Hybrid working: How to achieve perfect teamwork in the home office!

Hybrid working: How to achieve perfect teamwork in the home office!

In a world in which hybrid working is increasingly recognized as normal, business IT specialists are researching University of Siegen How virtually connected colleagues can be perceived as equal team members in hybrid work situations. The PRAESCO project, which is funded with 1.6 million euros, aims to investigate the asymmetry between employees present and those participating online and to develop innovative technical solutions. Professor Dr. Marc Hassenzahl, the project manager, emphasizes the importance of trust-based collaboration in complex areas of work.

More and more companies are recognizing the relevance of hybrid models in a networked, global working world. The return to the office is being discussed, while employees appreciate the flexibility of mobile working. However, a study by the Economics and Social Sciences Institute of the Hans Böckler Foundation shows that employees working from home often have poorer opportunities for advancement and are perceived as less committed. These new working models emerged in response to the challenges companies faced during the Corona pandemic.

Research approaches and challenges

The PRAESCO project explores how structured hybrid meetings and spontaneous office collaboration can improve feelings of belonging and communication. Around 380,000 euros of the funding will go to the University of Siegen. Partners in the project include the TU Dortmund, the Westphalian University and Colenet GmbH. A key goal is to develop an interactive device that could use visual cues such as colored lights to increase the presence of team members connected online.

The project team is also planning technical solutions for office collaboration in smaller groups, such as video windows and avatars. In order to actively involve users, panels of managers and employees from agile working environments should be formed. Professor Hassenzahl emphasizes the need to promote emotional closeness in a professional environment in order to sustainably improve the quality of collaboration.

Strengthening collaboration

However, hybrid working requires more than just technical solutions. The need to shed old ways of thinking and structure organizations so that true collaboration is possible is clicking. Companies must adapt their processes to new ways of working, break down silos and clearly distribute responsibility. A clearly defined Target Operating Model (TOM) offers a strategic advantage in order to be able to act more flexibly and innovatively KPMG reported.

In addition, the strengthening of skills for hybrid and digital collaboration through targeted training programs is required. Important factors are the establishment of new forms of communication and the use of digital tools for effective collaboration. Regular meetings with fixed communication rules help to promote collaboration across different locations and improve exchange between teams.

The new normal also requires measures to promote IT security and employee well-being. A focus on IT health is crucial to identify security gaps in the infrastructure and thus strengthen employees' trust in digital work processes. Only through a healthy working environment can long-term successful digital collaboration be guaranteed Provalida emphasized.