Law Fims and the Hybrid Work Environment

Eden and Trey sat down to have a conversation about how to handle working in a hybrid environment. In a short transcribed video, they discuss the variety of topics. The conversation has been lightly edited. If you would like to watch the video instead you can view it here: https://youtu.be/H0yWV1tTqVY

Trey: Today, we’re sitting down to talk about returning to the office for law firms. Eden, could you talk to us about the current state of remote work within the world of law?

Eden: For the most part, most firms are back in office a great deal. Just about everybody is back something between three and four days a week. There are some firms that are back all 5 and there are some firms that have stayed almost completely remote. I will tell you that those firms that are 100% back in office or maybe actually never left the office are struggling with recruitment. That’s something that employers need to think about is if there is some opportunity for flexibility, that will go a long way in making employees and potential employees happier.

Trey: What are some best practices for collaborating between people who are fully remote and being in the opposite of a hybrid model?

Eden: Something that works really well is when people have synchronous days in the office. So having everyone come into the office Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday could be a good option. Some of the complaints that we heard when people started going back in was that no one was in the office so why should they be? I think having a regular time back in the office that allows people to have meetings, allows you to have food which everybody always likes, and it allows people to get more out of being in the office and it simply makes sense. I think it’s important to make sure that remote work approximates as much as possible what it’s like being in the office and that really is communication. We’ve got so many great tools that we can use to collaborate, I mean we work mostly remote and we are using teams but there is also Slack and so many other ways to communicate. Something that we do, and I know that people will complain, is we almost always have cameras on during internal meetings because I don’t get to see people otherwise. We don’t care how you show up, you know showing up for a meeting is more than just getting dressed in business appropriate attire. So we do that just so we can talk to each other and enjoy each others company. Another brilliant thing that I heard from a partner was that they regularly will pop into client calls when associates or paralegals are having them virutally. Much like they would pop into the office when the client was there to say hi and check in on things. Lastly, a really important tool is one that will give people praise. We use Motivosity here but there are a bunch of effective ones out there. When you’re not in the office, you’re missing out on those positive interactions so creating a space for that to happen is very important.

Trey: As an employer, what are some things to look out for with employees that are working remotely?

Eden: I think when you’re in the office, you can keep an eye on people. You can see how they’re working, you can check in with them, but when people are at home, you can’t. Creating regular check-in’s, communicating and asking how they are doing is important to have even if it’s something that you didn’t do before. Making sure that when you are communicating that it is intentional and scheduled can really make a difference.

Trey: On the opposite side, what are some things that employees should look out for with their employers?

Eden: As the employee, creating a clear balance between work and life. It is so easy to hop on the computer and then once I have stopped for the day I can hop back on in the evening, or I can go do laundry in the middle of the day etc. So I think it is very important to have a clear definition between work and home. I thrive and get more work done when I am at home but my self care goes down. You know, when I am in the office, people are making sure I am taking breaks and eating lunch whereas at home that may not happen. Having a sort of home office if possible so you can set everything aside at the end of the day and get back to living your life outside of work. If you need help figuring out how to navigate that please reach out to us and we would be happy to help.