Which hybrid work models would suit your business and what do you need to know before introducing it?
Well-chosen hybrid work models can improve the functioning of the entire company. However, if the model is not suited to employees’ needs and the company’s requirements, it may have the opposite effect.
Due to a change in how we work, there has been much discussion about hybrid work models.
Are the hybrid work models good or not?
How to select a proper hybrid work model?
Are all hybrid employees equal?
How should a hybrid work schedule look like?
These are just some of the questions modern companies have been asking themselves recently.
By blending the benefits of remote work with the advantages of a physical office location, hybrid work has emerged as a potential solution to improve work life balance as well as the needs of both employers and employees.
I mean, just look at what the data tells us: “55% of employees want to work at least three days a week remotely” .
So, in this article, we’ll explore the different models of hybrid work, and how organizations can effectively implement and manage this type of work arrangement.
The 5 most popular hybrid work models (examples included)
There are several popular hybrid work models that organizations have adopted. Here are the 5 most popular:
- Office-first hybrid work model
- Remote-first hybrid model
- Partly remote hybrid model
- Flex hybrid work model
- Hot desk hybrid work model
- Work from anywhere hybrid model
The specific model that an organization chooses will depend on various factors, including the nature of the work, the preferences of employees, and the goals of the organization. One important factor that influences the decision making related to hybrid work is: legislation. This can vary from country to country. The COVID pandemic kinda forced some countries to modify labor laws to be more permissive when it comes to telework/remote work. But work is still in progress.
When it comes to remote work law, we have an interview with Gonzalo Corrales Cortés, Senior Associate Tax & Legal at WorkFlex. WorkFlex has developed easy-to-use software for companies to manage travel compliance: business travel, work-from-abroad, commuters and visa. They partner with big brands such as Volvo, Flix, Erste, Vodafone, and more. Read it here.
Now, let’s take each model and analyze it a bit.
1. The office first hybrid work model
Hybrid work has already become an everyday reality for us. Some people love it, and some still need to be convinced about its advantages. Many companies, still determining the idea or possible effects of hybrid work, have decided to explore the office’s first hybrid work model. This basic model allows for a smooth introduction of the more flexible work style that employees crave.
In the office’s first hybrid work model, people primarily work from the office. The office is their command base, where they divide most tasks and organize work. They can do remote work a few days a week or a month. It all depends on the company’s arrangements.
Some companies require the presence of employees on-site on given days, and others let teams decide the schedules. People like to impact when they come to the office and need real reasons to follow a specific schedule.
Here are some examples of companies which are office-first in Q1 2025:
- Deutsche Bank mandated a 4 day/week RTO, back in February 2024
- Salesforce. In the summer of 2024, Salesforce was implementing a strict return-to-office policy. According to an internal memo: “Select employees in sales, workplace services, data center engineering and onsite support technicians under the chief information officer will be required to come to the office four to five days a week, effective Oct. 1.” Other departments such as legal, product, and marketing are having an “office-flex” schedule, meaning a going to the office a minimum of three days per week.
- Nike’s return to office mandate from January 2024, stated that employees need to be in the office for 4 days in a week.
Learn more about the latest RTO mandates, in our article A Tale of Transition: 20 Famous Companies and Their Return to Office Strategies
2. The remote first hybrid work model
Work-from-home (WFH) fans have genuinely liked the remote-first hybrid work model. It contains all the benefits of remote work and a crucial socialization element, especially important for the younger generations.
In the remote’s first hybrid work model, people primarily work from home. The company encourages people to do remote work yet still provides them with office space for company events, networking, and inspiration.
The remote-first hybrid work model allows a schedule tailored to the needs of projects, teams, and even individuals. That kind of approach centered on people helps to create a work environment that supports the well-being of employees.
Find out how Quora manages to run a remote teams across 15 countries, in our story: From Office to Remote-first: Quora’s Remote Work Model.
3. The partly remote hybrid work model
Hybrid work should support productivity and employee satisfaction. Therefore, if part of the team wants and can work mainly remotely, and some primarily stationary, it may be worth allowing them to do so. For such solutions, people invented a partly remote hybrid work model.
In the partly remote hybrid work model, some teams work from home and some from the office. It doesn’t mean that stationary employees cannot work from home and remote employees cannot come to the office.
Some teams, e.g., developers, work for weeks or even months from home in complete focus on the project but come to company events or introductory presentations. This group likes to work from home and is even ready to quit a job when attending the office is often mandatory.
On the other hand, some departments, for example, creative ones, like to work in a stimulating environment, which is undoubtedly the office space. They would be miserable if they had to work alone at home for months. As a study shows, virtual communication curbs creative idea generation. So it’s completely understandable.
4. The flex hybrid work model
This hybrid work model is for open companies with an innovative approach. This model allows employees to work remotely, stationary, for selected hours and even days! Companies operating in this flex hybrid work model enable employees to take days off during the week and work as they prefer, for example, early morning or late evening.
And take a look at that: 54% of employees say they’d change the company for one that provides more flexibility. If modern companies want to build competitiveness in the talent market, they should listen to peoples’ opinions.
The overriding goal in the flex hybrid work model is to deliver projects on time. Where and when this happens is not as important as a result. It’s great for international teams working in different time zones, for people with disabilities, and for those who want to fit work to life, not the other way around.
And yes, this model has its pros and cons, but a proper hybrid work policy handled by the proper team, can make it work.
In a report issues in 2022, Gartner concluded that location-centric hybrid-work models struggle. Many companies claim to embrace hybrid work, but their policies often fixate only on where employees work—mandating office days or rigid schedules without rethinking how work happens.
A true hybrid work environment requires more than location flexibility; it demands intentional design around in person collaboration, focus time, and autonomy. When companies enforce superficial “hybrid” rules (like required office attendance) without optimizing workflows, they create frustration and undermine productivity.
The best hybrid work models align office time with purpose (e.g., team meetings) while empowering employees to work remotely for deep focus. Without this balance, hybrid becomes just another top-down mandate—missing its potential to boost both performance and satisfaction.
The Gartner report concludes that “Human-centric, flexible work design is most successful”. Empowering employees and teams with autonomy over their on-site/remote work mix enables them to optimize performance and do their best work. It also leads to a better work life balance. Research shows this flexible, outcome-focused approach consistently delivers better results than rigid location mandates – driving higher productivity, stronger retention, and reduced burnout.
The Gartner report states that organizations with the most human-centric work environments are 3.8 times more likely to see high employee performance, 3.2 times more likely to enjoy high intent to stay among employees and 3.1 times more likely to see low levels of fatigue among employees than those organizations with far fewer human-centric attributes.
Want to find out how to shift from “where” to “how” in a future of work that focuses on flexibility?
We have answers for you in our interview with Biljana Rakic, VP of Human Capital at CAKE.com. CAKE.com empowers businesses of all sizes to streamline operations with its project management (Plaky), team chat (Pumble), and time tracking (Clockify) tools, serving more than 7 million users globally.
5. The hoteling/hot desk hybrid work models
Hot desking or hoteling is a model where employees do not have an assigned desk in the office. Maybe the company has decreased office space, in order to cut costs, and there are fewer desks than employees.
The hot desk hybrid work model allows one to choose a different desk with each office visit. It is a great way to mix teams, boost employee engagement, integrate people and let them work in conditions that suit their preferences.
Many companies make additional facilities for employees and enable them to filter desks by amenities, for example, a standing desk with two screens near the window or adapted to the needs of a disabled person. Certain desk booking software such as Tidaro, even allow the creation of specific office zones.
6. The work from anywhere hybrid work models
Imagine a beautiful beach and the calm sound of the ocean. You are sitting on the hammock under a palm tree with a laptop on your knees. For some people, this sounds like heaven, so they choose work from anywhere hybrid work model.
Work from anywhere hybrid work model is very simple. People can work fully remotely with no location restrictions. Moreover, they don’t even have to go to the office. They stay in touch with teammates to lead projects together and that’s all. If you are wondering who can be interested in such a model, here are the most popular from-anywhere jobs: marketing, computer & IT, writing/editing, project management, purchasing, customer support, HR & recruiting.
Airbnb does this beautifully. They have started a program called “Live and Work, Anywhere”. Find out the story, here.
Hybrid work models: examples from SAP, Unilever, and Apple
During the COVID19 pandemic lots of companies were forced to embrace hybrid work. Starting with 2023 we see a comeback of office work. Yet, some companies are still embracing remote and hybrid work practices. It’s because they can really feel their benefits.
SAP’s approach to hybrid work
- SAP has approached the topic holistically. The company surveyed employees first, showing that 80 % want to work hybrid. On this basis, SAP created a new concept, “Pledge to Flex,” i.e., a flexible hybrid work model.
- SAP points out that this hybrid work model is 100% flexible and trust-based. The company emphasizes that employees can always visit the office.
- In practice, an SAP employee can choose a workplace daily without asking for permission. The company is constantly improving its space so that the employees who choose the office can work productively.
Unilever’s blend of office work, work from home and work from anywhere
- Unilever can boast an exciting approach to hybrid work. According to the company’s hybrid model, employees spend 40% of their weekly working time in the office, another 40% work from home, and the remaining 20% from anywhere.
- Plus employees can work from another country once a year for four weeks.
Apple’s partial return to office is faced with resentment
- Due to the introduction of a hybrid work system that was not adapted to people’s needs, the company lost many valuable experts, including a long-term employee – the Head of the Machine Learning department.
- Apple employees pointed out that the company wants to be recognized as a supplier of ideal tools for supporting remote employees and hybrid work. At the same time, it does not fully enable employees to do so.
- Apple tried to enforce a policy stating that employees had to be in the office at least 3 days a week. Failure to comply could result in termination. Employees replied to the new policy with resentment and an open letter to Tim Cook and the other execs. But this did not change anything. Employee feedback wasn’t taken into consideration. Jumping to 2025, there are rumors of a full return to office in Q1. This is a hard to verify information.
Balancing office and remote – conclusions
Although sometimes it may seem tempting to abandon the office entirely, it may not be the best idea. Why? Let’s look at some generation’s differences based on employee feedback:
- 42.2% of Gen Z want to work remotely one to two days a week.
- 37.8% of Millennials want to work remotely three to four days per week.
- 21.4% of Gen X and Baby Boomers want to work remotely full-time.
Numbers clearly show that office spaces are still relevant for employees. Some of them like to socialize with a team, solve face-to-face problems, or don’t have the proper conditions to work entirely from home, e.g., issues with the internet, renovation next door, crying babies, or roommates’ party.
The office spaces that are created to support employee engagement, brainstorming, creative work, and focus time, are the ones that will help create a better work life balance. We have an interview with Peggie Rothe from Leesman on the topic. As Leesman’s Chief Insights & Research Officer Peggie was involved in the latest research “The Value of Variety.”
This research used data from over 400,000 employees across nearly 1,600 workplaces, and uncovered critical insights into the effectiveness of assigned versus unassigned seating strategies. Workplace variety is crucial for employee satisfaction and productivity. By offering a variety of settings, organizations can cater to different work styles and preferences, leading to increased employee engagement and well-being.
It is also worth looking at how the job market will change over the years to adapt proper work conditions to different generations.
If you want more stories on remote and hybrid work, we have inspiration for you coming from:
Remote.com – Building Winning Remote Policies: Lessons from Remote.com
Canva – The Canva Hybrid Working Way: ‘What Works for You, Works for Us’
Jobgether – “We Don’t Count Hours, We Count Results”: How Jobgether Makes Remote Work Work
Dropbox – How Dropbox Unlocked the Potential of Virtual First
Atlassian – How Atlassian is Managing Distributed Teams
Hubspot – Working Hybrid: HubSpot’s Success Story. A Guide for Organizations
We’ve also created a hybrid work policy template to help you build your hybrid work arrangements.