Hybrid work will remain the new standard despite recent well-publicized return to office (RTO) mandates from large organizations, according to reports from workplace experts. Further, for various reasons, RTO mandates are often backfiring, and organizations risk losing top performers as a result.
Instead of boosting financial performance, RTO mandates drive down employee engagement and increase attrition among highly valuable employees, according to research from Sloan MIT. Even more employees plan to quit jobs that require a return to the office, according to the 2024 Flex Jobs State of the Workforce report. The report reveals that “35% of people said they know someone who has quit or who plans to quit their job due to return-to-office mandates, and another 57% of respondents said they would ‘absolutely’ look for a new job if they were not allowed to continue working remotely…”
Meanwhile, for many workers, returning to the office will effectively result in a pay cut. An RTO mandate can erase any savings employees gained from lower commuting costs and childcare expenses, or living in a location with a lower cost of living.
It’s clear the appeal of hybrid and remote work remains strong for the majority of remote-capable workers. And because of the various employment options available – including both remote jobs and the gig economy – employees no longer need to be tied to one company or career. As a result, organizations must consider that hybrid work not only offers substantial benefits but may be necessary for firms to remain competitive.
Here are some trends for hybrid work that organizations need to know going forward in 2025 and beyond.
Creating hybrid work models that meet expectations and values
To be effective, it’s vital that organizations define and implement deliberate hybrid work models. To create these models, employers must understand how they can provide the type of hybrid environment that makes it easier to retain and attract top talent and build a thriving culture that can generate success.
Employers can start by discovering what employees value overall in a hybrid work environment. The flexibility that is inherent in hybrid work is important to employees spanning all generations . This helps attract and retain top performers in the long term.
Employees also want a sense of belonging and value trusted relationships with their colleagues, according to recent workplace trend reports. Organizations that focus on strategies to integrate strong communication, collaboration and inclusion can help cultivate a powerful sense of belonging and ensure that hybrid employees feel valued as contributors to the organization.
Focus on optimizing collaborative work
Optimizing collaborative work with tools and training is another key to hybrid work success. Knowledge workers “ struggle to collaborate effectively in hybrid settings because they’ve never received proper training for it,” Fast Company recently reported.
Organizations can use tools and technology to enhance collaboration, but it’s also critical to establish guidelines to effectively plan and organize this type of work. A plan may involve adjusting internal policies and defining employee guidelines for communication protocols, work hours and performance evaluation in a remote setting. Companies must also make sure that these regulations allow for adequate work-life balance.
Providing resources for employees to communicate in different ways is vital to successful team building too. For instance, a Gallup study found that regularly scheduled remote team meetings topped the list of best practices.
Finally, leadership and management must be trained to effectively manage hybrid teams to build trust and drive company success.
Evolving workspaces for innovative and immersive experiences
Evolving workspaces that enhance creativity, innovation and employee engagement will help to support the changing needs of today’s workforce. Incorporating tools such as advanced virtual workspaces will amplify and elevate engaging hybrid and remote experiences.
Organizations should consider a hybrid work model that uses advanced, seamless collaboration platforms to make the experiences engaging and secure. This type of solution includes secure, cloud-based advanced video collaboration software . These platforms can play an integral role in virtual workspaces by allowing employees to share files, manage projects and collaborate in real time.
Other tools that lead to more innovative remote teams include digital whiteboards, which give users a central hub to sketch out ideas, brainstorm and collaborate as a team. Collaboration tools that include virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can amplify immersive meetings and hybrid team experiences.
Incorporate AI tools to improve workflows, efficiencies
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve workflows and create efficiencies goes hand-in-hand with effective hybrid work models.
AI-driven tools can also drive enhanced communications and collaboration among hybrid teams. For instance, automated meeting transcription in real time, summarizing and generating multimedia content and materials, and visual aids based on text or spoken interactions, can create more inclusive and interactive experiences for the workplace.
However, for these tools to be effective, employees must be able to learn and understand them. Organizations should provide training or reskilling opportunities for their teams to use AI tools to optimize various aspects of hybrid work, including repetitive tasks.
The hybrid work model will continue to evolve. Organizations must regularly evaluate how their hybrid work environment is working for their employees and contributing to company success.
