Five ways to build a thriving work culture for hybrid teams

Hybrid working hit the news again recently when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggested that the ‘default’ location for workers should be in the office full-time. But many firms are still approaching the idea of a full-time office mandate with caution. 

And that caution may be wise – a recent Deloitte survey found that around three quarters of millennial and Gen Z workers would consider finding a new role if they were asked to go into their workplace full time.

For many companies, hybrid working – with a few days a week in the office together, and a couple from home – provides the perfect happy medium. But there’s no doubt that without efforts to cultivate a thriving work culture for everyone, the hybrid model risks some employees becoming disengaged and disconnected.

In this post, we’re rounding up the best ways to revitalise your workplace culture and make the most of those all-important office days. Here’s what’s in store:

Recognise achievements and celebrate each individual

Elevate your office with in-work perks

Adapt your schedule for in-office days

Get creative with your workplace socials

Recognise achievements and celebrate each individual

Recent research from McKinsey has found that up to 55 percent of employee engagement is driven by non-financial recognition. People want to be recognised and rewarded for the individual qualities they bring to work each day, not just for the end product they put out.

A great way to make the most of having everyone together in the office is to organise a regular mini-social that celebrates your team’s achievements, however ‘small.’ This could be as simple as incorporating an ‘achievement of the week’ section into your town hall meeting, or a Friday wrap-up of each team’s highlights. 

Encourage colleagues to nominate teammates for those less tangible elements of work that really make a difference . It might be something like taking the time to walk a new starter through a tricky task, or jumping in to support a colleague on a challenging customer call.

And if you have a set of company values, celebrate the ways in which your employees embody them! Committed to innovation? Give a shout-out to the teammate who suggested a more efficient format for your morning standup. Dedicated to customers? Give props to the colleague who went above and beyond to resolve a client query.

Make things special by combining your shout-out session with a free lunch, or maybe a few drinks on the house at the end of a busy week. If you need some inspiration, take a look at our corporate services to see where Togather can help.

Elevate your office with in-work perks

Heading into the office shouldn’t have to feel like a chore. So while there’s only so much you can do to alleviate the effort of the commute itself (let’s face it – you can’t do anything to make the Central Line less cramped!), there are plenty of perks you can bring into the workplace to make in-office days something for everyone to look forward to.

Bring the buzz of a street food market into the office with a mouthwatering spread from the likes of London’s ChicP or Glasgow’s Mrs Falafel.  Or, help to offset some of the common costs associated with travelling into work by laying on free coffee and pastries for your team. (For many of us, working from home over lockdown definitely highlighted just how much we could save by not heading to Pret or Starbucks every day!).

We’re pretty sure it’s a scientific fact that everyone’s more productive once they’ve fuelled up on a flat white from Origin Coffee, or treated themselves to a cappuccino from the Handlebar Barista – maybe even with your company logo sprinkled on the foam.

When it comes down to it, perks don’t have to be big or flashy to get results. It’s all about the little ways you can make your teammates glad they made the trip into the office that day.

Adapt your schedule for in-office days

With everybody suitably fed & caffeinated, it’s time to get to work. 

Make the most of your team being together by scheduling meetings and collaborative activities for when you’re in the office. This might mean mandating people to come in on specific days of the week, but this kind of forward planning pays off when it comes to fostering a thriving workplace culture. 

Just make sure that every member of your team feels as consulted as possible when it comes to choosing the days you spend in the office – flexibility and a focus on work/life balance are a priority of over half of the country’s workforce.

With an agenda for in-office days in place, focused tasks and individual work can be earmarked specifically for WFH days.  

Adapting your team schedule to suit a hybrid working pattern allows your team to reap the individual benefits of home working, but also maximise the impact of the time you spend together. 

Give everybody their time to shine

Another way to maximise your in-office time is to incorporate things like training sessions and professional development into your schedule. 

A great way to do this is to introduce a company sharing lunch slot, where employees from around the company can sign up to present (or bring in a speaker) on the topic of their choice.

And it doesn’t necessarily need to be work-related – topics could include anything from marketing to Minecraft. The important thing is that everyone gets a chance to hone their public speaking skills, and the business is treated to an informative session that helps everyone get to know the speaker a little better.

Of course, every sharing session will need some brain food – think satiating soups and satisfying bánh mì to tuck into as you learn. We’re feeling smarter already…

Speak to us about setting up a regular slot for one of our food suppliers to come in and fuel your sessions.

Get creative with your workplace socials

With 45% of people ranking workplace culture as the number one factor in whether they take a new job, it’s clear that it really pays to invest in the social side of the workplace. 

With the boundaries between work and home life blurring more and more, office socials are a big part of many employees’ social lives – which means people are looking for more than a few beers and a limp pizza at the end of the week.

Opt for socials that create a buzz around the office on in-work days. A great option for this is to host a ‘happy hour’ towards the end of the week, where employees can wind down in the office without having to commit to a whole evening out. (This is particularly handy if you have lots of team members who commute significant distances to work).

Bring the bar in-house with a pop-up from the likes of The Alchemist, or combine kicking back with doing good by ordering from a social enterprise like Tap Social Brewery. 

And remember, it’s not all about the booze. Mix things up with interactive socials like quiz nights (or afternoons!) and karaoke, or go for a wellness theme with yoga and meditation sessions. 

From breathwork to gong baths, companies like The Wellbeing Agency are on hand to deliver any number of calming sessions to help everybody wind down for the weekend.

For more ideas on workplace socials with a difference, check out our roundup of events inspiration for every month of the year.

Create a workplace culture that stands out from the crowd

Whether it’s a one-off event or an ongoing calendar of treats and perks, Togather is here to help you build a legendary workplace culture for your team.

Explore the full range of our corporate services for inspiration, or go right ahead and make an enquiry for your next social. Our events experts are on hand to transform your office and achieve the (almost) impossible – get your team looking forward to every day at work.