Getting through the first year of the pandemic meant adapting almost overnight and helping your team transition to remote or hybrid working. Now that the initial challenge is over, new ones have risen up in its place, like an HR hydra. It's no secret that things have been difficult for HR professionals since.

You’re probably no stranger to the fierce competition that’s taking hold of the workforce. The rapid transition from physical office space to remote environments has enabled top talent to work for global brands, from anywhere, at any time. This has made it hard for employers to retain team members. Talented people can now simply walk down the digital street and find a company that can offer them a better compensation package and greater flexibility.

It was 2019 a few blinks ago and now it’s 2021. Many of us have experienced the transition of workplaces from physical to remote to a hybrid flexible model, and then back to working from home. For many leaders, this has meant evolving their organizational culture to match pace with the changing times through new policies and procedures to make workplaces more flexible and safe for their employees. Now organizations are looking beyond flexible work models, and trying to re-imagine their employee engagement, and re-invent processes and touchpoints that align with the desired company culture.

Like it or loathe it, remote working in some form is here to stay. Millennials and younger workers are more hesitant to return to the office than older generations, although all age groups have demonstrated a preference for hybrid working models rather than a full return to the office. However, there has been concern voiced from various parties about remote workers being left out of promotions in hybrid working environments. Getting digital corporate culture right is mission critical for both organizations moving to a hybrid model and those whose entire workforce is remote.

We’re often running against the clock to meet the next deadline, but research shows that making time & space to connect could be the answer to inclusion & belonging. With companies shifting to remote and hybrid work environments, how can you actually implement DEI practices in an effective way?

The top 7 Slack tools we've found to improve collaboration, inclusion, and project management in hybrid teams