What Is a Hybrid Workplace Strategy and How to Create One

To make work more comfortable and productive for employees, companies are increasingly adopting the hybrid workplace model. This approach opens up new opportunities by allowing employees to work from the office as well as from home.

This model becomes an optimal solution not just for employees but also for companies themselves — it helps reduce office rental costs, attract talent from different regions, and boost employee loyalty.

In this article, we'll explore what a hybrid working strategy is, what it consists of  and implement it in a company ⬇️

What Is a Hybrid Workplace Strategy

A policy for hybrid work format is an approach to work organization that combines elements of remote and office work. The combination of online + offline allowed the benefits of both formats to be realized:

• Increased flexibility: Employees appreciated the flexible schedule, no commute time savings and better work-life balance. 
• More productivity: Companies noticed that productivity did not decrease and sometimes even increased with hybrid work.
• Talent retention and attraction: Flexible working conditions have become a competitive advantage in the labor market.
• Better health and safety: The hybrid format reduces the number of people in the office, lowering the risk of getting sick.
• Lower office costs: Reduced office rent, utilities, office cleanliness and equipment upgrades.

“The results are clear: Hybrid work is a win-win-win for employee productivity, performance, and retention,” says Bloom, who is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences and also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).

How to Determine if the Hybrid Format Suits Your Company

Before developing a hybrid work mode strategy, you need to assess whether it will truly benefit your company. 

Analyze Your Business Specifics: The hybrid format is most effective for office and creative professions such as information technology, marketing, finance, education and consulting, where the main work involves information processing and can be performed remotely.

Medical professionals, construction workers and drivers are not suited to the hybrid format — here it is important for employees to be always on the job, quickly coordinate actions and comply with safety standards.

Gauge Employee Opinions: Conduct a survey to assess the company’s capabilities and employee preferences before transitioning to a hybrid format.

• Which hybrid format suits them better: standard — work a few days a week from the office and the rest from home, or weekly — for example, work 3 weeks from home and 1 week from the office.
• How many days to work from the office and how many from home. Some will be ready to fully transition to working from home, while others will want to commute 5 days to the office as well as they always have.
• Convenient days to work: ask employees to choose which days of the week are most convenient for them to come to the office. For example, only Tuesday or Thursday.

Calculate Potential Costs and Benefits: Develop a business plan to determine how much the transition to a hybrid model will cost and what benefits it will bring. It will be imperative to invest in IT infrastructure and equipment, reconfiguration and office space management system, staff training, development of new policies and procedures, and support for remote employees. 

Consider Legal Aspects: Familiarize yourself with remote work laws in your country or region. You may need to update contracts or add additional agreements. If you don't have an in-house legal department, we advise you to hire outside counsel for this task.

How to Develop a Hybrid Workplace Strategy: 9 Key Steps

1. Define Performance Metrics

Start by clearly setting the goals you aim to achieve by adopting a hybrid work format. This helps identify necessary changes and how to assess their success.

• Set Objectives: Decide what's important for your company — increasing productivity, improving employee satisfaction, attracting new talent, or reducing costs.
• Establish KPIs: These could be measures of productivity, employee engagement, satisfaction levels, cost savings in office space or reduced turnover. 
• Plan Regular Monitoring: Determine how often you'll evaluate KPIs to make timely adjustments.

2. Develop Remote and Hybrid Work Policies

Create clear rules and guidelines that will govern work in the new format.

• Define Who Can Work Remotely: Not all positions may be suitable for remote work. Outline criteria and exceptions.
• Establish Communication Rules: Specify which communication channels to use for various types of interactions — email, messaging apps, video calls.
• Clarify In-Office Requirements: Define situations that require in-person presence (e.g., strategic meetings, training sessions).
• Set Work Schedules: Decide how many days a week employees work in the office versus at home. This could be a fixed schedule or a flexible arrangement upon agreement.

You can empower employees to manage their schedules with an office management system. It's a handy scheduling tool that you can use even with your smartphone. The entire company has access to the schedule, so every employee can see when the colleagues they need will be in the office and can adjust their schedule in a few clicks. 

If your plans change and you are unable to be in the office due to illness, travel, or vacation, you will be able to note this on your schedule. Managers and colleagues will know that the employee is unavailable and will not bother them with any questions or work-related tasks.

3. Amend Employment Contracts

Ensure that current employment contracts align with the new work conditions.

• Specify Work Location: Add the possibility of remote or hybrid work.
• Update Work Schedules: Reflect any changes in working hours if applicable.
• Include New Duties and Requirements: For example, the need to adhere to safety rules when working from home.

It's crucial that all changes are legally sound and comply with labor laws. Consulting with a lawyer or HR specialist is recommended.

4. Provide Necessary Tools to Employees

Employees need certain resources to work effectively from home.

• Technical Equipment: Laptops, headsets, webcams. Decide whether the company will provide the equipment itself, reimburse the costs, or whether the employee will have to buy everything himself.
• Software: Access to corporate systems, video conferencing tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams), messaging apps (Slack, Cisco Webex Teams, Mattermost), project management software (Trello, Asana, Jira).
• Data Access: Set up secure remote access to necessary files and applications via VPN, Cisco AnyConnect, Pulse Secure, or other security measures.

Ensure that employees understand how to use collaboration tools effectively, and explain how their efficiency will be evaluated while working remotely using these digital tools.

5. Adapt Office Space

Reorganize the office to suit the hybrid work mode.

• Optimize Workstations: Reduce the number of permanent desks if employees work from home. Instead, create flexible work areas with desks that employees can book like a co-working space.
• Create Collaboration Spaces: Set up spaces for team meetings, brainstorming sessions and collaboration between remote employees and those working from the office. For example, you can set a large screen for broadcasting, projectors, interactive whiteboards, and voice communication equipment.
• Implement Booking System: Give employees access to a hybrid office management system where they can not only plan their schedules, but also book work/parking spaces and meeting rooms on days they work from the office. 

6. Test the Strategy

Before fully implementing your hybrid policy, run a three-month pilot project to test its effectiveness. This step is crucial and should not be overlooked.

• Choose 1-2 departments within the company to serve as test groups. These teams will fully adopt the new hybrid policy and utilize all the tools designed for the updated work format.
• Set Clear Goals and Evaluation Criteria: Determine what you want to test and what results will be considered successful.
• Gather Feedback: Regularly communicate with pilot participants to learn about challenges and successes.

7. Train Employees and Leaders

Provide the necessary training for a successful transition to the hybrid format. Distribute the material prepared during the pilot phase to colleagues and help employees and managers adapt to the new work format.

For Employees:

• Effective remote work: time management, self-organization, maintaining productivity.
• Using new tools: training materials on software and platforms.

For Leaders:

• Managing distributed teams: supporting motivation, monitoring results, communication.
• Virtual leadership skills: team building, developing corporate culture in an online environment.

8. Monitor and Evaluate Strategy Effectiveness

Regularly check how the hybrid work format is affecting your company. See if the changes are working as expected.

• Gather data on key indicators. This could include employee productivity, engagement, or the company's financial performance.
• Make sure to ask employees for their feedback on the new system. For example, conduct surveys to find out if they are satisfied, what challenges they face, and what could be improved.
• Compare the company’s performance before and after implementing the hybrid format. This will help you understand if the new approach is beneficial or needs adjustment.

9. Support remote employees

Employees may find it difficult to transition to a new work format, especially if they have no prior experience working remotely.

• Technical Support: Provide prompt remote assistance to resolve issues with equipment or software.
• Feedback Channels: Regularly hold one-on-one meetings with managers to discuss any emerging issues and gather feedback.
• Training and competence development: Organize online meetings with invited experts or ask more experienced colleagues to share their experience. 
• Time Management Consultations: Provide resources and training on time management, balancing work and personal life to enhance worker efficiency.

How Quickly Different Age Groups Adapt to Hybrid Work

Based on research and statistical data from the UnSpot analytics system, we have prepared an analysis of how various age groups adapt to the hybrid work format. This way, you will know in advance how to find an approach to each employee, and eliminate complications.

Age Group 20-29 Years: 3 month

Young professionals adapt the fastest, averaging three months. They demonstrate high technological adaptability but may struggle with time management in remote work settings. For this group, it is important to provide clear guidelines and structure to help them organize their work effectively.

Age Group 30-39 Years: 5−7.5 month

For this demographic, adaptation typically takes between five and seven and a half months. Balancing work tasks with family responsibilities can pose a significant challenge. The main difficulty for this group is maintaining social connection with the team, so make an effort to schedule regular online meetings with them.

Age Group 40-49 Years: 9 month

Employees aged 40-49 adapt within approximately nine months. While they may face initial challenges in mastering new technologies, their experience and motivation often enable them to successfully integrate into a hybrid environment. For this group, focus on conducting training webinars on how to use new collaborative tools, especially if they lack prior experience with such technologies.

Age Group 50-59 Years: 17.5 month

Employees in this age group may require up to 17.5 months to adapt. Key challenges include low technological literacy and a reluctance to change long-established work habits. Transitioning this group to a hybrid format should be done gradually to ensure a smoother adjustment.

Examples of Successful Hybrid Work Implementation in Companies

Case #1: Microsoft

Microsoft was one of the first major tech companies to implement a policy for hybrid work format. Most employees can work remotely up to 50% of the time. According to Microsoft, their approach includes not just flexibility in work locations but also active development of remote collaboration tools. 

Case #2: Siemens

According to HRmasia, “Siemens‘ ’new normal' work model has established mobile working as a core component of the organization's culture. This model allows employees to choose where, when and how they work, with an average of two to three days per week spent remotely”

Case #3: Atlassian

Australian company Atlassian, known for its software development tools, embraced the Team Anywhere strategy. Employees are allowed to work from anywhere in the world where the company has a legal presence. This enabled them to attract global talent and maintain effective collaboration in distributed teams.

Key Takeaways on Hybrid Workplace Strategy

• Enhancing Comfort and Productivity: The ability to choose when and where to work increases employee satisfaction and efficiency.
• Need for Preliminary Assessment: It's crucial to determine the compatibility of the hybrid format with your business, considering employee preferences and legal aspects.
• Careful Strategy Development: Successful implementation requires a clear strategy, including goal setting, policy development, and office space adaptation.
• Investment Payback: While initial costs are significant, long-term savings and intangible benefits outweigh the expenses.
• Successful Examples Confirm Effectiveness: Companies like Microsoft, Siemens, and Atlassian showcase the success of the hybrid model in achieving business goals.

FAQ about Hybrid Workplace Strategy