Hybrid work is no longer just a perk—it’s the backbone of how innovative, forward-thinking companies operate. But transitioning to hybrid isn’t as simple as saying, “Work wherever you want, whenever you want.” The real challenge? Making hybrid work efficient, inclusive, and strategic. That’s where having a hybrid policy comes in. But not just any policy—a dynamic strategy that evolves with your team, aligns with your business goals, and sets everyone up for success.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create a hybrid policy that works, with actionable steps, insights from experts like Nick Bloom, and tools to make implementation seamless.
Why You Need a Hybrid Policy That’s More Than Rules
Here’s the problem with most hybrid work policies: they’re static. They’re often treated as a checklist of dos and don’ts that fail to address the nuances of real-life workplaces.
A great hybrid policy is more than just a set of rules—it’s a company-wide strategy that:
- Aligns with your business objectives.
- Supports collaboration, flexibility, and employee well-being.
- Evolves over time based on data and feedback.
What the Data Says About Hybrid Work
Employees have made it clear: flexibility is a priority.
- 82% of employees prefer roles with hybrid options.
- 51% of employees would consider leaving their job if hybrid flexibility was taken away.
For employers, hybrid work offers tangible benefits:
- Increased productivity: 61% of those polled on the effectiveness of hybrid work citied improved productivity.
- Lower turnover: Flexible policies reduce attrition by 35% according to a Stanford University study.
- Cost savings: Companies save on real estate and operational expenses by reducing the need for large office spaces. See how Five Good Friends cut office costs by 15%.
Step 1: Define the "Why" Behind Your Hybrid Policy
Every hybrid strategy starts with a clear purpose. Why are you embracing hybrid work? What do you hope to achieve?
Align Hybrid with Business Goals
Here are some common objectives companies set when designing a hybrid policy:
- Talent retention and attraction: Flexible work policies are now a competitive advantage in hiring.
- Enhanced collaboration: Hybrid setups allow for in-person brainstorming while maintaining remote productivity.
- Cost efficiency: Hybrid models reduce real estate expenses by optimizing office space usage.
Once you’ve defined your objectives, make them the foundation of your hybrid policy.
Engage Your Employees
Your employees are key to crafting a policy that works. Here’s how to gather insights:
- Surveys: Use tools like Typeform or SurveyMonkey to ask employees about their preferences, challenges, and needs.
- Focus groups: Host discussions with cross-functional teams to understand unique pain points.
- One-on-one interviews: Speak directly with team leaders to get insights into how hybrid might impact workflows.
Action Step: Summarize employee feedback into key themes (e.g., “employees want flexibility on Mondays and Fridays” or “managers struggle with remote collaboration”) and use this data to guide your strategy.
Step 2: Use Kadence Framework for Coordinated Hybrid
Nick Bloom, a renowned economist and workplace expert, emphasizes the importance of coordination in hybrid work. Our framework is a simple yet effective way to bring structure to your hybrid policy.
3-Step Coordinated Hybrid Framework
- Anchor Days: Choose 2–3 days per week when employees come to the office. These days are ideal for collaboration, brainstorming, and team-building.
- Flexible Days: Allow employees to decide where and when they work on non-anchor days. This balances structure with autonomy.
- Clear Communication: Ensure everyone understands the purpose of anchor days, what’s expected, and how they fit into the broader hybrid strategy.
Why Coordination Matters
Hybrid work often fails because of misalignment. Employees come to the office but find half their team working remotely, defeating the purpose of being in person. Coordinating anchor days ensures meaningful interactions when employees are onsite.
Action Step: Use Kadence’s scheduling features to plan anchor days and provide visibility into who’s coming to the office.
Step 3: Build a Hybrid Toolkit
A hybrid policy isn’t just about defining when and where people work—it’s about empowering them with the right tools to succeed.
Essential Hybrid Tools
- Scheduling and Coordination Tools: Kadence simplifies desk booking, meeting room reservations, and team scheduling in one platform. There’s no need for multiple subscriptions, saving costs and ensuring ease of use.
- Collaboration Software: Tools like Slack, Zoom, and Miro enable real-time communication and brainstorming and these all integrate seamlessly with Kadence.
- Workplace Analytics: Kadence’s Workplace Analytics tracks office usage and meeting attendance, providing data to refine your policy.
- Project Management PlatformsUse tools like Asana or Trello to keep remote and in-office teams aligned on goals and deadlines.
- Integrations with Existing Tools: Adoption is often the biggest hurdle with new platforms. Maximize it by integrating tools like Kadence directly into the platforms your teams already use, such as Microsoft Teams and Slack. These integrations make it easier for employees to schedule, collaborate, and access features without switching between apps, driving seamless adoption.
Pro Tip: Train Your Team
Introducing new tools? Make sure your team knows how to use them. Provide onboarding sessions, video tutorials, and ongoing support to maximize adoption.
Step 4: Redesign Your Office for Hybrid
Your office needs to reflect the realities of hybrid work. No one wants to commute just to sit in a half-empty space that feels uninspiring.
Designing for Hybrid Success
- Hot Desks: Flexible seating options for employees who only visit the office occasionally.
- Collaboration Zones: Open spaces or meeting rooms designed for teamwork and brainstorming.
- Focus Areas: Quiet zones for heads-down work.
- Social Spaces: Informal areas for coffee breaks, lunch, or networking.
- Wellness Rooms: Spaces for meditation, rest, or stress relief.
Connecting Technology with your Hybrid Workspaces
Equip your office with smart tools to enhance the hybrid experience:
- Desk Booking Systems: Let employees reserve desk spaces in advance.
- Video Conferencing Rooms: Ensure every meeting room is set up with reliable video and audio equipment.
- Multi-Space Booking Support: Expand beyond desk bookings to include reservations for phone booths and pods—ideal for Zoom meetings or focused work—and lockers, offering secure storage for employees who travel or work flexibly. This versatility ensures every employee has access to the spaces they need to be productive.
- Automatic Check In: Easily track how spaces are being used by automatically checking in employees when they connect to the office wifi or badging system
Action Step: Analyze office usage patterns with Kadence Workplace Analytics to ensure your design supports employee needs.
Step 5: Communicate, Measure, and Iterate for Long-Term Success
Creating a hybrid policy is just the beginning. To ensure its effectiveness over time, you need two key components: consistent communication and data-driven iteration. These elements go hand in hand, ensuring your policy is not only well-received by employees but also optimized to meet business goals in both the short and long term.
How to Communicate Your Policy
- Launch with Clarity: Roll out your policy as you would a product launch. Host an all-hands meeting to introduce your hybrid strategy, explaining:
- The “why” behind it (aligned with business goals).
- What employees can expect in terms of scheduling, tools, and resources.
- How success will be measured.
- Create a Central Resource Hub: Use platforms like Notion or your intranet to house everything employees need to navigate the policy, including:
- FAQs on hybrid expectations and processes.
- Guides for using tools like Kadence or other workplace software.
- Regular updates or changes to the hybrid policy.
- Train Managers to Lead the Transition: Equip managers with resources and training to support hybrid teams effectively. This includes coaching on managing performance, fostering team collaboration, and addressing employee concerns.
- Keep Communication Two-Way: Build feedback loops into your communication strategy. This can include:
- Quarterly surveys to gauge employee sentiment and engagement.
- Listening sessions or team-level feedback meetings.
- Anonymized suggestion boxes to surface issues employees may be hesitant to raise directly.
Measure Hybrid Success with Data-Backed Insights
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Define clear metrics to evaluate whether your hybrid policy is delivering on the objectives outlined in Step 1. Kadence Workplace Analytics provide insights into office usage, meeting attendance, and scheduling patterns. These metrics should validate your policy’s success and guide adjustments to better align with your business goals.
Key Metrics for Hybrid Success
- Talent Retention and Attraction:
- Retention Rates: Are employees staying longer since the hybrid policy was implemented?
- Employee Engagement Scores (eNPS): Are employees satisfied with the flexibility and structure of the hybrid model? High eNPS scores suggest your policy supports work-life balance and overall job satisfaction.
- Enhanced Collaboration:
- Space Utilization Patterns: Which office areas (e.g., team neighborhoods, meeting rooms) are used most often? Are collaboration spaces meeting employee needs?
- Team Day Attendance: Are teams effectively using anchor days for meaningful in-person collaboration?
- Cost Efficiency:
- Occupancy vs. Capacity: Is your office being utilized efficiently? Track how much space is actually in use compared to your total capacity.
- Operational Savings: Are you seeing reductions in real estate or office-related expenses, such as energy and cleaning costs?
Pro Tip: Embrace Change
Hybrid work is dynamic, so stay flexible. Use data and feedback to optimize your strategy continuously.
- Short-Term Fixes: Address immediate issues, like low attendance on anchor days, by gathering feedback and making quick adjustments.
- Long-Term Validation: Use metrics like retention rates, eNPS scores, and occupancy vs. capacity to assess whether your policy meets its original goals.
- Feedback-Driven Insights: Combine data with employee feedback from surveys and discussions to understand and address both the “what” and “why” behind challenges.
This iterative approach ensures your hybrid policy evolves effectively over time.
Your Hybrid Policy Starts Here
By combining consistent communication with ongoing measurement and iteration, your hybrid policy becomes a living, adaptable strategy. This approach ensures that your policy isn’t just effective today but continues to evolve with your team’s needs and your company’s goals.
Action Plan for Continuous Improvement
- Set Regular Review Sessions:Schedule quarterly or biannual reviews to assess performance against your defined metrics.
- Build a Culture of Adaptability:Normalize policy adjustments as part of your company culture. Frame changes as improvements based on employee input and data, not failures of the original plan.
- Communicate Updates Clearly:Keep employees informed about what’s changing and why. Highlight data-driven decisions to build trust and transparency.
Hybrid work is here to stay, and getting it right requires more than a static set of rules. By treating your hybrid policy as an evolving strategy, you’ll create a workplace that’s flexible, inclusive, and ready for 2025.
Want to jumpstart your hybrid journey? Download Kadence’s template policy, so you have a clear methodology to start from.
