[CEO Interview] Philippe Pinault: Best Practices for Hybrid Work

Hybrid work, that is, the combination of on-site work and remote work, is booming as never before. But while more and more companies are adopting this way of working (out of necessity or by choice), they are still far from having perfected their approach to managing and organizing remote work.

To understand how to successfully implement a hybrid work model, we interviewed Philippe Pinault, CEO and co-founder of Talkspirit, who shared his perspective on several key questions:

• How can remote work and in-person work be balanced, especially in SMEs?
• What are the best practices for managing hybrid teams?
• What tools need to be in place?

How Can Remote Work and In-Person Work Be Balanced in SMEs?

The Covid crisis very suddenly forced companies to completely rethink the way they work. Since lockdown, work has become more and more hybrid, with both on-site work and remote work.

Read also: Bertrand Duperrin: Towards a Hybrid Work Model

I think this is an opportunity to rethink the way we work together, by combining these two approaches. It is also something employees really want, since they have appreciated the flexibility of being able to work from home now and then. Of course, combining remote work and on-site work means you have to adopt the right tools in order to work more effectively.

What is your advice for managing teams that are now hybrid?

New ways of working bring new practices, particularly for managers. It is no longer about managing by sight, checking that everyone is at their desk and “working”. The manager, who may still have had a control-based approach, becomes more of a leader who is there to serve the team, to help it reach its goals and deliver its projects.

That means rethinking the way you manage, by setting clear goals, scheduling regular progress reviews, and being available to help your team, so as to make it easier for them to move forward and reach their targets. The manager now has to be a facilitator, the person who unblocks complicated situations. Alongside that, they have to spread a results culture within the team, because distance forces you to switch to an approach that gives each employee more autonomy: with goals, a roadmap, a regular assessment of what has been delivered, and a frequent review of the KPIs.

What Tools Are Needed to Work Effectively in Hybrid Mode?

Remote work also means tools that support these new ways of working as a team. What I have in mind, of course, are collaboration solutions, and Talkspirit is one of them. They help information circulate better, make communication smoother, and support file and document sharing; everything you need to work together better, day to day. And obviously, for me the star feature is now video conferencing: in this hybrid context, it replaces the visual link with colleagues, especially in meetings. So it is crucial.

Read also: 18 Essential Tools for Switching to Remote Work

What Impact Can These Tools Have on the Cohesion, Motivation and Productivity of Hybrid Teams?

Talkspirit is an essential tool for remote work, since it brings the whole organization together online, in a single workspace. The collaboration platform has a very social function, which feeds cohesion and a sense of belonging. Everyone comes to it to share information and access what others have shared, to get in sync and work together thanks to collaborative work features.

That said, we must not forget the essential role of on-site work in recreating those moments of “living together”. Because a company is first of all a collective. A lot of human beings. Nothing will replace being there in person. For companies, the new challenge is to rethink the on-site work experience, as a complement to remote work. To give it a key role again in this new “on-site / remote” balance that remains to be defined.

Read also: Phygital work, the new challenge for the employee experience

Any Final Advice for SMEs Making the Shift to Hybrid Work?

To work in hybrid mode, I can only invite you to try Talkspirit for free, as it is very easy to get started with. Our teams' advice will let you roll out your platform quickly, and see the added value both for your internal communication and for collaborative work within your teams.

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Want to learn more about hybrid work best practices? Check out our ebook "The Future of Work: Embracing Hybrid Work!"

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In our ebook "The Future of Work: Embracing Hybrid Work!", you will discover: the 8 main challenges of hybrid work; best practices for managers, HR, internal communications, IT leaders, and employees; along with the tools you need to facilitate hybrid work.

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