Making Hybrid Work: Balancing Remote and In-Person Teams
Hybrid work — combining remote and in-person arrangements — has become the dominant model for knowledge work organisations post-pandemic. Done well, it offers flexibility and access to talent without sacrificing the collaboration and cohesion benefits of in-person work. Done poorly, it creates a two-tier experience where remote workers are disadvantaged relative to those in-office.
The Hybrid Equity Problem
The most significant challenge in hybrid work is equity between remote and in-person employees. Proximity bias — the tendency to favour those physically present — can affect promotion decisions, access to information, project allocation, and general visibility. If hybrid defaults to "remote is second class", talented remote workers leave.
Designing for Hybrid Equity
- Meeting design: If any participant is remote, all participants should be on individual video — no "some in a room, one on a screen" dynamic
- Documentation by default: Decisions made in-office conversations must be documented and shared — remote employees cannot be excluded from information flows
- Async-first culture: Communication designed for async consumption works equally for remote and in-person employees
- Equitable development opportunities: Monitor that stretch assignments, promotions, and recognition are distributed equitably between remote and in-person employees
In-Person Value
In-person time is most valuable for: onboarding, building relationship foundations, complex collaborative problem-solving, and strategic alignment. Structure mandatory in-person time around these high-value activities rather than routine attendance.