronger the team!
If you have any questions or thoughts, connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram or email us at info@taghr.com.