Hybrid work trends: past, present and future key insights
September 16, 2024
September 17, 2024
The office as we used to know it, it's now gone. Welcome to the new era of flexible work!
In the wake of the global pandemic, hybrid work trends have reshaped the professional landscape, transforming how we collaborate, communicate, and contribute to our organizations. This seismic shift has forced organizations and employees alike to adapt, innovate, and reimagine the very concept of "going to work." As we delve into the evolution of hybrid work, we’ll explore emerging innovative practices, the challenges faced, and the unexpected benefits discovered along the way.
But just how pervasive is this change? From makeshift home offices to cutting-edge collaborative technologies, the journey has been unprecedented. According to a recent Gallup survey, 53% of employees expect a hybrid work arrangement going forward, highlighting the staying power of this flexible model. What does this mean for productivity, company culture, and the future of work itself? Let’s explore the fascinating journey of hybrid work practices and their far-reaching implications.
Hybrid work trends did not start with COVID-19
Although hybrid work has become a hot topic for every organization since COVID-19, flexible work arrangements began well before 2020. Historically, Christel Kraemerer developed a flexitime approach in the 1960s to face the country’s labor shortage.1 In the U.S., telecommuting and flexible schedules emerged in the 1970s when the oil crisis pressed businesses to reduce commuting. The information technology revolution in the 1990s facilitated further shifts, introducing tools like email and early video conferencing.
So yes, the onset of COVID-19 indeed acted as a catalyst, but it didn’t create this trend. According to Gallup’s State of the American Workforce Report, 43% of employees spent “at least some of their time” working remotely in 2016, up from 39% in 2012.2 These long-term shifts underscore that hybrid work is not just a pandemic-era phenomenon but a steadily growing practice driven by technological advancements and changing employees’ expectations. But let’s dive into detail about how this way of working has evolved between 2020 and today.
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The complex rise of hybrid work since the pandemic happened
2021 to 2022: the reluctance to go back to the office
After COVID-19 hit in 2020, hybrid work became a dominant model for many businesses worldwide. With the sudden need for social distancing and lockdowns, remote and hybrid work solutions were the easiest and best options. They ended up being more of a necessity than a luxury.
As the pandemic lasted and, as with any significant change, companies faced substantial challenges. For example, equipping employees with the right technology and developing new cybersecurity strategies became paramount. Therefore, businesses quickly invested in digital infrastructure, embracing technologies like video conferencing, cloud services, and collaboration tools to ensure operational continuity. Maintaining a positive corporate culture, fostering team cohesion, and mitigating communication breakdowns were critical obstacles to overcome.
However, overall, organizations realized the benefits of these working practices. Between 2021 and 2022, hybrid work models rapidly became a standard for many businesses. While they showed their power to improve work-life balance, they were also vital for sustaining productivity in a post-pandemic work environment. In the spring of 2022, 87% of the U.S. workforce chose to work flexibly when possible.3 This transition also accelerated a broader reevaluation of workplace practices, focusing on flexibility, productivity, and employee wellbeing.
2023: companies attempt to mandate a return to the office
Many thought that 2023 would be the end of the hybrid work trend. Although some big organizations rejected the idea of a more flexible work environment, the vast majority understood there was no going back. They stand with the idea that it benefits everyone, employees as much as employers. But yes, 2023 was a critical year for hybrid work, as some major companies, such as Apple and Google, implemented full return-to-office policies at the end of 2022.
Although this shift initially created uncertainty about the future of this way of working, leading to debates within the corporate world, job postings for hybrid work still increased in 2023. Meanwhile, those for fully remote positions decreased as both employers and employees still wanted some in-person work.4
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The status of hybrid work today
Flexible work arrangements remain a top priority for employees
While most employees cannot imagine going back to the office daily, many are also not in favor of never working with their colleagues face-to-face. Therefore, being able to operate remotely and on-site continues to be their first choice when it comes to working models. Studies also show that flexible work arrangements contribute significantly to their engagement. People who can work from home fully or partially express higher engagement than those who have to come on-site daily. 5
The benefits of flexible work practices from an employee perspective are significant. From a better work-life balance to less commuting and greater productivity, there is no need to explain why this way of working remains the most appreciated and wanted one. Organizations' position regarding hybrid work is not so straightforward, as they are still figuring out how to make this work in the best way possible for everyone.
Organizations have almost fully embraced flexibility, but they are not quite there...yet
Although most businesses no longer question the benefits of a hybrid work model, some challenges remain. One of them is creating the best hybrid work policy. Their confusion around finding the right balance to satisfy everyone while meeting the company’s goals seems one of the most challenging aspects. Reimagining the office space and maintaining a strong corporate culture are also persistent struggles.
After years of trying to determine the sweet spot between remote and on-site work, studies and statistics reveal that working from home 2-3 days a week is the best ratio. This is what many businesses are now offering. It allows employees to balance their personal and professional lives while maintaining a solid workplace connection and aligning with the organization’s objectives. However, if you don’t want to waste money on underused space, the office must be redesigned to match this working style.
The remaining big questions for employers include: How many square meters do you need for a hybrid workforce? How do you ensure you don’t downsize your office too much? And, most importantly, what does a hybrid workplace look like? Traditional office spaces no longer match the modern workforce’s needs. A dynamic and diverse workspace is paramount to helping your teams thrive when coming on-site.
💜 Discover how to set up your hybrid work policy successfully!
The future of hybrid work
Predictions on hybrid work evolution for 2025
Although the year is still not over yet, we do have some key insights to share with you so you can start preparing.
As hybrid work arrangements continue to develop into a pillar of any forward-thinking and people-focused company, constantly adjusting policies and layouts to this model is crucial. For instance, creating a collaborative office setup with multiple workspaces will remain a top priority. With an ever-growing employee-centric approach to work, designing a physical workplace that adapts to your staff’s needs instead of vice versa becomes pivotal. Two aspects are going to drive the office of the future: collaboration and innovation.
Technology plays a massive role in transforming your workplace into a more agile, people-focused, and interactive work environment. Automation and AI-driven tools will assist you as much as your team members in making the most of flexible work practices.
deskbird’s role regarding hybrid work today and tomorrow
deskbird has supported businesses in managing their hybrid offices and has created a great on-site experience for several years. While our solution was only a desk and room booking software at the start, it is now a complete tool that allows your staff to reserve workspaces and assists them with their hybrid work needs.
Following the hybrid work trends and your feedback, we constantly design new features and improve our app to continue supporting you at every step of this new way of working. While employees organize their week planning within three clicks and book their favorite workspace, you can:
- set your hybrid work policy within the app;
- calculate the best employee-desk ratio and save costs;
- study your office analytics and make data-driven improvements;
- plan and send office event invites;
- order catering for your next meeting;
- book resources for guests;
- and much more.
New features are being built right now while you are reading this article. And as the trends of hybrid work evolve rapidly, so does your deskbird app, so that you are always upfront and ready to embrace the future of work trends and meet employees’ expectations.
Although hybrid work has been around for a few decades, an exponential evolution has happened over the last few years. While working from home was occasional and seen as a “bonus,” it is now a norm for most organizations worldwide. As this way of working settles, businesses are slowly starting to find the right balance between remote and on-site days. Yet, some challenges remain. The biggest ones are adapting the physical workplace to the new office’s role, designing the best hybrid work policy, developing approaches to maintaining a positive corporate culture, and maintaining a strong workplace connection.
With its ever-growing and user-friendly app, deskbird is your right hand in making your flexible office very successful.
Request a free demo today and see how we can help you navigate hybrid work trends!
Notes:
1 What is Hybrid Work? A Short History, Steady.
2 Working from Home: Before and After the Pandemic, NCBI.
3 Remote work statistics: what do the numbers say?, deskbird
4 New Data Explores the Continuing Evolution of Hybrid Work, HR Daily Advisor.
5 Hybrid work, Gallup.
Sources:
- What is Hybrid Work? A Short History, Steady.
- How did we get here? The Hybrid Working Evolution, Kadence.
- New Data Explores the Continuing Evolution of Hybrid Work, HR Daily Advisor.
- The Evolution of Remote and Hybrid Work, The European Business Review.
- Working from Home: Before and After the Pandemic, NCBI.
- Hybrid Work, Gallup.
