Figure Out the Right Hybrid Work Strategy for Your Company | Harvard Business Review

As firms continue to evaluate hybrid work options, they are trying to answer a series of questions. And as noted in this article, these questions include: 1) What’s the actual cost of hybrid working for our bottom line and our ability to deliver on our promises? 2) How much flexibility do employees want and need? 3) Who should decide who does and doesn’t get to work remotely? 4) Can we maintain our culture if people aren’t spending as much time together in the office? 5) How can we effectively onboard new employees remotely? While these questions appear to part of a single discussion on hybrid work, the article argues they represent three different discussions with different objectives, challenges, and success criteria. The three discussions are about: 1) productivity (explores the optimal form and mix of work arrangements to allow a firm to deliver on its commitments, 2) staffing (looks to select the model that allows a firm to succeed in a talent market that’s increasingly virtual, global and competitive), and 3) culture (ensures the work model doesn’t irreparably damage or dissolve the culture that makes your organization what it is). The author breaks down these three conversations and provides steps for how to navigate them.