Prior to COVID, I have worked in a hybrid environment for over 10 years in many different formats. 1. Hybrid Days were the same for all - this was great to enable collaboration days & then balance of life days and we were all on the same schedule. This was the days where virtual meetings were purely calls & no cameras. 2. Optional Hybrid - This was good for the individual, but did have ups & downs. All of sudden meetings would only have 1 person in the audience while everyone else was working from home or vice versa where the person working from home was left out of conversations. As technology evolved - we could have connected via cameras, but people would refuse & just be on voice phones multitasking. 3. All Hybrid - I have been in an all hybrid environment for 3 years, and honestly feel the most connected to my teammates. We all know this is how we need to get our work accomplished & it is a normal day in the office. Cameras on & let's get to work - there is no thought to who is in or out - it is about making it happen no matter where you are. To make this happen though your company needs to have the technology, rules of the roads, & culture expectations established & clear to make this effective. Good luck balancing this journey and remember it is baby steps of learning & trying as you go. Highlight the best practices & ensure there are success metrics to help be your guide.

My organizations have always had several people who traveled at multiple locations so I feel we've always been hybrid. The office does allow for more random conversations, which is a great benefit. If everyone was able to figure it out with everyone remote, there should be a way to do hybrid as well.

With many companies transitioning to remote work, the addition of a hybrid option is a key differentiator and I believe will attract more talent/retain current employees. These days, people don't want to commit to 100% in-office or 100% WFH - it's important for companies to recognize this and build policies that embrace a full flexibility model.

I love the flexibility of a hybrid environment. Our company has aways offered that and it works really well. We are 300 people strong and survived the various shutdowns easily because of it. Didn't really impact our work. We met our goals and even hired new people ahead of schedule.

A hybrid of some workers in person and some remote does have its challenges but in the current environment I think it is sometimes necessary. Workers in the remote setting can certainly feel isolated, especially when there are in person conversations happening that the remote people might not be able to partake in. It can partially be dependent on how many are in each format also, if only a few are remote compared to how many are in person that can be even more dividing. But, it is better than people not working at all! Most of my meetings are 100% virtual, I think that tends to work better than the mix, because even if people are in the office they can still attend the meeting remotely. However I understand from a company perspective it is probably more cost effective to have the people that are able to attend in person do so.

I think it depends on the job/situation. My husband is teaching in a hybrid format; it's a nightmare! He has to have three different lesson plans--sometimes simultaneously. However, other areas might adapt well if the technology is strong. For example, with half on Zoom and half live, it's hard to hear/see who's talking or is want to say something. However, if a large enough screen is provided so that everyone can see everyone, that problem might be overcome. Assess the individual situation and have tech involved as much as possible.

I like the flexibility associated with the hybrid work environment. Like others have already said, people need to be on the same page with direction. Managers need to meet with their staff at least once a week, and employees must have access to the proper technology.

I agree with a lot of the feedback, it can be good or bad... it can work or fail. It depends. On the technology, yes. On the management, even more. And on the individuals, absolutely. Some people work well with others, some independently. Some managers are better with seeing their team, others can adapt to regular check ins and remote/ hybrid. I think this is going to be a reality for so many going forward that we should be training our managers and our employees/ team members to work in this type of environment. Now to figure that out...

I worked for a employer who used the hybrid model for 5 years. I think hybrid model works if the company embraces it. If all functions operate in the same manner people adjust and make it work. They have tools, conference rooms, technology to bridge the gap. If you come from a company that this is a foreign model and move to a company that embraces it there will be a learning curve. I moved from a in person role to hybrid and it took me almost a full year to adjust.

I agree that it will be very difficult to pull off the hybrid environment and have everyone treated "equally". It's undoubtedly true that you get to know your coworkers better in person, as all of the informal interactions add up to significant time over the course of a year. But it does depend on your function. My work is completely dependent on cross-functional relationships. In past roles, we would eagerly anticipate teams from other offices coming to visit, because that in-person time exponentially increased our ability to work together productively in the future. And my team members were constantly coming up to me with small questions and comments in the office. If you are only interacting with people that you have a specific meeting with, you miss out on valuable networking and development opportunities outside of your immediate circle. It's different for everyone though -- if moving ahead is less important to you, or your work is independent of cross-functional relationships, then it's probably okay.