5 Inspiring Hybrid Work Model Examples From Big Companies [2023]

The COVID-19 pandemic has made many employees worldwide realize that they don’t need to be in the office all day to stay productive.

As a result, hybrid work is becoming popular. According to research by Microsoft, 52% of people are likely to consider switching to a fully remote or hybrid company in the next year.

Hybrid work comes in different shapes and forms, which leaves companies wondering which setup would best suit their needs and ensure employee engagement.

This article will explore the main different types of hybrid work model examples so you can pick the one that would best fit your workplace. Moreover, it will show how some of the top companies thrive in hybrid models.

Quick Summary: The five different types of hybrid work models are as follows:

1. Mandatory office with a few flex days
2. Office-first with optional remote work
3. Hybrid (or 50/50 split)
4. Remote-first with optional office visits
5. Only from home with few onsite days

The right type of hybrid work model depends on the type of business you run and your employees’ needs.

Let’s dive into the five main hybrid work models.

5 Hybrid Work Model Examples

Wondering what hybrid work model examples exist and which would best fit your business? Here are the five different hybrid work models, along with examples of companies that have adopted them:

Model #1: Mandatory Office With a Few Flex Days

For companies under this work model, working in the office remains a priority. However, this doesn’t mean that employees don’t work remotely from time to time.

Example:

At Goldman Sachs, working in the office remains a priority. According to its CEO, David Solomon, in an interview with Fortune magazine: “Remote work is not ideal for us, and it’s not normal. It’s an aberration that we’re going to correct as quickly as possible.”

The company believes that its best collaborative work comes when employees share ideas in the office. That said, individual managers can set up flexible work arrangements for employees who request it.

Model #2: Office-First With Optional Remote Work

Here, most employees work predominantly from the office, with the option or obligation to work from home once in a while.

Companies with an office-centric model usually have a baseline (e.g., three mandatory days per week onsite) and allow their employees to decide where to work for the rest of the time.

Example:

At JP Morgan, employees are under the obligation to work at the company office three days a week. However, employees also have the option to work from home during the last two work days of the week if that’s what they prefer. Only a small portion of their workforce works remotely full-time.

In fact, a few months ago, the company announced that it would cease hybrid working for its senior staff.

Model #3: Hybrid (or 50/50 Split)

A hybrid office environment offers employees the best of both worlds. Under the hybrid workplace model, companies opt to have their employees work in the office half the time and remotely the other half.

Example:

Microsoft understands that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to how employees prefer working. Under its hybrid work policy, employees can choose how they’d prefer working, whether that’s at home or in the office.

Employees can also talk to their managers about the work hours that would best fit them, and, depending on their job, they may be able to choose which remote location(s) they’d like to work from.

Model #4: Remote-First With Optional Office Visits

With this model, remote is the default way of working, but the office is still open for everyone. Depending on the company and what its employees want, visits to the office may be optional or mandatory (once a week or every other week, for example).

In some cases, under this hybrid model, remote employees can choose the remote location they’d like to work from. This means they can be digital nomads, or employees who “hop” from location to location if they choose to.

Example:

Atlassian is a remote-first company that gives its remote workers full control over where and when they’d like to do their jobs.

As part of its guiding principles, Atlassian wants its employees “to explore the world or spend time with far-flung family and friends if that’s what keeps them energized and balanced.”

Employees can live in any of the 13 countries in which Atlassian has legal entities. As such, under this work model, Atlassian can hire employees from all over the world — giving them access to the best possible talent pool and adding diversity to its workforce.

Model #5: Only From Home With Few Onsite Days

In this model, aside from a few days of the year when the company’s employees must show up to the office, home is these employees’ main workplace.

Example:

At Salesforce, office workers have the option to work from home full-time if their job allows it. They only have to show up to the office for special company events.

“An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers,” says Brent Hyder, Chief People Officer at Salesforce, in an article for Salesforce. “The 9-to-5 workday is dead, and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks.”

How to Create a Hybrid Work Model for Your Business

As you can see, there’s lots of variety when it comes to hybrid work models, and even the biggest companies in the world are still learning and experimenting. Here are a few common tips and ideas we found in many hybrid work strategies:

• Talk to your team members. The last 2 years were unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Things changed so much that your team members might be dealing with issues you hadn’t even thought of. That’s why you need to talk to them about what they’re struggling with, what’s working, what isn’t, what they’re missing, and so on. Also, asking what can be done to ensure they feel safe post-COVID is essential.
• Create a workplace safety policy. Again, you need to ensure everyone is safe before returning to the office. Microsoft’s safety guidelines are a great example since they use local COVID-19 case data to encourage or discourage people from coming to the office. You don’t need to be so detailed, especially if you have just one office, but you still need to write a clear safety policy and distribute it to employees.
• Define what a successful hybrid transition means for your business. Is it an increase in productivity, employee well-being, office space usage, better hiring options, stronger company culture, or a combination of many factors? You don’t know what you can’t measure, so defining success early and gathering feedback continuously are both essential.
• Keep an open mind. For a while, we’re all in experimentation mode. The model you start with might not be the best for your goals, so don’t be afraid to switch things up. Like Brett Hautop (VP of Workplace at LinkedIn) says: “I think everybody realizes that we’re all figuring this out together…Only when people aren’t afraid to be around each other will we know the true amount of time they’re going to spend at home versus the office.”

Continue reading on how to build your own hybrid work policy.

Use Technology for a Smooth Transition to Hybrid Work

Hybrid work is here to stay, and modern offices must adapt. But it comes with a significant challenge: office space management.

But how do you ensure that your hybrid employees — who don’t have assigned desks — find available workstations on days when they want to work in the office? You don’t want your employees to have to scramble to find a space to do their work.

That’s where OfficeRnD Hybrid comes in. Our hybrid workspace management solution gives you all the tools you need to better manage your workplace.

Here’s just some of what you can do with our software:

• Create a visual floor plan of your office. A visual floor plan lets everyone in the company see which desks and rooms are available in real-time.
• Allow your employees to easily book desks and meeting rooms with any device. Working without dedicated desks can easily get hectic, so it’s crucial for everyone to book a desk before coming to the office.
• Show team members who else will be in the office. People who want to return to the office often yearn for in-person teamwork and collaboration, so knowing who will be there is vital for them.

Get started for free with OfficeRnD Hybrid today.

FAQ

What Is a Hybrid Work Model?

A hybrid work model is a system that mixes in-office and remote work to provide employees with more flexibility. The benefits include a better work-life balance and improved productivity for hybrid team members.

What Makes a Hybrid Workplace Successful?

Making a hybrid workplace successful involves having the right technology (such as office hoteling software), proper communication, and providing hybrid employees with all the tools they need to stay productive.

How Do I Transition to a Hybrid Work Environment?

To successfully transition to a hybrid work model, consider the type of hybrid model that would best fit your business. Run a survey with your employees to learn about their work preferences, reassess your HR policies, and adopt the technology necessary for hybrid work to succeed.

What Are Examples of Successful Companies With Hybrid Work Models?

Examples of companies that have adopted the hybrid work model for their business include Asana, ClickUp, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Facebook.

What are the Best Examples of Hybrid Work?

Some of the best examples of hybrid work models include split-week schedules, where employees work part of the week in the office and part remotely; role-based models, where certain roles are always remote while others are office-based; and the flex-time model, where employees choose their in-office days based on collaboration needs or personal preferences. These models prioritize both productivity and work-life balance.

What is the Most Common Hybrid Work Model?

The most common hybrid work model is the split-week schedule, where employees work a set number of days in the office and the remainder remotely. This approach offers a balance between in-person collaboration and remote flexibility.

What is a 3-Day Hybrid Work Schedule?

A 3-day hybrid work schedule refers to employees working three days in the office and the remaining two days remotely. This model provides a blend of face-to-face collaboration and the flexibility of working from home, aiming to optimize both productivity and work-life balance.