Many companies including Dell, Walmart, Amazon, AT&T, X, and major financial institutions like Citigroup, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs, have mandated a full-time return to the office for employees. Other companies have incorporated a hybrid work week with anywhere from 2-4 days in the office, while others continue to see the benefits of remote work for their employees. This begs the question we often receive as consultants or executive coaches, “What is the right approach?”

Research suggests that a hybrid model tends to drive employee engagement, productivity, creativity, and wellbeing the most. The key lies in its balance. Hybrid work allows employees to benefit from in-person collaboration while still having time for focused, independent work at home. While in the office, employees often have more natural or impromptu discussions that allow for ideating, problem solving or collaboration. They have greater access to office materials. They feel more connected to the company’s mission.

Yet focused, independent work from home allows employees to have a greater balance in their personal and professional lives. While working they can run their household in the background. They may have the opportunity to forgo childcare or dog daycare services. They can collect packages on their porch, thereby calming any nerves about neighborhood porch pirates walking away with their most recent online purchase. They can run a load of laundry, save on gas, eat at home. All of this while working diligently on their work tasks and projects.

Studies from Gallup show that employees with flexibility in where and how they work tend to be more engaged, less burned out, and more productive than those in fully remote or full-time office settings. When surveyed in November 2024, six in ten employees with remote-capable jobs preferred a hybrid arrangement (Gallup, n.d.). This may come as a slight surprise, but take into consideration two key factors: 1) a global rise in loneliness and social isolation and 2) work is where a majority of adults spend their time during the week (Gallup, 2024; U.S. Department of HHS, 2023). It makes sense then, that employees would look to their workplace to feel a sense of connection. Having a close confidante or trusted friend at work drives engagement.

A bar chart that shows top benefits and top challenges of hybrid workers.

Ultimately, the return to office isn’t about forcing employees back to their desks, it’s about finding a rhythm that supports productivity, engagement, and connection. A well-designed hybrid model does just that, benefiting both employees and organizations alike. However, it’s up to leaders to decide on a more personal level what works best for their employees and their industry. When leaders are deciding which approach to take, I often encourage them to reflect on a few questions:

1. What is your reason for potentially bringing employees back to the office?

2. How well are employees currently performing?

3. What does the employee engagement data tell you?

These few starter questions quickly allow the leader(s) and I to decipher whether their great debate is based on 1) a lack of trust in their employees and/or 2) data. As the adage goes, “numbers don’t lie.”

If trust is the issue, this can be managed by reviewing key performance indicators (KPIs) and engagement data to identify whether a trust issue is justified. If high performance exists, this may be more of an internal battle for a leader to overcome. Increasing touchpoints with managers and teams can help alleviate anxiety as well.

If performance or engagement is subpar, an engagement survey can identify where the organization has best practices in company culture and where there are opportunities for improvement. When you rectify employee engagement, you drive performance and business outcomes. A survey can support organizations regardless of workplace location. Consider an organization where high office rental costs or a globally distributed workforce make a full return to office or hybrid model impractical.

So just how adept are engagement surveys at identifying the problem? Let’s say the survey shows that employees feel cared for and have trusted colleagues, yet they struggle to know what’s expected at work and don’t have the materials to carry out the job. This amounts to employees who feel connected at work with no idea what to prioritize and few capabilities to carry out those priorities. These barriers could be the result of technology challenges, a lack of communication between departments or matrixed teams or a short-staffed department, as examples. This can be resolved with better and increased communication across all levels, and there are simple practices to make this stick, such as increasing 1-10 minute informal touchpoints with employees to clarify priorities and to check on barriers to their success.

Deciding whether to bring employees back into the office full time or in a hybrid arrangement is a decision that should be carefully considered from many angles. Research into engagement, performance, and wellbeing shows that the hybrid arrangement is best overall, yet budget, employee location, employee roles, and industry are just some of the variables that also factor into this consideration.

Employees sitting at their desks in an open office setting.

References

Gallup. (2024). Gallup global emotions (Report). Retrieved from: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/349280/gallup-global-emotions-report.aspx

Gallup. (n.d.). Hybrid work. Retrieved from: https://www.gallup.com/401384/indicator-hybrid-work.aspx#ite-510899

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. Retrieved from: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

The Great Debate: Is Return to Office a Good Idea? Why Hybrid Work Strikes the Right Balance