Imagine a work environment where you have the freedom to choose where you’re most productive—whether at home, in the office, or somewhere in between. Welcome to the hybrid working model, a dynamic approach transforming how we work. In fact, more than half of the people with remote-capable jobs prefer a hybrid work arrangement.
The hybrid work model provides a flexible work arrangement where team members can work in the office or remotely—offering greater autonomy and a better work-life balance. Organizations can reduce overhead costs (like office space rent), access a more diverse talent pool, and see higher employee engagement and productivity with hybrid work.
This article will review the different types of hybrid working models, offer tips for building a hybrid work culture for your team, and share real-world examples of successful hybrid work models.
What is hybrid work?
Hybrid work is a flexible work approach that combines working remotely—whether from home, at a shared workspace, or while traveling—with working in an office environment.
Companies with hybrid work schedules require team members to spend some days working in the office and other days working remotely. For example, the team can work two to three days in the office and work from home for the rest of the week, or work remotely for one week and in the office the next.
What is the hybrid working model?
Organizations operating a successful hybrid working model can create a structured hybrid work strategy to keep people organized and accountable. An effective hybrid work system encourages:
- Autonomy
- Flexibility
- High performance
- Collaboration
- Positive work relationships
- Continuous learning
- Effective work habits
Why HR leaders care about the hybrid work model
HR leaders can help their organization establish a system that suits their people and company culture. For example, a recent college graduate might look forward to the in-person training sessions and social interactions they’ll find at the office. On the other hand, a seasoned professional with little kids may love the opportunity to work remotely, full- or part-time.
This flexible work style can invigorate today’s professionals, increasing retention, engagement, and productivity.
The rise of hybrid work settings
When Germany faced a labor shortage in 1960, Christel Kraemerer, a management consultant, introduced “flextime,” a flexible work system designed to allow mothers and housewives to join the workforce.
Then in the 1990s, AT&T allowed 32,000 people to work from home to determine if productivity would increase. Today, AT&T saves up to $550 million on overhead costs by eliminating physical offices and is a pioneer for alternative work settings.
Over time, companies continued to shift away from traditional workforce dynamics, embracing more flexible work arrangements to save on overhead and operational costs. The pandemic accelerated this trend, making hybrid work a more natural choice for businesses. However, Gallup’s data shows that about 32 percent of the US workforce already engaged in hybrid work in 2019.
Today, over 70 percent of companies in the United States operate under a hybrid work structure.
Variations of the hybrid working model
Organizations create different approaches to hybrid work since there’s no one-size-fits-all for hybrid working models.
Remote-first hybrid work model
In a remote-first hybrid model, people work from home (or work from anywhere) and may live in different US states and countries. This approach relies on digital communication since team members rarely come into the office. These companies may hold annual, in-person events to promote team building and encourage strong connections across their dispersed workforce.
Split-week hybrid work model
Companies that prefer to work on-site but want to provide flexibility may opt for the split-week hybrid model. With this model, companies require people to work on-site at least part of the week and from home for the rest of the week, for example, two days at the office and three days from home. A split-week hybrid work model can be fixed or flexible.
Fixed hybrid work model
The fixed hybrid work model sets specific in-office and remote workdays, providing a clear and structured schedule. For example, team members might work in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and remotely on Thursdays and Fridays.
This model can benefit you and your team by offering a predictable schedule. This helps you plan effectively, like using in-office days for interdepartmental meetings and remote days for tasks that require less in-person collaboration like writing reports or conducting research.
Flexible hybrid work model
The flexible hybrid work model combines remote and in-office work, allowing people to choose their work hours and location within set organizational guidelines. Team members select their work hours within agreed-upon core hours and stay accessible, either physically or remotely, during those times.
This model’s flexibility encourages autonomy and can boost employee satisfaction, but requires continuous communication and schedule coordination.
Office-first hybrid work model
The office-first hybrid model provides some flexibility while requiring team members to work from the office most of the time. People may occasionally work remotely for personal reasons or tasks that don’t demand face-to-face collaboration.
Advantages vs. disadvantages of the hybrid working model
Transitioning to a permanent hybrid working model presents a valuable yet challenging opportunity. Before adopting one for your workplace, consider the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid work.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Employees have greater autonomy and flexibility over their working schedule. | Training for new joiners and workforce newcomers may not be as effective. |
| Greater work-life balance. For example, more flexibility has allowed many parents and caregivers to re-enter the workforce. | May create inequities between the career trajectories of people who work in the office and those working remotely. |
| Companies can hire talent from anywhere in the world now that proximity to an office is no longer required. | Employee management and maintaining a consistent employee experience and company culture for everyone across an organization can be challenging. |
| Saving on office expenses. Many organizations have downsized their office spaces with the rising popularity of remote work. | An organization becomes more reliant on technology to encourage collaboration between people. |
| Hybrid work promotes adaptability and communication in the workplace, creating a culture of communication and collaboration. | Maintaining a consistent and healthy company culture over digital communication can be challenging. |
| Encourages management to lead with foresight and clarity. | The hybrid work working model is not suitable for all industries. |
How to implement a successful hybrid work model
HR leaders can implement a hybrid work model that encourages productivity, engagement, and seamless collaboration between colleagues working from different locations by:
Asking your people what works best
Before committing to one hybrid work model or another, survey your people. Ask them what kinds of environments spark productivity and how they envision utilizing different types of spaces.
Are they more productive at getting tasks done in a quiet environment? Do large, open spaces help them collaborate and brainstorm?
Establishing a hybrid work policy
Create a hybrid policy that caters to the responses people gave in the survey. Should there be one policy for every team, or do variations on a policy make more sense? Most importantly, align your policy with your workforce’s needs and the business’s needs.
Upgrading the office environment
Adapt your office to meet the needs of the modern workforce. For example, create small, quiet spaces to hold video conferences and larger spaces for in-person meetings.
Hosting regular feedback meetings
Managers and team members can hold frequent one-on-one meetings to stay connected. These meetings help managers and HR understand the evolving needs of the workforce while ensuring their people feel heard.
Facilitating virtual interactive collaboration
Though people on a hybrid work schedule may not interact with colleagues daily, “social media style” collaboration enables them to make announcements, recognize co-workers for excellent work performances, and survey team members on important matters that arise.
Video conferencing plays a fundamental role in remote and hybrid collaboration, enabling people to benefit from face-to-face interactions—even if only from the neck up.
Encouraging relationship-building
Carve out time for co-workers to hang out on a video chat or meet up for coffee if they live close by. Strengthening relationships outside of work can help engage and motivate people. Hobby groups and virtual clubs can nurture relationships and help team members find common interests to bond over.
Providing equal benefits for people working remotely
People who don’t work on-site may feel they’re missing out on the in-house benefits their on-site colleagues enjoy. Providing equal perks for everyone, like a meal card or a biweekly basket of goodies, can show people you value them.
Using hybrid and remote working tools
Take advantage of remote working tools to improve hybrid collaboration. Consider:
- Communication tools like Slack or Loom for connecting asynchronously
- Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet for meetings and brainstorming sessions
- Project tracking tools like Asana to assign tasks and monitor progress
- HR software that offers collaboration features and centralized people data
Tips for creating a hybrid work model that works for everyone
For hybrid models to work, people need to collaborate, commit to specific processes, and leverage the technology that makes remote work possible. Success relies on:
- Communicating clearly and often. Team coherency and company culture depend on constant communication between colleagues, managers, and company leadership.
- Collaborating whenever you can. Asking the team for their input and suggestions is key to the success of any hybrid model. The more people feel their opinions matter, the more company engagement and morale will increase.
- Creating a healthy work environment. If working on-site is no longer mandatory, companies must invest time and resources into creating a company culture that works for everyone, whether they’re entirely remote, on-site, or hybrid.
Real-world examples of hybrid work models
Real examples of hybrid working models—from companies that have successfully implemented them—may help you decide if your business could adopt a similar working structure.
Shopify
Shopify adopted a remote-first working model it calls “digital by default.” This decision allows the company’s more than 5,000 employees to log in and work from wherever they want (as long as they log in during standard work hours). In the spirit of true flexibility, the company also has an office people are welcome to work from.
Quora
Quora also decided to adopt a remote-first hybrid policy. Quora’s approach, however, requires people to check in at the office at least once per month. Like Shopify, they can opt to work from the office as much as they like.
Apple
In a push for back-to-office work, Apple decided to settle on an office-first hybrid model. People working for Apple have the flexibility to work from home two days a week but must work from the office for a minimum of three.
Microsoft
Microsoft has a firm hybrid work policy, where people can work remotely up to 50 percent of the time. The only catch is that every team member must agree on a schedule with their manager in advance.
Bank of America
Bank of America’s back-to-office policy varies based on role. Positions that require in-office work, like financial teams, will be fully based in offices, while people with job profiles that support a split schedule will work in the office at least three days a week.
How does the hybrid work model improve company culture?
Hybrid work can give people more flexibility, free time, autonomy, and, ultimately, greater work-life balance. This allows them to dedicate more attention to their personal lives or families while still working full-time and earning a full-time salary. As this new approach to work evolves, companies have the opportunity to harness it for their benefit and shape a fluid, dynamic, and people-first work culture.
Use HR tech to take on hybrid work challenges
No matter what model companies choose, today’s workforce has made it clear that hybrid work is here to stay. And if you want to retain and attract top talent, flexible options are a must for your business.
Of course, remote and hybrid work come with challenges: communicating over distance, keeping track of people’s information across sites, and more. Technology is vital to bridging the gaps and is critical to the success of any hybrid work initiative.
It can help with everything from enabling people to communicate from different sides of the earth to automating the onboarding process for new joiners, streamlining employee management, cross-referencing schedules, and encouraging relationship-building across the company.
Hybrid work FAQs
What’s the difference between hybrid work, work from home, and remote work?
The difference between hybrid work, work from home, and remote work differs by how, where, and when teams perform their tasks.
Hybrid work combines remote and in-office schedules. Team members divide their time between working from home and working in the office. This model operates either with a fixed schedule, where people follow predetermined in-office days, or with a flexible system, allowing them to choose their hours and remote days based on company guidelines. Companies that aim to offer flexibility while maintaining in-person collaboration often adopt hybrid work.
Work from home (WFH) involves completing job tasks from home instead of an office. Most people set up a home office connected to workplace systems.
Remote work, also known as telecommuting, enables team members to work entirely from any location outside the traditional office, such as a coworking space, home, or coffee shop. This approach provides full autonomy and flexibility, but may not suit companies that depend heavily on in-person collaboration.
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Are hybrid work jobs good or bad for employee engagement?
Hybrid jobs can improve employee engagement. A Stanford study showed how hybrid work can improve engagement and that people working from home are just as productive as people working in the office.
Why? With a hybrid working model, your people get to choose when and where to work. They can create a better balance between their personal and work lives, allowing them to fit in other commitments like taking care of a sick loved one or traveling home for the holidays. It also reduces their commute time and the money spent on transportation.
How can you improve collaboration when working hybrid?
Hybrid work requires a clear working structure to ensure effective collaboration between coworkers. Start by building a hybrid work policy to explain how and when people should communicate and collaborate, whether in the office or remotely. For example, if you’re using a fixed hybrid work model, then state:
- Which days people are expected in the office
- What mode of communication you use for remote workdays
- How team members can give updates on their tasks, etc
Then, use collaboration tools, project management platforms, and scheduled check-ins to keep communication flowing.
