11 Hybrid work model examples to get inspired by
August 26, 2024
October 1, 2024
Almost all businesses are trying out hybrid work these days. It gives employees more flexibility and autonomy while still getting things done, and sometimes even more. From hybrid-at-will to split week, we’re about to explore a world of possibilities with 11 hybrid work model examples that’ll excite your team.
In this article, you’ll learn what’s good and bad about each and how deskbird can help you better manage flexible work. We’re not just talking theory. We’re sharing practical tips to help you find the perfect hybrid model for your workforce.
So, whether you’re a curious HR manager or a forward-thinking business owner, prepare to be inspired. It’s time to say goodbye to boring schedules and say hi to a productivity system that boosts creativity, collaboration, and job satisfaction.
Definition of a hybrid work model
Let’s quickly recap what a hybrid work model is before digging into the different examples. It’s a flexible setup that lets employees work from anywhere. They can choose where they’re most productive. For example, they can come on-site for teamwork tasks and work from home for more individual and focused work.
The great advantage of this approach is that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You can tailor it to fit your business and team members’ needs and expectations. Some may have set days for on-site attendance, while others let workers decide on their own schedules. The hybrid model aims to create a more adaptable and supportive environment that meets business goals and employee preferences, offering the best of both worlds.
💜 Discover how deskbird helps you design your workforce's best hybrid work policy!
11 hybrid work model examples
1. Two days in the office or remote week
Description
Employees can work remotely or in the office two days a week. Working from home two days a week is considered the best ratio. It allows workers to manage other commitments or preferences while maintaining core hours.
Pros
- Sets clear on-site days to simplify scheduling, which helps with team meetings.
- Reduces facility costs and management overhead with remote workdays.
- Supports work-life balance initiatives to enhance staff satisfaction.
Cons
- Reduces in-office interaction, which could limit spontaneous collaboration.
- Poses challenges for jobs that require daily engagement with clients or managers.
- Affects morale by not adapting to individual preferences.
2. Hybrid-at-will
Description
With this hybrid work model, employees can work off-site or on-site when they want. It offers maximum flexibility and enables companies to meet their staff’s individual preferences and lifestyles.
Pros
- It encourages employee-driven practices, trust, and autonomy.
- It allows personalization of work schedules to fit different work and lifestyles.
- It enhances productivity by aligning work hours with individual peak performance times.
Cons
- It poses challenges in coordinating team meetings and collaborative projects.
- It risks less cohesion among coworkers and workplace connections.
- It requires robust digital infrastructure and management strategies.
3. Fixed office days
Description
This hybrid model implies that employees must be on-site on certain days, usually based on company needs or team coordination. This company or team-driven approach provides continuous in-person interaction and structured collaboration.
Pros
- It improves collective cooperation through regular face-to-face meetings.
- It simplifies scheduling and resource management for the organization.
- It aligns staff tasks and projects with a consistent routine.
Cons
- It may not be right for employees who need more flexibility.
- It potentially increases commute-related stress for workers on fixed workplace days.
- It restricts the talent pool to those who live near the office or are willing to relocate.
🚗 Learn more about the cost of commuting!
4. Split week
Description
Split-week hybrid models divide the workweek into in-office and remote days. To maximize flexibility, you might have employees work in person for the first half of the week and remotely for the second part, for example.
Pros
- It combines on-site collaboration with off-site freedom.
- It reduces commute time, making workers happier and less stressed.
- It makes the workplace more efficient on busy days.
Cons
- It disconnects mid-week, which could disrupt the project.
- It makes scheduling meetings challenging when the team is split.
- It might not suit roles that require constant presence or equipment.
5. Alternating hybrid schedule
Description
This hybrid work model example means that employees rotate between remote and office work every week or two. It ensures everyone has equal access to the workplace and remote work benefits.
Pros
- It ensures a fair distribution of office perks and off-site flexibility.
- It customizes group and project needs over different periods.
- It changes the work environment regularly so you can cater to different working styles.
Cons
- It hinders long-term task immersion and team synergy with frequent switches.
- It causes logistical challenges in managing workforce dynamics and resources.
- It requires robust planning and communication to avoid operational hiccups.
6. Remote-first
Description
In a remote-first hybrid model, employees work mostly from home, with occasional office visits. Off-site employment is the default setting in this hybrid work policy. Digital communication and collaboration tools play a crucial role in connecting teams.
Pros
- It reduces company overhead by minimizing expensive workspace.
- It expands the hiring pool beyond local candidates to create a more diverse workforce.
- It leads to significant savings in real estate and operational costs.
Cons
- It risks potential disconnect in team dynamics with reduced spontaneous collaboration and creativity.
- It challenges efforts to build and sustain company culture without regular face-to-face interactions.
- It limits immediate access to in-house resources, or facilities.
7. Office-first
Description
In opposition to a remote-first model, an office-first strategy implies that employees work most of the time from the office. This approach is often used to support roles that benefit from direct interactions and on-site resources. Companies with traditional work environments typically use this model to harness face-to-face collaboration.
Pros
- It enhances real-time synergy and team bonding through consistent physical presence.
- It simplifies management and supervision of work processes and staff performance.
- It strengthens organizational culture through regular and structured group interactions.
Cons
- It limits appeal to talent seeking flexible work arrangements.
- It increases operational costs due to maintaining and managing office spaces.
- It decreases employee satisfaction and increases turnover if flexibility is not managed properly.
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8. Half-day system
Description
This model distributes working hours between the office and off-site locations. Employees work half the workday on-site and the other half from home. It balances both in-person collaboration and remote flexibility in a single day.
Pros
- It supports a better work-life balance by allowing workers to manage personal tasks more easily.
- It boosts productivity by offering access to both on-site and remote environments.
- It maintains team connections through part-day physical presence.
Cons
- It makes meeting coordination more complex due to varying schedules.
- It disrupts workflow when moving between different locations.
- It risks underutilizing office space during certain hours.
9. 50% on-site, 50% remote
Description
In this case, employees spend 50% of their time at the office and 50% working remotely. The arrangement is structured but flexible, so workers get the best of both worlds.
Pros
- It balances the need for in-person collaboration with remote flexibility.
- It improves work-life balance by reducing commute time by half and adapting to employees’ needs.
- It encourages a more dynamic use of the workspace.
Cons
- It can create scheduling challenges, especially for team meetings.
- It requires careful planning to avoid overlap or underutilization of corporate resources.
10. One week of the month on-site
Description
It’s a hybrid model that requires all employees to work on-site for a full week every month, and the rest is remote-at-will. You can also implement it every first, second, third, or last week of the month, but it is usually the same week.
Pros
- It encourages regular team collaboration and face-to-face meetings.
- It helps maintain a consistent company culture with predictable in-person engagements.
- It allows employees to plan around a structured yet flexible schedule.
Cons
- It implies that the office might be underused for the rest of the month.
- Employees can end up in an overcrowded office if the chosen week is not appropriately managed.
11. Asynchronous planning
Description
When implementing asynchronous schedules, location and working hours are not fixed, allowing employees to open their laptops wherever and whenever they are most productive. This option offers a high degree of flexibility but, as with any model, comes with its own advantages and challenges.
Pros
- It gives workers the opportunity to operate at their peak performance times.
- It allows individuals to collaborate in different time zones without much overlap.
- It facilitates deep work and uninterrupted focus by reducing meetings.
Cons
- It slows down completion time because of potential delayed communication.
- It isolates coworkers by reducing in-person and real-time collaboration and interaction.
- It can complicate team project coordination if no suitable tools and processes are in place.
👉 Looking for a solution to solve scheduling conflicts? Discover our weekly planning feature and enjoy all the benefits of flexible work!
3 famous companies with a hybrid work model
It's time to look more closely at how three well-known companies have implemented hybrid work models!
Disney’s hybrid work policy
Disney has introduced a hybrid work model that requires employees to be in the office from Monday to Thursday. According to CEO Bob Iger, this approach emphasizes in-person collaboration, which keeps creativity flowing and fosters professional development.
This policy aims to increase team cohesion and boost mentoring by ensuring most of the week is spent together at work. While some might find this framework strict, Disney believes that shared physical space drives innovation and strengthens the company’s overall culture.
Zoom’ hybrid work model
Zoom has implemented a structured hybrid model, where employees within a 50-mile radius of an office must come in two days a week, with specific days chosen by each team. Despite this, around 65% of its workforce remains remote, mainly due to their location outside the defined limit.
This approach balances the need for in-office collaboration with flexibility, addressing employee concerns individually. The SaaS firm ensures a supportive and cohesive work environment that accommodates different working preferences by offering support and understanding rather than rigid rules.
HubSpot’s approach to hybrid work
At HubSpot, employees can select their preferred work arrangement—whether fully remote, hybrid, or full-time in-office—provided they commit to one choice. This model reflects HubSpot’s belief in the importance of offering customized job arrangements to suit individual needs.
With more than 60% of its workforce choosing remote work, HubSpot has observed a significant increase in employee engagement. The flexibility offered by these hybrid work options has proven effective in creating a dynamic corporate culture where different individuals can prosper under conditions that align with their preferences.
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7 ways deskbird supports you in embracing hybrid work to the fullest
1. Your team can book the workspace they need when coming to the office
With the deskbird app, your staff can easily reserve the workspaces they need when coming to the office, ensuring a smooth and efficient hybrid work experience. Whether it’s booking a desk, meeting room, or a specific area, employees have the flexibility to select their preferred workspace in advance. This takes the stress out of finding a spot on the day. Not only does this system make life easier, but it also helps manage office occupancy so that resources are used efficiently.
2. You boost collaboration with our meeting room booking app and our interactive floor plan
deskbird’s meeting room booking app and interactive floor plan make collaboration easy and efficient. Your team can quickly locate and reserve the right space for their meetings, ensuring all the necessary tools and seating are available.
The interactive floor plan gives a clear view of colleagues’ locations and vacant rooms, allowing employees to choose the best spot for their needs. This streamlined process eliminates the hassle of double bookings and confusion over room assignments. deskbird makes booking workspaces easy, so your staff can spend more time working together instead of figuring out logistics.
3. You reduce overhead costs by downsizing your office to the real needs of your workforce
Instead of maintaining a large, underused office, you optimize the area based on real-time data and usage patterns. Rent, utilities, and maintenance costs decrease, saving money for other investments.
With deskbird’s hybrid office calculator, you can accurately assess how much office space your team genuinely requires. This helps you reduce overhead expenses by downsizing to match your workforce’s actual needs. And when your workspace size aligns with your team’s requirements, your business runs more efficiently and cost-effectively.
4. You adapt your office space to your hybrid teams’ needs thanks to our office analytics reports
With deskbird’s office analytics reports, you can easily adapt your office space to meet the evolving needs of your hybrid teams. It provides valuable insights into how your workspace is being used, from desk occupancy rates to peak usage times.
This data empowers you to make informed decisions, whether it’s reconfiguring workstation layouts, adjusting room bookings, or optimizing spatial allocation. By tailoring your company setup to align with actual team behaviors and preferences, you create a more efficient, comfortable, and productive environment that fully supports hybrid work.
5. You foster team bonding and connection with our social features
With deskbird’s social features, fostering team bonding and connection is easy. The “office event” feature lets you easily organize staff gatherings, workshops, or even casual meetups, ensuring everyone stays connected and engaged, whether they’re remote or on-site.
Plus, the catering option allows you to arrange meals for your group. This makes events more fun and creates a sense of community. With these functionalities, employees stay linked and engaged no matter where they are, boosting morale and workplace experience.
6. You make it easy for your staff to know when their colleagues are on-site with our weekly planning system
With deskbird’s weekly planning system, your team can easily see who’s coming into the office and when. This feature simplifies coordination, helping colleagues sync up their on-site days for better collaboration and social interaction.
Whether it’s organizing meetings or just catching up in person, knowing when others are around makes hybrid work more fluid and connected. It’s a straightforward way to reduce scheduling conflicts and ensure that everyone stays on the same page.
7. You increase efficiency thanks to deskbird's hassle-free integration into your digital ecosystem
Integrating deskbird into your existing digital tools is effortless, making your workflow smoother and more efficient. Whether you’re using calendar apps, communication platforms, or project management software, deskbird connects seamlessly, ensuring all your systems work together without a hitch.
These integrations save time and keep your team focused by reducing switching between programs. It’s a simple way to boost productivity and keep your virtual workspace running efficiently.
Inspired by these hybrid work model examples? You should be! The future of work is flexible and tailored to your team’s needs. Whether you pick a 3-2 split, go remote-first, or try something totally new and unique, remember: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
But there is one thing for sure. Managing a hybrid work environment requires some changes and new skills. deskbird helps you implement and run successfully. From boosting workplace experience to designing your hybrid work policy and managing your flexible workforce, we support you.
Request a free demo of the deskbird app to discover it yourself!
Sources:
- 17 Hybrid Work Examples For Organizations Embracing New Ways of Work in 2024, AIHR.
- Hybrid Work Models and Schedules: Examples, Benefits and Challenges, Robin Powered.
- Hybrid Work Model Examples from Leading Companies: See How They Do It!, Yarooms.
