What we’re getting wrong with hybrid

Organizations are getting a lot right in the transition to hybrid work: Recognizing that most professionals want to keep working remotely at least part of the time. Taking a team-based approach to hybrid, because the right structure depends on the kind of work you do. Investing in workshops and events that help people reconnect with one another, and build their hybrid work skills.

But there’s one mistake I see over and over again—and it’s a mistake made by both employers and employees.

That mistake? Aiming for too much scheduling flexibility as we return to the office.

The flexibility fallacy

I get the motivation: It is wonderful to have full control over your schedule. Heck, the whole reason I’ve been working remotely for the past eight years is because I needed an extreme level of scheduling flexibility in order to handle our particular parenting challenges.

Two-thirds of remote workers cite flexibility —in how they spend their time, and in where they do their work—as one of the chief benefits of working remotely. In the current tight labor market, where employers are competing to retain or hire talent, offering the maximum amount of flexibility may feel like an easy or desirable way of keeping your employees happy. In many organizations, that has taken the form of policies like “come into the office at least two days a week, but you pick the two days”, or even, “just come into the office when you need to”.