The essential guide to hybrid working: definition, benefits and best practices

With more employees seeking job flexibility, many companies now embrace hybrid working. Giving employees more freedom in their roles while maintaining in-person interaction can increase satisfaction, retention and performance.

In this article, you’ll learn the meaning of hybrid working and how it can benefit your business. We’ll also share best practices for creating a hybrid working model where employees can thrive.

What is hybrid working?

Hybrid working is an approach that blends in-person and remote work. Hybrid employees split their time between the office and home, giving them greater flexibility and a better work-life balance.

For example, a marketer might work twice weekly at the company’s studio to brainstorm campaigns and attend meetings. They’ll work from home (WFH) the rest of the week in an atmosphere where they can be more productive.

A hybrid work arrangement balances in-person collaboration and innovation with benefits like fewer long commutes and more personal time.

Businesses offer hybrid working to support employee mental health and reduce workplace stress. Research by Owl Labs shows that 27% of workers now split their time between the office and home.

Owl Lab’s CEO Frank Weishaupt says the trend dispels a belief around traditional office work:

While hybrid working isn’t the right fit for everyone, it’s becoming the future of work.

A Gallup study shows that over half of US employees (with remote-capable jobs) prefer a hybrid arrangement to only on-site or remote working.

A hybrid model can build a sustainable work environment that meets your employees’ long-term needs.

Before diving into the benefits, let’s explore hybrid work options.

4 types of hybrid working models

The flexibility of hybrid work means you can adopt an approach that best suits your processes, goals and employee preferences. Here are four common types of hybrid working models.

1. Flexible. Employees set their hybrid work schedules, combining in-person and remote work based on their priorities. A flexible working model allows staff to work when and how they’re most productive. However, clear guidelines around meeting and training availability are essential.

2. Fixed. The organization sets the schedules for employees. For example, salespeople might have to be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and work the rest of the time from home. A fixed approach provides more consistency for collaboration, team-building and forecasting office capacity. However, it gives employees less schedule autonomy.

3. Office-first. The company prioritizes in-person work over remote work. Employees spend the majority of their week in the office. Employers can set fixed workdays or let staff choose. An office-first approach works well for teams that require frequent in-person collaboration (e.g., sales and marketing).

4. Remote first. Employees spend most of their time working remotely, visiting the office (or a specific location) for events, training and collaboration. A remote-first model works well for companies without office space or those with employees in many locations. However, it requires more effort to maintain in-person interaction.

Benefits (and challenges) of a hybrid working model

Hybrid working offers a range of benefits and challenges for employers and employees. Understanding them can help you implement a model that improves company performance while allowing teams to thrive.

Here are some typical advantages and disadvantages of hybrid work.

Benefit 1: Increasing employee productivity

Hybrid working often leads to higher productivity levels. Giving people more flexibility allows them to manage their time better and work in a way that reduces distractions while increasing focus.

Research by International Workplace Group (IWG) found that 63% of CEOs report greater productivity in a hybrid model, while 79% of employees say they’re more productive.

Hybrid models can boost productivity by increasing efficiency so employees finish work faster. In the long run, this workflow can reduce overtime costs and boost profits.

For example, employees save time by cutting long daily commutes. They can then use that time to do work. IWG’s study says reducing commuting to two days a week can result in company productivity gains of 3% to 4%.

Benefit 2: Boosting job satisfaction

Giving employees more autonomy while eliminating long commutes and rigid schedules increases their satisfaction and reduces the likelihood of quitting.

Economist Nicholas Bloom studied Trip.com employees and found that those in a hybrid situation reported greater job satisfaction and better work-life balance. Additionally, they resigned at a 33% lower rate than full-time office workers.

Research by Buffer shows that 98% of employees want to work remotely (at least some of the time) for the rest of their careers.

Offering the flexibility of hybrid work helps you build a happy workforce that retains top talent.

Benefit 3: Improving health and well-being

Spending less time traveling to an office gives employees more freedom to enjoy an improved quality of life.

According to Gallup’s research, employees and leaders rank better work-life balance and less burnout or fatigue as top benefits of hybrid work.

Findings by Kantar show that hybrid working boosts physical health while reducing stress.

When employees can manage their daily lives, they’re more likely to relax, exercise, and sleep better.

Empowering teams to improve their well-being helps increase work performance and happiness, giving employees greater motivation and reducing absenteeism.

Benefit 4: Reducing operating costs

Fewer people on site at a given time means you can operate with less office space, reducing real estate costs, energy bills and other expenses.

According to Global Workplace Analytics research, savings on traditional overhead costs can be more than $10,000 per employee annually. Use these savings to develop a hybrid workplace strategy that better supports employees.

For example, lowering real estate costs allows you to reinvest savings into remote collaboration tools or provide access to local co-working spaces.

Hybrid working also benefits employees financially. Reduced spending on commuting and childcare gives workers more disposable income. For many employees, savings can equal a raise.

Challenge 1: Maintaining company culture

With less face-to-face interaction, employers may worry about maintaining a strong organizational culture. After all, culture thrives on camaraderie. However, Buffer’s research shows that 75% of remote workers feel connected to their colleagues.

While it takes extra effort, technology helps bridge the gap between the office and home. Scheduling regular virtual gatherings for employees to connect and have their voices heard helps build meaningful relationships.

Supplementing these meetings with office days, mentorship programs and in-person team bonding activities promotes unity and helps companies create motivated hybrid teams.

As Nicholas Bloom notes:

Challenge 2: Difficulty monitoring performance

Not being able to track employee activities at all times can be a concern for managers used to monitoring performance.

Rather than over-valuing in-office work, leaders can use technology to keep track of teams working remotely.

For example, a sales manager can use project management software to assign tasks and track completion. Overseeing progress from a single dashboard reduces the need for regular check-ins and keeps employees from feeling pressured to prove their productivity.

Rather than time-tracking, a hybrid work model focuses on giving team members autonomy while promoting communication to increase trust and transparency.

Challenge 3: Balancing communication

Managers may worry that poor communication between remote and in-office teams will lead to confusion or information silos. However, these challenges are common for every business regardless of how they operate.

Roland Berger research indicates silos exist in almost 80% of companies. Companies can combat this challenge by creating clear communication channels, encouraging cross-team collaboration and implementing hybrid practices.

For example, managers can use video conferencing apps to make meetings virtual, so remote workers connect with in-office colleagues.

A study by Stanford University shows most employees find video calls as efficient as in-person meetings.

Training employees to use collaboration tools during onboarding will enable them to work effectively. Combining training with mentorship also improves socialization and trust in teams.

6 best practices for creating a successful hybrid working model

Adopting a hybrid work model can improve employee happiness and performance. However, success requires an approach that balances their needs with your company’s operations and objectives.

Here are six best practices for developing a hybrid working approach that benefits your team and organization.

1. Survey employees to learn about their needs

Understanding your team and their needs is crucial in creating (and maintaining) a sustainable hybrid work model. Surveying employees will give you valuable insight into their motivations and preferences.

For example, employees might prefer to work remotely on Fridays, while only a few people see value in coming to the office.

Using this feedback, set office days for earlier in the week and arrange an in-person meet-up for those who want to connect with colleagues. Gather insights through:

• Employee feedback surveys

• Focus groups

• One-on-one meetings

• Informal coffee mornings

Remember, employees have different preferences and experiences that influence how they want to work in a hybrid model, so it’s essential to consider all feedback. Involving them in the process means you’re more likely to get buy-in and sustain a model that meets their needs.

An employee-first approach will help you avoid “coffee badging” (staff showing up at the office only long enough for a cup of coffee before returning home) and create a hybrid working environment that adds value for the whole team.

2. Create a hybrid working policy

A successful hybrid working model needs a clear structure to avoid causing confusion, frustrating your team and reducing performance.

Hybrid policies create explicit guidelines so everyone understands the approach and expectations. For example, if you have a weekly sales meeting, a policy lets everyone on the sales team know they must be in the office on Monday. Your policy should include:

• Which roles are eligible for hybrid work

• Details of work schedule and core working hours

• How you’ll track and measure performance

• Best practices for remote work (e.g., setting up a home office and eliminating distractions)

• Scheduled anchor days for in-office collaboration

• Expectations for availability during working hours (e.g., response times or meetings)

• Policies around remote work tools (e.g., sales software or video calling apps)

• Procedures for reporting and resolving issues, including who to contact

• Guidelines for booking co-working space (e.g., hot desks)

• Responsibilities for maintaining a safe workspace

Upload your policy to an internal knowledge base so it’s accessible to all employees. Set up a dedicated channel for discussing the policy and sharing feedback. Open communication will help you understand needs and evolve your policy to benefit employees.

3. Rethink your workspace

Moving to a hybrid work model transforms the traditional office from a place for heads-down work to an area for intentional collaboration and connection.

Rethinking your workspace as an environment designed for face-to-face interaction helps foster teamwork, brainstorming and relationship building.

For example, with the help of design firm NBBJ, LinkedIn redesigned its headquarters with spaces for focus, collaboration, learning, socialization and rest.

Swapping traditional workstations for seating areas helps encourage more group discussions.

The building structure also suits different work styles, with social spaces on the ground floor and quiet areas for deep work at the top.

However, your workspace doesn’t need to be static. For instance, Buffer has a remote-first policy and organizes company retreats for employees to meet in person. Each retreat helps colleagues get to know each other and do important collaborative work.

What’s essential is that in-person time adds value to the employee experience. Here are some ways to make your office a place where people want to work:

• Create group spaces (e.g., meeting pods) for brainstorming or teamwork

• Equip meeting rooms with conferencing tools (e.g., large screens, webcams and microphones) for hybrid meetings

• Use breakout areas with comfortable seating for casual interactions

• Include spaces for staff to relax or make private calls

• Implement quiet zones for staff work to replicate their home work environment

A purposeful space gives employees more ways to work, helping them transition between remote and in-person interactions.

4. Optimize your tool stack for hybrid work

The right technology can make hybrid work more effective. Work-specific platforms (e.g., email marketing software) and collaboration tools help teams manage workflows and stay connected.

A hybrid-optimized tool stack enables employees to work productively from home or the office.

For example, a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform like Pipedrive helps sales teams nurture leads and close deals regardless of location.

Pipedrive also includes project management features. The software enables a hybrid workforce to collaborate on tasks, track performance and align teams. Working from a single platform removes silos and ensures employees meet deadlines.

Other popular tools for hybrid work include:

• Slack for team collaboration

• Zoom for team meetings

• Google Drive for file sharing

• Loom for video messaging

• Trello for project management

When building your hybrid work stack, choose technology that helps your team improve workflows and streamline tasks. Train everyone to use them so they can boost productivity.

5. Prioritize well-being to promote a healthy work-life balance

One of the main benefits of switching to hybrid work is creating a better work-life balance. However, moving between home and the office can blur the lines between personal and professional life. Some employees may increase their working hours as they struggle to “switch off” from remote work.

Support the transition by making well-being a core part of your company culture. For example, promoting regular breaks or ensuring everyone takes their annual leave can reduce stress and burnout, leading to more job satisfaction.

Showing employees you care about their well-being makes them more likely to perform better.

As the National Journal of Medicine notes:

Here are some ways to promote a healthy work-life balance:

• Allow employees to work independently and autonomously

• Set boundaries around work hours to help people switch off

• Ensure employees take vacation days and personal time off (PTO)

• Host social events and team-building activities to build relationships

• Create channels for employees to share their experiences and challenges

• Provide access to mental health resources (e.g., a well-being coach or counseling services)

Collect feedback and adjust your initiatives to ensure employees feel heard and supported in hybrid roles.

6. Focus on outcomes, contribution and value

When you have a hybrid workforce, managing teams can take more effort. After all, colleagues don’t see each other in the office daily.

Assessing performance by outcomes rather than how or where work happens can empower employees to take ownership of tasks. For example, reward employees for completing projects rather than tracking screen time.

Allowing your team to work in the way that suits their lifestyle and productivity makes workloads more manageable while improving job satisfaction and performance over time.

Build an outcomes-driven approach by:

• Setting clear and achievable targets

• Using key performance indicators (KPIs) to track success

• Encouraging employees to manage tasks

• Celebrating milestones and rewarding progress

• Scheduling one-on-one meetings to discuss performance and provide feedback

Taking a hands-off approach frees hybrid workers from micromanaging, creating a culture of trust that allows them to do their best work.

Final thoughts

Multiple studies show that switching to a hybrid working model leads to more happy, healthy and productive employees.

Assess different arrangements and work with your team to implement an option that balances flexibility and social interaction. Equipping employees with the right tools, workspace and support will create a hybrid work environment where well-being and performance flourish.

Try Pipedrive’s 14-day free trial to learn how it can help hybrid teams collaborate and manage deals at home or in the office.