The way we work has transformed, and hybrid and remote setups are now a big part of the conversation. They’ve opened doors to flexibility and autonomy but also brought challenges to culture, collaboration and development. So how can organizations get it right?

What we’re learning about work preferences

It’s clear: people love flexibility. For remote-capable jobs, 64% of employees prefer hybrid arrangements, and another 29% want to work fully remote. When companies don’t offer remote options, they risk losing talent to more flexible competitors or closing themselves off from great people who live away from the office.

But productivity? That’s where things get murky. Many employees say they get more done at home with fewer interruptions, but research from Microsoft and others shows that without face-to-face time, teams become more siloed and less connected. Development and mentorship also take a hit — especially for junior team members or employees who rely on in-person feedback and support.

Culture, collaboration, and connection

Culture is built with intention, by the stories we tell and the successes we share. Although everyone loves free lunch and a warm cookie, effective in-office policies aren’t about the food. To truly succeed in hybrid and remote setups, leaders need to be intentional about culture and connection.

Instead of arbitrarily setting a number of days to be in the office, start with purpose. Instead of defaulting to routine check-ins or status updates, focus your in-person or virtual time on meaningful interactions, such as:

  • Collaborating on a project: Use meetings to brainstorm, problem-solve, or tackle challenging tasks together.
  • Mentoring sessions: Create space for junior employees to ask questions, gain feedback and learn from experienced team members.
  • Deep dives: Set aside time to explore complex topics in detail, encouraging diverse perspectives and thoughtful discussions.
  • Spontaneous communication: Text messages, emails and video calls tend to be wholly transactional, without space to chat socially or get a quick opinion or check-in.

How to manage remote/hybrid work

Managing performance in hybrid setups doesn’t have to be complicated. A helpful way to think about it is through the lens of skill, engagement, and coachability:

  • Skill: Start by looking at employees’ abilities. What skills do you expect them to demonstrate in the job? It might be technical or creative. It’s the actual ability to do the work for which each employee has been hired.
  • Engagement: Engagement isn’t just about personal motivation—it’s about how people show up every day. Are they good teammates? Do they contribute to the larger organization? This is what sets us apart from just being transactional gig workers. Employees who actively support their colleagues help build a culture of collaboration and connection.
  • Coachability: We all have room to improve. Do employees seek out feedback? When they get it, how do they respond? Do they act on it?

A good management practice is starting with a discussion on what’s expected for each of the above. Once employees have been told what’s expected in each of the areas above, how do they do? Are they highly skilled, but not engaged? Are they lower in skill, but highly coachable? Using these three lenses can quickly diagnose what’s going well, what needs work and even what’s resolvable, or not.

What’s next?

Organizations need to ask themselves tough questions: Are we fostering collaboration or inadvertently pushing toward a gig-work model? What trade-offs are we making, and are we OK with them?

When it comes to work policies — remote, hybrid, or in-person — transparency from leadership is everything. People don’t want to read a passive, overly polished memo full of corporate jargon. They want real conversations. Leaders needs to be upfront about what they’re trying to accomplish: What’s working? What’s not? How does remote or in-person work fit into the bigger picture?

Talking openly about where the organization is succeeding and where it’s struggling builds trust and shows that these decisions are about solving real challenges, not just ticking boxes. A shared understanding of the “why” behind the policies is better than any free snack.

Media industry veteran Elaine Richards is an assistant professor of the practice at the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. In addition to teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, teamwork and strategy, she conducts research and consulting on the future of work and fostering productive workplaces. She can be reached at elaine.richards@du.edu.