The success and productivity of a team depends on several factors. Leadership is one of them. Being successful in this endeavor is a major challenge for leaders in any area, and leading a hybrid team can be even more challenging.

Dividing the journey between face-to-face and remote work brings some obstacles, such as task tracking, the development of trust between members and the cultivation of a good relationship.

According to the Robert Half Confidence Index , 91% of recruiters believe that hybrid teams are now part of the permanent model for hiring offices.

If you are facing this task or want to prepare your company for it, we bring you valuable tips on the leadership profile of hybrid teams and how to perform this role successfully. Follow and learn more.

Profile of the hybrid team leader

A hybrid team is when one part of the team works remotely, while the other performs its duties in the office. This requires a lot of play by the leadership, since even in separate environments, the team must walk together, presenting the expected results.

The ideal profile to lead this team format includes the skills below.

Understanding the behavioral profile

One of the secrets to successful leadership is to understand that a team is, in fact, a grouping of individuals, where each has its own personality. That is, what works for one person may not apply to another.

Therefore, understanding the behavioral profile, knowing your wishes and demands is fundamental. This can be discovered right at the time of recruitment and selection, where tests are applied that reveal these characteristics.

Taking an interest in everyday challenges

Remote work brings some extra challenges to the workday. Firstly, because the obstacles that are part of the work routine go beyond the barriers of the office. Second, working from home causes professionals to face other types of concerns.

For example, in the current context, many children are still out of class . With this, eventually, parents find it difficult to make a phone call or video call.

The leader must empathize and play a role in managing day-to-day challenges. Asking the team members how the day is going or if they can speak at that moment is a way of showing respect and understanding for the obstacles faced.

Challenges the leader must prepare to face

Anyone with experience and a leadership profile can manage a team, a function that involves more than just delegating tasks.

In general, a good leader should focus on the growth of the team and the company as a whole, using the strengths of each individual strategically. In the case of hybrid teams, as we noted earlier, in addition to the challenges related to leadership, it is still necessary to deal with the fact that the teams are sometimes present, sometimes absent.

Even the leader himself can sometimes be in the office and, sometimes, working remotely.

Know the main ones, related to the leadership of hybrid or totally remote teams.

Noises in communication

The 14th edition of the Robert Half Trust Index brings task planning, proximity to the team and communication at work on top of the challenges of hybrid work in companies.

If personally, when employees can see the expressions and feel the tone of a conversation, the company faces problems related to communication and work organization, dividing the face-to-face work with remote work can increase this difficulty.

The lack of eye contact can cause some expressions to be misunderstood. In addition, gossip and misunderstandings can increase, as employees are freer to talk privately.

Difficulties in rapport

Remote work can also hinder integration between teams and the relationship between professionals and their leader.

The lack of a face-to-face routine makes employees feel comfortable doing an increasingly individualized job, looking for co-workers and the manager only in times of doubt or when encountering difficulties.

This is also a data that appears in our Confidence Index. 64% of the interviewees believe that finding the right tools to manage the teams and maintain the integration in our format will be challenging.

Tips for leading a hybrid team

To succeed in leading hybrid teams and overcoming challenges, in addition to developing the desired behavioral profile, it is necessary to adopt some strategies. Meet the main ones.

Hold regular meetings

One of the leader’s roles is to define which tasks should be prioritized, delegate the functions among members, monitor and supervise the work. The resources that make these functions possible are regular meetings, which can be held in person or remotely.

The important thing is that the team members listen and be heard, indicate what they have done since the last meeting so far and clear up doubts about the next tasks.

It is also essential to find a balance between the frequency and duration of these meetings. Therefore, the leader must plan what will be spoken and how much time each professional will have to complete the delegated tasks. This helps to hold objective and really useful meetings.

Build confidence

The lack of trust between team members and professionals in relation to work can generate conflicts, decrease productivity and engagement, increase absenteeism, among other problems that harm professionals and the results of the company as a whole.

That is, when there is no trust, energy, time and efficiency are also lost. To reverse this situation and prevent this situation, some simple actions can be taken. We can quote:

• giving recognition – recognizing the performance of the teams is fundamental in any model of the journey, so that they remain continually stimulated;
• following commitments – honoring commitments made is essential so that employees do not feel threatened by the home-office;
• total transparency – communicating the company’s intentions behind each action and making the team aware of future plans is a way of stimulating confidence and eliminating mistrust about what happens when employees are not on-site.

Be present even from a distance

Remote work can make it difficult for the leader to stay present. After all, in the classroom, a good day is something that is part of the daily routine, and can be forgotten when the teams are not in the same physical environment. Others still have difficulty maintaining balance in this presence.

The secret is to talk to the teams every day, asking at the beginning of the journey how employees are doing and being accessible to anyone who wants to keep in touch during the routine.

It is necessary to make it clear that you value the ideas that emerge from day to day, the work performed, as well as being ready to understand the personal hallenges and problems that may arise when reconciling remote work with personal life.

Never forget that great leaders actively listen, build healthy relationships, show interest in teams and provide constructive feedback. Leading a hybrid team does not escape these premises.