For some, returning to work after the holidays meant returning to the office five days a week. But a whole lot of other people are still working at home at least part of the time. Policies on remote and hybrid work vary by industry, but 80% of companies offer some form of remote work, and more than a third of workers perform some or all of their job at home. While some companies will continue to shift policies, hybrid work isn’t going away. It’s just too important to employees, with two-thirds citing opportunities for remote work as the most important aspect of a job.
Research is starting to show what employees have been saying all along: Remote work supports productivity. But as we embrace the positives of this new environment, we also have to address the challenges. As an executive coach and the creator of the New Lens® learning platform, the challenge that’s most on my mind is developing employees in the hybrid world. A survey by McKinsey & Co. found that remote and hybrid employees were much more likely than fully in-office employees to report “an inability to learn new skills to meet changing expectations.” We’re also seeing a skills gap with younger employees, who may have started their careers working remotely during the pandemic. They’re having trouble with “human skills” like communication and collaboration that older employees learned through their years in the office.
Increasing and improving development opportunities for remote and hybrid workers must be top of mind for leaders in 2025. Accomplishing this goal doesn’t require huge amounts of time or money. But it does take intention. Here are a few of my favorite strategies:
1. Schedule Office Days Strategically
When it comes to employee development, the important factor isn’t just having your people in the office. It’s having them there with colleagues they can learn from. If your hybrid work policy is relatively loose, consider adding some structure. For example, instead of simply saying that everyone needs to be in the office one day per week, establish that Team A works in person on Tuesdays, Team B on Wednesdays, etc.
2. Create Networking Opportunities
Your employees also need strong relationships outside their teams. So, in addition to team co-working days, look for ways to help your team members connect with other departments in your company. I’ve seen great results from development programs that bring together employees from across an organization, such as a cohort of high-potential women.
3. Combat Managers’ Proximity Bias
For some managers, remote workers are “out of sight, out of mind.” As a consequence, they may be more likely to perceive the people they see more often as high performers and recommend them for development opportunities. Companies can address proximity bias by revisiting performance metrics to make sure they are fair to remote workers.
4. Start a Mentorship Program
Having a mentor can be especially useful for younger employees who are still trying to figure out the unwritten rules of your organization.
5. Don’t Forget About Feedback
As a longtime executive coach, I can tell you that plenty of managers tended to put off giving feedback well before the rise of remote work. With less face time with their reports, procrastination gets even easier. My advice on feedback is the same as it’s always been: Deliver it in the moment, be specific, focus on the effects of the employee’s actions. In the hybrid environment, though, you have to get deliberate about seizing those opportunities.
6. Tap into Learning Technology
Work happens everywhere now. And the same should be true of development opportunities. As our experiences with New Lens have shown us, people are open to learning they can access anytime, anywhere. If your company’s development opportunities all require in-person participation, it’s time to consider high-tech options that are more accessible to remote workers.
7. Remember the Fundamentals
When you think about employee training, does your mind first go to technology skills like AI? Tech training is important, of course. But, as I mentioned earlier, human skills are the biggest shortcoming of many young employees. And remote work won’t make that any less true. In fact, skills like communication, adaptability and relationship-building are even more important now that we see our colleagues less often.
Learning Anywhere, Anytime
Reimagining your approach to learning and development will help your organization give employees the flexibility they want now while also ensuring that you’re creating leaders for the future. Just as we all tapped into our powers of adaptability when the pandemic closed offices, we can now reinvent learning and development in ways that benefit both companies and employees.
As you make L&D plans for 2025, we invite you to explore New Lens, our leadership development platform. It focuses on the leadership capabilities that truly drive success at all levels – from strategic thinking to impactful communication to relationship building.
We help leaders develop these capabilities through a combination of:
Practical, relevant content that can be immediately applied.
Peer and expert coaching that reinforces learning.
Connection with others to build lasting networks and support systems.
To learn more, visit www.newlensleadership.com or contact us at info@newlensleadership.com.