Hybrid working: the benefits of asynchronous working

The buzzword flying around hybrid working is ‘asynchronous working’. Office trends show that staff are working at different times rather than together in real time. We round out the top ten reasons why the shift to asynchronous working can be an advantage for your work place.

1. Charity staff enjoy more flexibility

The most keenly felt benefit is that staff enjoy more personal flexibility. They can plan their days around work and manage a more balanced lifestyle. Allocating time for meetings and deep working keeps staff motivated. Digital tools like email, WhatsApp, chat services, and text let staff get in touch without interrupting at that very moment.

2. Bridge time and space between offices

By definition, asynchronous working means time zones and physical spaces between workers matters less. Breaking it down more simply, the work day is no longer defined by day time hours. For charities with international offices this type of working makes the most sense.

This also improves the hiring process. Asynchronous working allows your workforce to work from anywhere at any time. For recruitment, it means you can widen your talent pool by looking at candidates based outside of your time zone.

3. Increased trust and consensus in your team

CloudApp says that teams working asynchronously encourage trust and work towards consensus decision-making. People are able to feel confident in clearly defined due dates and project notes, as they’re able to see previous communications justifying why something needs to be done.

4. There’s more time to consider responses

Since work isn’t done in real time, instantaneous responses aren’t needed. Charity staff can take the time to craft considered responses to donors, audiences, and team mates.

Online editing tools Hemmingway Editor, WordTune, and Grammerly make communications even easier. The tools help users draft clearer messages by suggesting alternate phrases.

5. Digital tools keep track of decisions

Do away with note pads, scribbles, and missing sticky notes from meetings. Digital tools make it easy to document how decisions were taken. If you need to look back for more clarity, search for key words and dates on communication platforms. Slack and Microsoft Teams both offer chats that have search functions enabled.

6. Greater collaboration and communication

Creating an environment of digital collaboration means charity leaders can maintain productivity. Colleagues based anywhere using digital communication tools can have a say.

Project management software like Asana, Trello, and Monday create digital spaces for collaboration. Project information is organised under tidy calendars, work flows, and messaging boards making it easy to see progress. They take the guesswork out of deadlines, decisions, and assignments for asynchronous workers.

Another benefit of asynchronous communication is clarity. Staff learn to communicate more clearly and avoid unnecessary replies. Doist says people avoid ‘knee-jerk’ responses and, over time, responses over digital channels are of higher quality.