Remote Working

4 Challenges for Hybrid Teams and How to Overcome Them Successfully

hybrid teams challenges solutions

With the rise and popularity of remote work in recent years, there has been an increasing number of companies with hybrid teams that have adapted and diverged from the traditional work week that requires teams to be working in the office together five days a week, eight hours a day.

As many companies are choosing to adopt a hybrid model, many people are enjoying newfound benefits including being able to maintain a better work-life balance that fits their needs, choosing their own work schedule, and determining which time zones and locations they want to work from. All of these amazing benefits come with challenges that all hybrid teams can creatively and collaboratively solve in order to keep their team thriving.

Table of Contents

1. Asynchronous work schedule

async working

Working for a hybrid team with an asynchronous work schedule can be challenging because each person on the team is granted the option of choosing their own schedule in addition to choosing which time zone they want to live in. Because of these liberating choices, not all members of a hybrid team will be working at the same time.

Therefore, hybrid teams must have a clear and collaborative plan to stay connected and in communication when working asynchronously.

Here are some ways to make sure that every team member is working together on the team’s common goals while working on different schedules and in different time zones:

  • Openly communicate
Everyone should be open and transparent when communicating their progress to their team for streamlined collaboration. To cut down on constant back-and-forth emails and messages, team members should aim to be as concise and thorough as possible when communicating with their colleagues.
  • Streamline collaboration with communication platforms.

Use synchronous communication platforms that are either integrated into the project management software or choose an independent communication platform depending on what your team needs.

Working asynchronously as a team can be challenging for team communication and collaboration but also have many benefits like providing team members with autonomy, empowerment, and agency over their work and granting each team member the ability to shape their working hours around their personal life.

2. Virtual team building

video call

For hybrid teams that have employees spread across different time zones, virtual team building is essential for continually getting to know each other and building relationships.

To initiate virtual team building efforts, you can:

  • Have virtual events
Having fun, virtual events can help to build relationships within hybrid teams. Scheduling virtual events to chat about life and participate in team-building exercises like icebreakers, solving puzzles, and more can help to bring teams together outside of work. Additionally, choosing a date and time to celebrate holidays together in a virtual event can help commemorate the occasion for the whole team.
  • Meet with your team one-on-one
One-on-one sessions between co-workers can also help people get to know each other personally on an individual level. Managers can take the initiative to have supportive meetings with their team so that healthy feedback can be exchanged.
  • Express your gratitude
Sending emails or messages to colleagues to express gratitude and appreciation for each other’s work can also help to build virtual relationships by creating a work culture that celebrates the individual and collective wins of the team.

3. Having in-person meetings

Planning and scheduling in-person team meetings is absolutely essential to supplement the virtual team building that you do as a hybrid team. It allows people on hybrid teams to set down all distractions and get to know each other face-to-face while building trust and creating meaningful relationships.

Putting together in-person meetings for hybrid teams requires your team to choose how often to have these in-person meetings. A common frequency for in-person meetings amongst hybrid teams is one to four times a year, depending on what your team needs, the time needed to plan the travel, venue, and accommodation arrangements, the cost of each meeting, and how long the meeting lasts.

Another point to address when planning your in-person team meeting is to ask what the objectives for the meeting are. 

If your team is meeting purely for team-building purposes, you can plan to engage in fun team-building activities, like a round of introductions, icebreakers, and game nights. 

On the other hand, your team could incorporate brainstorming exercises where you have roadmap sessions to incorporate ideas from team members about new projects that are on brand and will bring in revenue for and awareness of the company, if the team has the time and energy to tackle new projects and goals.

4. Maintain mental and physical health - How to

It can be challenging for hybrid teams to maintain their mental and physical health when they are working. One of the best ways to support your hybrid team to take care of both their mental and physical health is to have a list of suggestions to guide them so that they can continue to thrive and put their best foot forward while working. Here are some suggestions of healthy activities that people can do every day or several times a week to support their mental and physical health:
  • Drinking enough water to maintain good hydration
  • Writing in a gratitude journal
  • Taking small breaks during the day
  • Sleeping well
  • Walking outside 
  • Choosing to participate in a favorite form of exercise
  • Enjoying some sunshine
  • Setting up time everyday to go screenless

Case study: Airbnb went from in-office to hybrid successfully

Back in April, Airbnb revealed its ambitious plan to have their employees choose whether they want to work in the office or work remotely anywhere in the world. Their asynchronous restructuring plan is further proof that companies can go from working in an office to working on a hybrid basis without losing productivity or team collaboration.

Advice for managers leading hybrid teams

If you manage a hybrid team, the key takeaway is to be mindful of what your team needs based on the nature of the work your team does, the work-life balance that each team member maintains, and how often and extensively your team should be communicating and collaborating. If your team is content and connected, they will excel in their work which will fuel the success of your company.

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About Malia Gibson

Hi there, I'm Malia! I am a compassionate and creative digital marketer who enjoys helping companies build and engage with their online communities. I gained marketing experience as the Digital Content Manager for the youth constituency of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. I have traveled to 26 countries as a digital nomad and enjoy hiking, kayaking, and meeting new people. Feel free to reach out and connect with me via my LinkedIn profile!