​​The new rules of employee face-to-face time

We need to ensure there is simply as little imbalance as possible in who has access to their manager, regardless of whether that face-to-face time is real or virtual. Ricoh’s default work style is hybrid, but we do not mandate what that looks like for each employee or team. We have been moving to a new approach called “Our Normal” as we recognized the importance of teamwork and the need for greater care for new hires. Through Our Normal, Ricoh asks each team at HQ to discuss and decide for themselves what hybrid schedule will work best. This minimizes the likelihood that some team members are not getting fair and equal access to the manager.

Then we ensure regular one-on-one meetings between team leaders and each of their direct reports, which can be either physical or remote depending on what the team has decided. Each employee knows they have regular access to their team leader.

One of the greatest challenges hybrid organizations face is ensuring equitable distribution of focus for remote employees. This includes ensuring not only that they get face time with leaders but also that they feel engaged, part of a greater story, that they belong, and that they’re adding value to the organization. One way I’ve seen this accomplished is through an employee resource group led by passionate remote employees, which can uplift remote employees’ voices and ensure visibility not only to leadership but throughout the organization.

In some ways, managing career advancement in a hybrid world is more critical than ever. I’ve seen recently that when I ask employees what drives them, there is a fundamental shift toward variety in answers. This leads me to believe that cookie-cutter career-pathing programs are no longer going to retain employees.

My research has shown that hybrid work is most effective with around 25 percent of workdays in the office. So how should managers reimagine the process of mentoring direct reports in that situation?

The solution is very simple. That 25 percent of time in the office should be reserved for social interactions, not for any kind of individual work, which we can do from anywhere. It’s for collaboration, for one-on-one mentoring, and for other social interactions that help people develop bonds in the workplace. Managers need to be consistent about that. If someone is showing up more often in the office, that should not bias their performance ratings.

We also need to measure performance or productivity based on the output of work, not the input of work.

During the pandemic, we were all isolated. Consequently, teams became very insulated. If they didn’t have to collaborate with other teams, it simply didn’t happen. The logistical challenges were just too difficult. The relationship building and collaboration that would have naturally occurred if, for example, we were all working on the same floor or bumping into each other while getting our afternoon coffee, was simply impossible. This is a challenge if you want to develop a well-rounded workforce—one where people have both the skills and interpersonal connections to thrive within your organization.

To reframe this challenge into opportunity, leaders should remember that we are in a post-pandemic world. Reimagine face-to-face time as an opportunity to deepen cross-functional relationships, build culture, and share information about our successes and challenges.