How to be more productive in a new hybrid work environment.

After more than a year of working from home, Australian businesses and workers are now considering what the workplace will look like in 2022. Some are debating whether employees will be compelled to return to the workplace, given a choice to work from home permanently, or allowed to adopt a hybrid method that incorporates both.

Several businesses have chosen to invite workers back into the office, allowing them to establish hybrid work arrangements that enable people to work remotely (at least part-time).

But while having two separate workspaces – one in the office and another at home – has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks. So, how can you maintain the same level of enthusiasm and productivity when working in two spaces? And how can you keep organised and guarantee that you always have access to everything you need to ensure you’re working both comfortably and productively, whilst having a work-life balance?

Creating a productive hybrid work environment

Here are some tips for navigating the hybrid work-from-home landscape as seamlessly as possible in 2022.

1. Set up your home office in the same way you do at work. 

Your workstation should feel comfortable, relaxed, and natural no matter where you are. Making the different work areas as similar as possible—especially in terms of organisation and ergonomics—is just one way of reducing the friction of managing multiple workplaces. Our brains benefit from consistency and familiarity because they help us focus on the essentials.

Our top things that everyone should have on their desk:

• • Headphones (ideally noise-cancelling ones);
  • A universal charging station for all your devices;
  • Backup storage (flash drives);
  • An organiser for your office supplies (paper, pens, etc);
  • A task lamp (for the night owls); and
  • Framed photos of your kids, pets, or friends.

2. Make yourself accountable. 

While working from home has it’s benefits, frequent Zoom meetings can be very overwhelming and even stressful at times. To avoid burnout and missing any valuable information from your client meetings, consider recording your calls – it also helps for compliance purposes. It can save you time and adds an extra benefit for your client – their own personal recording to listen to your advice at any time. Just remember to ask permission before you press the Record button!

3. Make technology work for you. 

Integrity Life’s award-winning Adviser Portal allows Advisers to quote and apply for insurance with ease. Client authorities and declarations are done online, as are the offer and acceptance of Revised Terms.

This means no wet signatures are required during the application process, with the exception of Binding Beneficiary Nominations when taking out insurance within Integrity’s Here for You Super Plan.

You also have the option to send the Personal Statement to your clients via the Adviser Portal so they can complete it in their own time. We’ll let you know when the information has been completed so you can check it and submit the application. While we know this isn’t a solution for everyone, it can work for some clients. We’ve found that around 50% of our Advisers use this feature in 40% of cases and experience a 100% completion rate. This is (in part) because we do all the follow-up to ensure the forms are completed and because extensive user-testing means the forms are simple and easy for clients to complete.

4. Go for a hybrid approach to engage and secure new clients. 

While some clients still prefer in-person meetings, others may be unwilling to attend due to physical distance constraints and potential health hazards. Set goals in deciding on the right meeting format according to your client’s preference and plan a hybrid approach to meet your client’s expectations.

Lastly, engage your potential clients by employing low-cost digital marketing strategies to direct these opportunities to you. A simple email marketing funnel or a sequence of emails sent on a predefined schedule to your potential client leads might help keep them engaged. Use this opportunity to give your clients an update on what’s happening in the industry and how it can impact them, including the changes made to  Income Insurance products.

Because the pandemic has changed many customers’ perspectives on where they’ll live and work in the next five years and how near they feel they need to be to their Advisers, Advisers should consider digital solutions to attract and maintain clients.

Most individuals are unfamiliar with hybrid work, so keep experimenting with your ways of working.

So, why not give some of these strategies a try?