A hybrid team mixes freelancers and employees that provide companies with faster development, increased flexibility, and access to more skill sets. Rather than having the in-office staff create the MVP and do all the work, hybrid teams can be a great way to test new services, projects, or ideas.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The cloud-based nature of hybrid teams and the social benefits of working in the office make hybrid teams an excellent option for many different businesses, both large and small.
- You can hire specific ‘as needed’ support for projects and day-to-day tasks, rather than hiring more full-time staff.
- Your company becomes much more nimble – if new opportunities arise, there’s minimal risk in adding extra capacity quickly to meet demand.
Hybrid Companies
Hybrid companies are a new breed of organization, and they’re growing in popularity. This new organizational model can potentially change the way we work forever.
A hybrid company is an organization that combines traditional business models with new digital tools to achieve incredible speed, efficiency, and productivity.
Companies other than start-ups have embraced hybrid work— including large global organizations like GE, P&G, Unilever, and many others. Hybrid companies are composed of employees and contractors (including freelancers) who act as one big team. OKR framework is an agile collaborative work management model that can effectively integrate remote teams.
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What Is a Hybrid Team?
A hybrid team is a group of people who work together to accomplish a common goal. They may be from different departments, companies, or other countries. A hybrid team can get assembled temporarily for a specific project or as an ongoing team over the long term. They have hybrid team management that holds it in place.
The most common hybrid team combines people from different disciplines, such as marketing and development, into one cohesive unit. Other hybrid teams combine people from different companies or organizations, such as when two companies collaborate on a project. A positive hybrid employee experience is vital for the success of a hybrid team.
Technology now allows people to connect anytime, anywhere, to anyone in the world, from almost any device. This is dramatically changing the way people work, facilitating 24/7 collaboration with colleagues who are dispersed across time zones, countries, and continents.
Who Makes Up a Hybrid Team?
A hybrid team comprises individuals with different skills and expertise who contribute their knowledge and resources to the project.
It’s essential for each team member to feel like their contribution gets valued by the hybrid team management and everyone else involved in the project; otherwise, the resulting product or service may not reflect what’s truly needed by customers or clients.
The following are some examples of people who might make up a hybrid team:
- Marketing experts with technical knowledge who can help develop new products for consumers
- Designers who know how to create products that appeal to both men and women
- Engineers who can design software systems that are easy-to-use
Essential Things to Consider When Creating Your Hybrid Team
There are many things to consider. Organizations can get insights about hybrid teams by analyzing some hybrid culture examples. Here’s an overview of the critical things to consider when creating your hybrid team:
1. The type of skills and experience you need for your project. What kind of expertise do you need? What type of skills does each person need?
2. The location of people on your team. Do they all work from home or in one place? How much travel will be required?
3. How much time will each person spend on the project? Some people may work full-time while others can only contribute part-time hours per week.
4. Whether or not this is a permanent arrangement or if it’s just temporary until you find other contractors who can fill in temporarily as needed.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Hybrid Teams?
Benefits of Hybrid System
More ideas
A hybrid team’s diverse background means that it has access to a broader range of ideas and knowledge about how things work. It leads to better solutions since you’re pulling from multiple perspectives rather than just one person’s idea or experience.
More flexibility in the hiring process
Hybrid teams usually consist of people who already have jobs elsewhere, so hiring them doesn’t require time-consuming interviews or onboarding processes. One of the hybrid team’s best practices is an agreement that they’ll work on your project as needed (often referred to as “contingent staffing”).
They improve collaboration between departments.
Hybrid teams can bring together people with similar skills and experience but from different business areas. In that case, they will be able to collaborate more effectively than if they were working alone.
Enables them to share information quickly and learn from one another. It also makes it easier to share ideas and feedback, resulting in finding better solutions for problems or challenges facing your business.
Challenges of Hybrid Teams
While hybrid teams can be beneficial, there are some drawbacks to keep in mind, such as:
Lack of team cohesion
The members might not have worked together before and may not have a foundation on which they can build teamwork.
Communication issues
Since hybrid teams come from different areas of expertise, they may have different ways of communicating, which means there will be some growing pains as everyone learns how to communicate effectively.
Lack of accountability
Because the team is across different time zones and locations, it’s more difficult for someone who isn’t meeting their responsibilities to be accountable for their actions.
How Do You Manage a Hybrid Team?
Leading hybrid teams can be tricky because they’re not like regular employees. If you don’t handle them correctly, they may feel disgruntled and undervalued by their organization or boss. And this can affect the hybrid work environment depending on how well they do their job.
Here’s how you can manage your hybrid team:
Make sure everyone understands their role. A hybrid team means different things for different people, so make sure everyone knows what they need to do, when they need to do it and how to communicate.
Make sure everyone has access to the same tools. If your company uses Slack or Google Hangouts for communication, ensure that all team members have access to these tools before working on any project together. Hybrid teams work better when aligned with the objectives of the organizations using agile OKR tools.
Use video calling as much as possible. Video calling makes it easy for people in different locations to communicate and collaborate on projects even when they aren’t in the same physical space.
Encourage collaboration between teams. When possible, have members from one team take part in another team’s activities or projects. This way, they will get to know each other personally and professionally. It helps when it comes time for them to work together on something new or challenging.
How to Lead a Hybrid Team
While hybrid teams have some benefits, leading hybrid teams can also be challenging if you’re unfamiliar with the unique challenges. Below are some tips for leading a hybrid team:
1. Keep Your Team Small
2. Focus On One Thing At A Time
3. Use Your Strengths To Maximize Productivity
4. Don’t Let The Productivity Of Others Slow Down Your Project
5. Always Have A Plan B
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
How long should I expect my hybrid team to last?
The length of time a hybrid team will exist varies based on how long it takes to accomplish its specific task or deliverable. Some projects may only last for a few months, while others could take years. It’s essential to define your goals upfront to know when to disband your hybrid team once you meet these goals.
Is there anything that makes a hybrid team different from other teams?
Hybrid teams often have their budget and resources, which means they can operate independently of other groups. It makes them highly flexible and efficient at getting things done.
How is a hybrid team different from a traditional team?
In traditional teams, all members have similar experience levels and skill sets.
In contrast, in a hybrid team, the members may work on different aspects of the same project or separate projects. A hybrid team can also consist of people who don’t work together every day or week but will come together for specific projects or tasks.
Conclusion
The hybrid team is a game-changer in the post-pandemic world. It has found its place as a unique combination of cross-discipline projects and created amazing innovations in digital experiences: apps, websites, software, and more.
Each team member contributes their skillsets by integrating experts from different areas, and each team member contributes their skill sets to enhance the final product. The hybrid team can be an ultimate innovative resource that utilizes knowledge from related disciplines. Book a free demo with our team to learn more about how OKR software can optimize your hybrid team’s performance!