Bridge the Communication Gap in Your Hybrid Workplace with Lorino

For many, remote work was supposed to be a quick fix for a temporary situation, but as employees and employers alike have become used to the idea of flexible work, it’s clear that this setup isn’t just a ‘stopgap’ measure.

Hybrid work is here to stay.

This type of workplace offers many benefits, such as increased flexibility, cost savings, and access to a larger talent pool. However, it also brings its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to communication.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the common communication challenges in a hybrid workplace and how Lorino can help bridge the gap.

The Challenges of a Hybrid Workplace

Most companies that adopted hybrid work, have done so without having the proper infrastructure in place to support it. As mentioned before, for most remote work was supposed to be a temporary solution and most had to implement it overnight and then adjust as they went.

This sudden change of setting has brought many challenges:

1. Communication

The main challenge of hybrid and remote work is communication. Keeping teams connected and informed can be difficult without face-to-face contact, especially when employees are scattered across multiple locations or working from home.

The rise of Zoom during the pandemic is just one of the signs that email and chats simply aren't enough to keep teams connected.

But having most of your team on video calls all day is not only impractical, but it can also stifle productivity and creativity.

So finding ways to communicate effectively is paramount to having a productive hybrid team.

2. Collaboration

Collaboration between remote and in-house teams can also be a challenge. When communicating through emails or chats, it's easy for information to get lost or misunderstood, which can lead to confusion and frustration.

Another challenge is fostering social connections between team members who may be working remotely from different locations.

For people to work well together, there needs to be team cohesion and trust. This can be difficult when members of the team are isolated from each other, which can lead to a lack of understanding and empathy.

3. Innovation

Remote and hybrid work can also create obstacles when it comes to innovation. As teams are dispersed across multiple locations, brainstorming ideas can be more challenging.

Ideas may get lost in the shuffle and team members don't have the same level of access to resources or assistance that they would if everyone were in one place.

They also might lack trust and understanding of each other, making it difficult for them to come up with creative solutions.

4. Culture

The lack of in-person contact can make it difficult to build a strong company culture. Without the ability to meet face-to-face and interact with each other, teams may struggle to develop trust and understanding between members.

There’s also the risk of employees feeling isolated from their colleagues and disconnected from the company mission.

If you don't have systems in place that share and connect people to your company's values, mission, and purpose, your team may have trouble feeling truly part of the organization.

5. Employee Engagement

Keeping employees engaged is tricky in any type of work setting, but it can be even more difficult when you're dealing with hybrid teams.

Engagement is a complex issue, but it has to do with making sure that each employee feels valued and connected to the company.

Without systems in place to create a sense of community, employees may feel ignored or miss out on important updates and decisions.

Also, if you don't find a way to share successes, celebrate wins, and recognize hard work, your team may struggle to stay motivated.

How Lorino Can Help

As you can see, most of the issues related to hybrid and remote work stem from the lack of communication, so having the right tools in place is essential. And Lorino was created for that purpose specifically.

In the midst of the pandemic, with all our colleagues working from home, we saw the need for an all-in-one platform to keep everyone connected, informed, and engaged.

So we created Lorino to do just that.

Our platform helps organizations foster better communication, collaboration, and innovation among remote, hybrid teams with its simple yet powerful functionalities.

1. Post updates, announcements, and other info in bite-sized posts

Keeping everyone informed and involved starts with easily accessible and digestible information. With Lorino, you can post updates, announcements, and other info in bite-sized posts that your team can access quickly at any time.

In order to not add to the information overload of hybrid workplaces, Lorino has no push notifications. This means that the posts, news, and updates you post will be seen by everyone when they log into the platform – but only when they choose to.

2. Centralize information and easily target content

Having a centralized hub for all your company information is essential in any company, but even more so for hybrid work.

Lorino allows you to easily organize documents, files, and other resources on our platform so everyone can access them as needed.

You can also target the content to either specific teams, departments, or the entire organization by assigning posts to different topics.

This makes Lorino also easily searchable, which is a key feature to look for when it comes to information management.

3. Create a sense of community

While having plenty of channels for formal exchanges is great for day-to-day operations, it’s not enough to create a strong bond among hybrid teams.

That’s why Lorino allows you to post photos and videos from events, share successes and interesting stories, or simply engage in casual conversations with colleagues.

Employees can comment and react to posts, start threaded conversations, congratulate one another on accomplishments, and even virtually celebrate holidays or birthdays.

This helps foster a sense of community and belonging while reducing isolation and creating more meaningful connections.

4. Recognize achievements and celebrate successes

An important part of keeping employees motivated and engaged is recognizing their achievements, but also providing them with a platform where they can celebrate successes with each other.

And Lorino allows you to do just that.

Everyone is encouraged to share their achievements, be it that they acquired a certificate, finished a project, or just completed a task.

Team members can comment and congratulate each other, which helps create a supportive environment that encourages the sharing of best practices and knowledge – fostering collaboration and innovation in the process.

These types of public acknowledgments help people feel appreciated for their contributions to the company’s success and boost morale.

5. Encourage knowledge sharing and informal learning

A lot of institutional knowledge is passed on verbally - be it through in-person conversations, casual chats, or even after-office activities.

But with hybrid work, these types of learning opportunities are harder to come by. A knowledge-sharing platform like Lorino can help bridge the gap by enabling informal learning and knowledge exchange.

Team members can easily share documents, articles, or podcasts that provide valuable insights, as well as ask questions or start discussions on topics they’re interested in. This way, colleagues have access to helpful resources and opportunities to learn from each other.

6. Easy integration as it is a standalone app

The best part is, that the app is a standalone solution that does not require you to uproot your existing systems.

It's not a replacement for any of the tools your team uses and loves, like Slack or Google Apps. Rather, it provides an additional layer, tying everything together and creating a complete ecosystem for hybrid work.

This way, you can maintain the convenience and familiarity of the tools your employees are already familiar with, while also giving them an additional platform to connect and collaborate.

In Conclusion

Lorino is a comprehensive solution for hybrid work that helps create a sense of community, recognizes achievements and successes, and encourages knowledge sharing and informal learning.

If you want to find out how Lorino can transform your hybrid workforce, contact us today and let’s talk. We’ll be happy to help you get the best out of your team!