I'd love some FGB input.

Anonymous

January 11,2023 at 2:49PM UTC

Welcome to Fairygodboss!

We’re the largest online career community helping women achieve their career goals. Gain access to articles, jobs, events, and a supportive network of women and allies. Membership is free, always.

I'd love some FGB input.

What does "hybrid" mean to you in a job posting?

I saw an interesting posting yesterday and it said hybrid, so I reached out to the person who is hiring (I know her) and said I was interested. I'm not in the same city, but am willing to do 2 weeks f2f and 2 weeks remote for the time being.

She said they were planning that the person would be "local but not always in the office" and that they'd spend part of their time in the "home" office and the rest of their time at another office in a satellite location in the same city.

To me that doesn't say "hybrid" so I'm curious- what does "hybrid" really mean nowadays?

Why women love us:

Daily articles on career topics
Jobs at companies dedicated to hiring more women
Advice and support from an authentic community
Events that help you level up in your career
Free membership, always

52 comments

Share your insight

Join an authentic community that helps women support each other at work. Share your professional experience or ask for advice — you can even post anonymously.

52 Comments

Join the conversation

Regina BrownJanuary 11,2023 at 3:04PM UTC
I think that depends on the company. I think that company may have used the wrong word.
Stefani AndersenJanuary 11,2023 at 3:09PM UTC
"Hybrid" to me usually means 2-3 days in the office, 2-3 days out of the office (at home). I've always seen it mean during the same week though. Like Mon-Wed in the office, Thurs, Friday WFH.
Cindy GrossJanuary 11,2023 at 4:22PM UTC
That sounds more like "requires travel" or "multiple locations." However inexactly this evolving term was used, the main thing is to ask questions and get the details so you can decide if it's a fit for you.
AnonymousJanuary 11,2023 at 4:39PM UTC
Glad you reached out to get clarification -- that's a good tip I'll take away with me! Agree with what others are saying -- when I see hybrid I assume my time will be split between in office and a virtual location.
AnonymousJanuary 11,2023 at 5:16PM UTC
Hybrid in my location is minimum 3 days in the office (I have 4/5 offices to choose from) and then 2 days wherever else - home or whatever works.
AnonymousJanuary 11,2023 at 5:16PM UTC
Strange. Hybrid, especially these days means, at least to me, that your time would be split between the office and working from home.
Are you sure your friend is well informed?
AnonymousJanuary 11,2023 at 6:27PM UTC
I would think “hybrid” could mean any combination of work locations or duties.
Shelly EdwardsJanuary 11,2023 at 7:50PM UTC
Hybrid to me is a couple days in the office and the rest working remote. I could also see where a company might consider working in another office as hybrid, but in this economy, that is certainly not the norm for the term. I also would not consider two weeks in and two weeks remote a hybrid position. A hybrid worker should be local to be available to come to the office for meetings at least weekly if necessary.
AnonymousJanuary 11,2023 at 8:12PM UTC
It means that it's a blend of in-office & remote work.
Kristin BurnsJanuary 11,2023 at 8:24PM UTC
That sounds more like full time office work at 2 locations. Hybrid to me means some time in office and some remote work, and I've usually seen it as a couple of days in office. Some places are letting teams chose (like T & W are core days, then people can add another day of their choice) or leaving it up to individuals. Others have people come in occasionally for events/meetings but don't need them set days. Hybrid to me would mean living near the office I was mapped to attend.
KatJanuary 11,2023 at 10:31PM UTC
Hybrid *should* mean part time in office, part time remote/flexible location. This is what it came to mean for most people due to the pandemic. My current job is hybrid- 2 days in office, 3 days WFH. However, "hybrid" -along with "remote" has become a buzzword to stick in a job posting to look more attractive to applicants. I've clicked on plenty of jobs (LI does this a lot with their listings) that say "remote", but when I look at the job, it's all on-site (in a city not close enough to get to easily) in the office with no mention of remote scheduling/flexibility. Tell your friend that they need to revise the language in the posting and in any recruiting that they do. They need to specify that they want/prefer local candidates and that you'll split your time between multiple offices. That is not the same thing as hybrid by any means.
AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 2:16AM UTC
Frankly, it's whatever the company (who offers a hybrid work schedule) determines. I work in a city comprised of many large conglomerates, and most of them require their staff to work 3 days IN the office and 2 days remote. I would get concrete info from this company as to what "remote" entails weekly.
CJB62January 12,2023 at 2:08PM UTC
As someone with a hybrid position - hybrid generally means what you described - you work in an office a set number of days and the other days you can WFH.
What you are looking for is likely a remote position where you would need to come into an office occasionally for training, meetings, etc.
Leader228242January 12,2023 at 4:17PM UTC
I would consider hybrid splitting my time between the office and remote, however, I would not be surprised if the position required that I be in the office a certain number of days each week, which would require that I live close enough to do so. I don't think splitting your time between two offices is hybrid.
Kimberly GrahamJanuary 12,2023 at 7:31PM UTC
Hybrid within our organization means a combination of remote and office and involves team agreements to ensure alignment on where people are working. However, I have also seen that those working in hybrid environments are being encouraged to come into the office more and more.
Marquisha ThomasJanuary 12,2023 at 7:58PM UTC
I always thought hybrid to mean partially working in the office, in-person and likely collaborating with others, then also working from home.
And I think it does depend on the organization, whether or not that means living in that city specifically…which would have to be the case if it were is spilt that way during the week, and I thought most organizations choose this as their hybrid model.
Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterJanuary 12,2023 at 8:18PM UTC
"Hybrid" is a loosely defined term these days - I had one client tell me recently that "Hybrid" for a company she interviewed with meant 4.5 days in office and .5 days at home!
The message seems clear: You have to ask. If it isn't spelled out in the job announcement, you can choose to ask upfront...or wait until there is mutual interest in the position (at which time there may be a bit more flexibility once they know how great you are).
AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 9:47PM UTC
Hybrid...this is a tough one! My hybrid is not similar to a few companies where I have interviewed.
I make sure to ask a lot of questions around this.
Diane CohenJanuary 13,2023 at 1:27PM UTC
Splitting the week between home and office
ken cuebasJanuary 13,2023 at 1:51PM UTC
I would have assumed they meant partial work from home and in the office. However there really is no official definition of what a Hybrid position is. I always ask any perspective candidate, After reviewing the Job Description is there anything I could clarify for you? When in doubt always ask.
Esther WormanJanuary 13,2023 at 1:54PM UTC
Boomer here; what does “f2f mean?
HollyJanuary 13,2023 at 2:00PM UTC
Face to face
Janet GrangerJanuary 13,2023 at 2:18PM UTC
F2F means face-to-face
Rose BushJanuary 13,2023 at 2:08PM UTC
Just like a hybrid car. Mostly from home, but occasionally come in. (Mainly to get the mail).
Nicole SemarJanuary 13,2023 at 2:11PM UTC
When I see hybrid in a job description, I envision part-time at home and part-time at the company office.
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 2:18PM UTC
From what I've seen, hybrid seems to mean at least 1 or more days in the office every week, and the other days can be remote.
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 2:20PM UTC
I've personally never seen anyone define "hybrid" as some days in 1 office and other days in a different office. "Hybrid" definitely implies that some days are full remote as an option.
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 2:32PM UTC
Hybrid can mean a combination of locations, that also includes remote days that you can work from home. But I have never seen it where it doesn’t include WFH for at least part of the time. I’ve also known it to include at least 1 day in the office a week.
Heather BinghamJanuary 13,2023 at 2:48PM UTC
I don't think it is "hybrid" unless it means some work from home. The post is a little misleading, as it should be "multisite".
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 3:32PM UTC
A hybrid schedule for different companies means different things. Because you are willing to two weeks in person and then two weeks away doesn't mean it aligns with want they want hybrid for a position. We have some very flexible positions, one day a week in the office, and others that require 3 days a week in the office. Here is a "definition": "Hybrid work is a flexible work model that supports a blend of in-office, remote, and on-the-go workers.
Jennifer RoyalJanuary 13,2023 at 3:47PM UTC
If I am adding hybrid to a job description, in our company, it is a mixture of onsite work and off-site for a more local candidate. If a role does not have to be local, I will put it as a remote job and add in the travel requirements, not in percentages but describe the ideal scenario. For instance, as the Head of Talent Acquisition, I work remotely from my home office in Philadelphia and travel to Boston every other week, 2 to 3 days at a time. I would put "Bi-weekly travel of up to 3 days will be required for out of state candidate candidates" in the job description. For a data science role that doesn't require as much of an on-site presence, but we have a monthly town hall that we prefer that all of our staff come together for, I would write, "monthly travel up to 3 days will be required for our of state candidates". Now, that is not the norm for most companies to get more specific, but I just feel we should always be as transparent as we are able to at all times with our candidates throughout the entire recruitment process, and that includes advertising.
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 3:49PM UTC
I currently work a hybrid role, which is 2 days a week in office and 3 days at home. Traditionally that is what hybrid looks like, some combination of in office and remote. The actual combination varies greatly.
What they’re describing is not hybrid. It’s working in multiple locations. If I were posting it, that’s what I would say. Or 50% travel since half your time is spent at another location.
Kodi J MacLeodJanuary 13,2023 at 5:17PM UTC
In past companies I've worked at hybrid meant a few days in the office and a few days at home, but definitely needing to be close enough to the office that you can easily get there within the day. I'm in a hybrid role right now as a leader over 5 units and some of my locations are about an hour's drive each way, but still close enough to get there if I get a call basically.
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 6:08PM UTC
Personal opinion is that she is giving you her spin on the job description. You told her you don’t live locally and I think right there she turned off your question…
Kelli MahoneyJanuary 13,2023 at 7:54PM UTC
Hybrid means different things to different organizations from what I've seen so far. Some want a local person who can come in a couple days a week. Some want someone who can just come in a few times a month/year, so it doesn't matter where you live (though most will not pay your travel costs in this case). Some it's like what you described (which I agree is not what most will consider hybrid. That's just being willing to work in various office locations).
Like with so many things, I wish organizations would be clear in job descriptions what they expect. It saves us so much time when applying. I really wish I could just consult with companies to write all their job descriptions. Too often they make me want to pull my hair out.
Krystin MorganJanuary 13,2023 at 8:25PM UTC
So 100% of their time is in-office, but it's just split between different locations? I agree -- that's not hybrid work as we've all come to know it. It's just split locations.
To me, hybrid means a mix of in-office and remote. What that mix is can vary; sometimes it's whatever the employee wants to do, other times it's a set 2 or 3 days in-office.
Jessica FerlandJanuary 13,2023 at 9:37PM UTC
She's right. It's a mix of 2-3 days in the office and 2-3 days remote work. Not 2 weeks in person and 2 weeks out.
AnonymousJanuary 13,2023 at 10:36PM UTC
Hybrid in this scenario is a work environment varying from the (former) traditional 8-5 work day in the primary office location. I agree with another response, the above is not a true Hybrid, it is a split work office location and if not in the same city, could offset a tax liability.
Montana BrewerJanuary 13,2023 at 11:58PM UTC
Are you sure "home office" wasn't referring to the person's WFH office? As in an office in their home? That is typically what hybrid would mean- a couple days at home and a couple days in the office.
Sharon GrehanJanuary 14,2023 at 12:50AM UTC
For my company, it involves 2-3 days per week in-office and the rest working from home. Good to check the definition for each company as it varies so much
Annetta MosesJanuary 14,2023 at 3:55AM UTC
As a hiring manager, I use the term hybrid, or flex to indicate the person can work a few 2 to 3 days a week from home and the remainder of the week in a company office. I once worked for a company that had 3 company offices within 10 miles of each other. I had a main base but could work from the other office locations.
AnonymousJanuary 14,2023 at 4:31AM UTC
In my workplace it means a couple days at home and a couple days at the office.
AnonymousJanuary 14,2023 at 1:27PM UTC
It is different for every company. I think it would be good for you to find out exactly what the expectation is and if there is any flexibility. If there is flexibility, work it into the offer letter for documentation. For my company it means in the office a couple days and WFH for the remaining days. Good luck!!
vm FreebirdJanuary 14,2023 at 4:41PM UTC
It depends on the needs of the said company. They probably need someone closer by if needs were to arise. Ask for clarity.
Debbie CreeJanuary 14,2023 at 5:29PM UTC
That is what my understanding is. Part time in office, part time remote. And they want you local to avoid travel issues.
AnonymousJanuary 14,2023 at 6:43PM UTC
Yes her description is what hybrid means. Some days in office some in home local to where office is. Remote means you can be anywhere.
Erica KennettJanuary 15,2023 at 11:24AM UTC
"...they'd spend part of their time in the 'home' office and the rest of their time at another office in a satellite location in the same city..."
OP, could you clarify whether this means your home office in your own house or the company's primary location?
Most seem to be interpreting this to mean the room you work out of in your house, which, regardless of level of flexibility, is what I've always known hybrid to mean. Some in your space, some in the company's; lots of variation in how it can be arranged. My initial read though was that the company wants you some days at one of their locations, some days at another; 100% on-site work. That sounds like a way to get more applicants for a position that isn't really hybrid.
AnonymousJanuary 15,2023 at 5:41PM UTC
I'm the OP- sorry for the confusion. When I said "home office" I did mean the organization's main office location, not my own office in my house.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 16,2023 at 4:27AM UTC
I was wondering the same thing as Erica. Based on your answer, neither of these are hybrid as far as I'm concerned.
For me, hybrid means a combination of working from your home a certain number of days per week and then the other days in the office. Or working primarily from your home and being available for in-person meetings as needed. In my experience, you need to reside within commuting distance,
Erica KennettJanuary 16,2023 at 6:29AM UTC
I've never heard a definition of hybrid that didn't include some days working from home. My last position was technically hybrid, but some on my team lived out of state and would fly in for upgrades and go-lives (the only "on site" requirement we had).
Liz MilneJanuary 16,2023 at 1:46PM UTC
Yeah, that's not hybrid! Hybrid is half working from YOUR home, half from the office! The one you describe is fully in-person, split over two locations!
Christi MillerJanuary 16,2023 at 7:11PM UTC
I don't think that's really hybrid. Hybrid is typically part of the week in the office and part of the week working from home.