12 Hybrid Work Model Examples to Inspire You to Work Differently

Over the last couple of years, hybrid work gained a lot of traction, with 83% of workers preferring hybrid forms of work organization, according to the Accenture Future of work study. Moreover, most workers surveyed by IWG in 2021 would rather have the flexibility afforded by hybrid work over a 10% pay rise. While this shouldn’t be a reason to substitute salary increases for hybrid work, it’s an interesting insight into what workers value the most. 

Consistent data shows that employees have grown to value perks like reduced commute times and the increased work-life balance that remote and hybrid work models offer. Often they won’t even apply to jobs that do not provide some form of hybrid work arrangement.

Hybrid work model examples cover the whole spectrum between office-first environments and full-time remote work. From the total freedom of never having to go back to the office to policies that allow for one day of working remotely, the world of hybrid work is vast, diverse, and exciting!

We put together a list of companies that implemented a hybrid work model and might inspire and help you navigate the current state of hybrid work arrangements. We grouped companies from more office-centric and fixed approaches to more flexible and remote-oriented ones.

Companies with preset hybrid work policies

These companies believe a fixed balance between remote and on-site work is best for their structure. The balance can be somewhat flexible, but these companies will generally set a maximum allowance of work-from-home time and precise guidelines.

Microsoft

The rules are quite clear for the over 180,000 employees of the software giant. Employees can work from home for up to 50% of the time after agreeing on their new hybrid schedule with their manager. Anything above 50% is considered a home office setup and will have different eligibility criteria.

Work hour flexibility is standard for most roles, allowing employees to arrange their workday according to their preferences and needs.

Deutsche Bank

Pending eligibility approval, employees at the German banking giant are free to work from home for up to 60% of the work week. As with many other companies that follow a more rigid hybrid work model, DB employees must agree on the details of their hybrid setup with their manager to ensure the transition is seamless.

Apple

Apple recently implemented its hybrid work policy, but things have not been going smoothly for the Cupertino powerhouse. Apple adopted a relatively rigid approach to hybrid work. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday are fixed on-site days, and employees have been pushing back. Some high-profile employees even resigned over the policy.

Although it is receiving criticism, Apple’s policy is a hybrid one. It just lacks the flexibility that many remote workers have grown accustomed to during the pandemic, and have come to consider a core element of the work environment.

Apple’s story is also a cautionary tale of how the hybrid workplace constantly evolves, and solutions must adapt rapidly. When announced in 2021, Apple’s hybrid model offered more remote days than average, so the more inflexible aspects of the policy might have been hidden by the benefit of more days away from the office. However, many companies have caught up in the last year, and the three days from home with rigid distribution are not as appealing as they were just a few months ago.

Google

Employees at Google also benefit from a hybrid workplace, with the company generally aiming for three days in the office. The good news is that the distribution of remote days is up to individual managers and their team members.

Remote employees will not disappear, however, as Google expects a certain percentage of its workforce to never return to the office, pending approval. In fact, Google set very clear goals envisioning their workspace evolution: 60% of employees will work with a hybrid model, 20% from new office locations, and 20% will be remote workers.

Companies that adopt flexible hybrid work options

Amazon

Eligible Amazon employees can benefit from the company’s pivot to a flexible approach to hybrid work which enables them to choose what balance of office work vs. work from home is best for them. While the decision is not strictly individual, teams can independently choose their own way of working, provided they can meet face-to-face at a day’s notice.

As with other companies mentioned in this post, not all Amazon employees will be able to benefit from the policy, with fulfillment and transportation divisions not being eligible, among others.

Salesforce

Most of the over 73,000 employees at Salesforce will also be able to work from home, as the popular CRM company decided to adopt flexible work, with 1-3 days in the office focusing on teamwork, presentations, and customer calls. How on-site and remote are balanced will be up to individual employees.

Salesforce takes things a step ahead, though, and employees who do not live near an office or do not need to be there to work will be fully remote. Only a small percentage of employees will be entirely on-site.

Companies that see hybrid work as an opportunity to redefine company culture

This group comprises companies that aren’t setting the rules of how hybrid work will be implemented as their priority. They are using the transition to generally overhaul their company culture. From DEIB to empowerment and well-being, to reflecting on the meaning of work, there are countless aspects of a company culture that can be affected, and improved, by adopting hybrid work. 

Intel

Intel has explicitly stated in its Corporate Inclusion Report that it will follow data when making decisions about the future of work for its over 121,000 employees. So far, that data indicates employees enjoy working at home, at least part-time.

Intel believes there is no one recipe for success. They envision a hybrid future for the company, with both on-site and remote workers.

Intel also uses the shift in the approach to work to focus on making the employee experience as diverse and inclusive as possible.

Their human resources department has even gone as far as to survey over 3000 business leaders on these matters, making the results available to everyone in this report.

Ford

In a surprising twist, automotive giant Ford announced they would move to a hybrid work model. Then again, Ford is familiar with adopting new working methods, having pioneered the 9-5 approach way back in 1905.

All eligible employees at Ford can choose the remote-work balance that suits them best, in agreement with their manager.

However, not all of the over 183,000 Ford employees will be eligible, so steps are being made to increase the well-being and workplace satisfaction of employees involved in manufacturing who cannot benefit from the hybrid work model.

Spotify

“Work isn’t a place you go to. It’s something you do”. This motto is the idea behind Spotify’s Work from Anywhere initiative.

The popular music and podcast streaming service wants to empower employees to work as best suits them, whether from home or the office space. Spotify is investing in the opportunities that come from this individually tailored approach to improve processes and productivity through new and improved communication tools and channels, and better employee performance.

Freedom is not limitless, however. There are some limitations to how employees can shape their work schedule and choose their preferred work location. For example, employees will need to be in the same region their role is based in.

Like other companies we have seen, Spotify is also leveraging the opportunities from a hybrid approach to improve its culture.

Tata Consultancy Services

At TCS, they decided to focus on how work will evolve. As a result, hybrid work is part of a larger cultural framework change.

Employees can choose when to go into the office or when to work from home, but that is just a small part of the cultural transition. TCS created the 3E model, where pillars like Embrace, Enable, and Empower, are broken down into further detailed sections that act as guidelines for improvement on many levels, from the individual to the organization.

Companies that apply a remote-first model

The final examples are companies that prefer focusing on remote work while providing opportunities for employees to enjoy on-site work. These companies take remote work as the standard and consider in-office presence as the exception while still making sure employees can choose.

LinkedIn

In a 2021 blog post, LinkedIn described its plans for the future regarding hybrid work. They are leaving the choice to individual employees on how each will shape their work experience to fit their preferences and needs. At the same time, they are busy reshaping their vision of the office to make it more enticing to a workforce that changed habits dramatically in just a few years.

LinkedIn’s vision can be summarised into one rule: an office should offer employees something they cannot find at home. By redesigning spaces, interactions, and how the hybrid office works to facilitate each employee’s way of working, LinkedIn hopes to offer a valid alternative to working from home for those who want to check in to the office.

Slack

Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield says hybrid work is here to stay and has yet to truly roll out. Leaders who push too hard against this change will lose talent, and their edge on modern work practices, he says in a CNBC interview.

Slack operates as a remote-first company, but it is not remote-only. The company recognizes the value of in-person interactions. It enables its employees to meet and work together when needed and genuinely beneficial. However, this is the exception rather than the rule.

What hybrid work model works for you?

Does your company require in-office presence most of the time, or can you cut the physical ties and move to an almost exclusively remote setup? Hybrid work can take a wide variety of shapes and forms, and it’s up to each organization to tailor a hybrid work model that truly works for them.

Shifting to hybrid work will require an investigation into company culture and values and how those values might evolve and develop. It will also need research into the most appropriate tools for success, such as videoconferencing tools like Zoom, communication platforms like Slack, or cybersecurity systems that can cope with hybrid teams distributed in many locations.

Here are a few helpful questions to ask yourself when thinking of making the switch:

• What do your employees and teams want?
• What percentage of employees would benefit from a hybrid work model?
• How can the transition benefit everyone in the company?
• What are the reasons employees currently have to come to the office?
• What tasks are meant to be done remotely or in person?
• What tasks can be performed asynchronously, and what tasks must be done in real-time?
• What balance between hybrid and flexible work fits your organizational needs?
• How does hybrid work fit into your greater strategy?
• What are the costs/benefits of hybrid work to your organization?
• Do your employees already work from different locations?

Make your transition to hybrid work easy with Deel

When it comes to teams that do not physically work together, determining a hybrid work model that fits your needs is just the first step in the process. Deel can help you tackle the rest easily and quickly.

Onboarding ensures remote or hybrid employees get all the information they need to hit the ground running in an easy and trackable format. Download our free checklist for onboarding asynchronous workers for extra information and support!

Connections will help you schedule random catch-ups between employees, discuss interesting topics around the virtual water cooler, and ensure your hybrid teams are engaged and happy. Get in touch to learn more about Deel.