Remote work won the office debate, but as companies adjust to the new normal, three hybrid work questions seem to leave managers at bay. Through my experience with over 12 organizations, chaos is a common situation. So, let’s try to solve these challenges one at a time.
- Separate the Border: Remote vs. Those At Office
The Proximity Bias Problem
During my consultation with a tech startup last year, their remote staff felt like no one was paying attention to them. The company’s leadership heavily interacted with the office staff over coffee breaks and hallway gossip. Solutions that actually work:
- Set “everyone works virtually” days weekly and employ “no-meeting Wednesdays” with no assigned meetings.
- Enforce remote work using standardized performance metrics. Observation is not a metric.
- Allow teams to rotate face time/office days.
Controlio software is an example of tech that helps remote workers. It enables managers to uniformly assess their productivity and performance with objective data, using monitoring software for employees.
- Articles of the Layers of a Hybrid Workforce
Which Technology Will Best Support Your Hybrid Work Model?
Every virtual office comes with three essentials. Using ineffective tools will lead to stress. The right tools, however, make the hybrid work system flow:
A Communication Center
- Slack as the chat
- Zoom for meetings with etiquette training on the use of “virtual background” features.
A Space for Collaboration
- Usage of Miro as a digital whiteboard
- Documentation done on Notion
Productivity Monitoring
- Finding the right software, like Controlio software, which helps monitor productivity without micromanaging or infringing on freedoms.
Pro Tip: From offering resources, the best tools are those that can adapt and sync with one another, offering many functions such as reduction of app overload.
- How Do We Preserve Company Culture in a Hybrid World?
Culture is Often Misconstrued As Just The Available Recreational Facilities
One time a client raised his complaint, wanting to know why their culture was dying—then we discovered they were trying to recreate 2019 office life in 2025. Modern culture fixes:
- Virtual co-working sessions, which are silent work on desktop video
- Purposeful quarterly all-hands in-person retreats (not silos)
- “Culture champions” who design and execute remote-friendly activities.
My Favorite: One organization engaged with employees and saw engagement scores increase by 35% after replacing mandatory company-wide happy hours celebrating the end of the week with optional “skill share” sessions where people could share their skills like Excel or sourdough baking.
Bonus: The Hybrid Work Policy Every Company Needs
Analyzing countless policies, here are the checklist items that stood out for exceptional policies:
- Defined core hours versus flexible hours
- Stipends for home office furniture and equipment
- Rules about inclusivity regarding meeting recordings
- Use of monitoring software transparency
Example: Marketing companies track productivity via Controlio software and leverage the patterns to enhance workflows rather than penalize workers.
The Future of Hybrid Work
What to expect in the future:
- Selling or renting desk space on a flexible monthly basis.
- AI assistants that schedule the best in-house attendance days for given projects.
- “Office seasons” where teams physically sync presence quarterly for intensive work sprints.
- Greater emphasis on outcomes rather than hours spent “working.”
My prediction: Companies treating hybrid work as an opportunity rather than a compromise will benefit the most.
Positioning Towards: Making Hybrid Work… Work
It’s not all perfect, but it is here, so the hybrid approach has been adopted widely. Investments in proper resources alongside an equity-focused culture, tools, and restructuring enhance the possibilities of thriving diverse workforces.
Next Steps:
- Check for fairness gaps in your existing hybrid policy
- Review the resources available to upgrade your tech stack
- Set up a meeting with the team focused on culture needs
What part of a hybrid work environment do you struggle with the most? I’m looking forward to reading each and every one of your comments!
P.S. To begin formulating a hybrid work policy, check out my free template [here].