What’s the most daunting challenge team leaders and managers face? Well, it’s not the actual management part- reviews are far trickier, right? And they can be even tougher if you manage a hybrid team. The biggest struggle is to ensure justice and equality for remote and on-site workers.
Statistics show that nearly 49.8% of employees work on a hybrid model in the post-pandemic times, and the number may grow in the future. It means hybrid performance reviews are the new normal, so you’ve got to live with them and master them.
Worry not, managers! We’ve got a list of best practices for conducting effective performance reviews for your hybrid team. So buckle up and dive in!
Set clear expectations
Setting clear expectations is the key to effective performance reviews, regardless of where your employees work from. But it gets a tad more important when working with a hybrid team. Communication can sometimes become choppy, so you’ve got to let people know what you expect of them.
Also, define the metrics you will use to evaluate them. Being upfront and transparent about what success looks like makes life easy for every employee, whether they work from home or the office. It also makes them comfortable, so they feel engaged and motivated in the long run.
Conduct regular check-ins
Regular check-ins help you keep tabs on progress and provide feedback to employees along the way. Be ready to go the extra mile with a hybrid team as you won’t have as many opportunities to chat with people in person. Scheduling regular check-ins with each team member individually does the trick.
You can discuss their progress and learn about issues they’re facing. Also, provide feedback and coaching on specific flaws or behaviors that require attention.
Think comprehensive
Assessing hybrid teams is never easy because you don’t have a common yardstick to measure the performance of employees. But you can opt for comprehensive 360 degree reviews to get a broader picture of individual strengths and weaknesses.
Invest in the best 360 feedback tools to get the process on track. Involve managers, peers, direct reports, and anyone else employees work with to dig deep into their performance and work style. It definitely brings everyone on the same page!
However, it’s also up to you as a leader to determine how you can get the best out of your staff, because it’s not always about attitude, but equipment and agility. That might include integrating the best FinOps services or more adequate cloud computing platforms, improving collaboration at all levels
Use a mix of criteria
A mix of objective and subjective criteria can be a great way to evaluate the performance of a remote team. Objective criteria can include things like hitting sales targets and meeting deadlines. Conversely, subjective criteria are more about soft skills such as teamwork or leadership.
By using a mix, you get a complete picture of each team member’s performance, no matter where they work.
Provide Constructive Feedback
This one’s a given to create a successful performance review process, and hybrid ones are no exception. As a rule, you must provide constructive feedback to ensure a good environment within your organization.
Be specific and actionable when offering suggestions for improvement. Focus on your team member’s strengths and accomplishments to build their confidence and motivation. You can also provide employee incentives that encourage further improvement. Experts like Freddie Vasquez Jr can give you some ideas for events or activities that are more unusual than a cliche pizza party and it could even generate interest in different activities.