Hybrid work is the most prevalent model for businesses in 2026. For HR leaders, success depends on a fresh approach to employee experience, skills, technology, and culture.
Blaise Radley
Editorial Strategist
Workday
After a series of disruptions to global workplace models, hybrid work models have emerged as the preferred system for many organizations.
Robert Half research found that nearly 9 in 10 employers are offering some form of hybrid work arrangements in 2026. Meanwhile, only 25% of job seekers will even consider a position that requires five days in the office, and more than half said hybrid is their top choice.
This reality presents a myriad of strategic opportunities and operational challenges for HR leaders. Success in a hybrid working world hinges on letting go of legacy practices focused on exclusively in-office work and taking an intentional approach to managing a hybrid workforce.
Nearly 9 in 10 employers offer a hybrid work option in 2026.
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Effectively managing a hybrid workforce requires a shift from traditional workforce management (WFM) to one built to serve employees working both on-site and remotely. “Hybrid” can be defined in different ways depending on the organization. In some cases, it may mean the workforce has some in-office and some remote employees. In other cases, every employee may spend some of their time in the office and some remotely.
In both cases, the key components of strong WFM—the employee experience, professional development, data, technology, and culture—all require fresh, forward-thinking approaches. The five best practices for managing hybrid teams are as follows:
Hybrid work has changed how employees interact with their teams, managers, and work every day. Still, many organizations continue to design employee experiences around legacy in-office models. New realities, including distributed teams, greater reliance on technology, and digital-first communication, require a rethink of what a strong employee experience looks like and how to deliver it.
According to Gallup’s 2025 Global Workforce Survey, just 23% of hybrid employees are engaged, a clear signal of the disconnect that persists. To close that gap, organizations should focus on these core priorities:
Equal, reliable access: Make it easy for employees to access the tools, information, and support they need to carry out their daily responsibilities.
Clear team standards: Set guidelines for when and how teams should communicate (ex: instant messaging vs. email vs. video conferencing) and expectations for sharing important updates.
Manager support: Empower managers with the right training and resources on hybrid workforces so they can manage their teams well.
Frequent feedback: Use surveys, check-ins, and employee listening tools to encourage employees to share their feedback and make visible changes based on what you learn.
Intentional flexibility: Offer flexibility in ways that support both employees’ work life balance while keeping business goals at the center, with standards that feel fair across teams.
Less than a quarter of hybrid employees currently say they’re engaged in their work.
Skills-based approaches to workforce management are becoming the gold standard—8 in 10 leaders agree it positions their organizations for economic growth. And when it comes to hiring for the right skills, hybrid workforces have the advantage of not being tied to a specific location. They can hire the candidate with the right skills—based anywhere—to do the job well.
Skills-based approaches also help leaders align workforce capabilities to changing business needs, further powering the higher agility already offered by hybrid models. These steps are key to build stronger skills-based strategies in a hybrid environment:
Make skills visible: Build a clear view of employee capabilities so leaders can identify strengths, fill gaps, and staff effectively across distributed teams.
Identify hybrid-critical skills: Define the capabilities employees need to succeed in hybrid settings, including digital collaboration, self-direction, communication, and cross-functional coordination.
Deliver development in flexible formats: Offer learning opportunities employees can access across locations and schedules, including on-demand content, virtual coaching, and project-based learning.
Create equitable access to growth: Ensure remote and in-office employees have the same visibility into development opportunities and advancement paths.
Use skills data to support internal mobility: Match employees to projects, open roles, and reskilling opportunities based on verified capabilities and evolving business needs.
Managing a hybrid workforce requires leaders to make decisions with less direct visibility into how day-to-day work is being carried out. In office-based environments, managers often relied on informal observation to gauge engagement, collaboration, and capacity. In hybrid settings, those cues are less reliable—and in some cases, misleading.
That makes workforce analytics essential. The right data can help organizations identify where hybrid models are working and whether employee experiences are consistent across locations. To use analytics effectively in a hybrid environment, organizations should focus on the following:
Measure true outcomes: Use analytics to evaluate performance metrics and progress as they impact the business (vs. baseline metrics like active hours or response times).
Spot inconsistencies across employee groups: Compare experience and participation data across remote, hybrid, and in-office employees to identify gaps that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Track how work gets done across teams: Use workforce and collaboration data to understand where bottlenecks or overload are affecting execution.
Give managers clear signals: Provide leaders with practical insights into team capacity and performance so they can offer support based on evidence rather than assumption.
Use data responsibly: Be transparent about what is being measured and how employee data will and will not be used.
In a hybrid workforce, collaborative technology creates a consistent employee experience across locations. It gives teams a shared environment for communication, access, and day-to-day work, making it easier for them to stay connected to their teams and contribute effectively wherever they are working.
The goal is to build a digital workplace that feels clear, connected, and intuitive to use. Key priorities include:
A hub-like digital workplace: Ensure employees can move through core tasks and workflows without switching constantly between disconnected platforms.
Shared access to information: Make important updates, decisions, and documents live in systems that are easy for everyone to find and use.
Support for asynchronous work: Give teams tools and processes that allow work to be carried out smoothly across different geographic time zones and schedules.
Less friction between systems: Be sure technology reduces duplication, confusion, and manual work rather than forcing employees to piece together information across multiple tools.
Clear expectations for use: Provide employees with clarity on which platforms are used for different types of work and expectations for using them effectively.
Employees with a culture-driven sense of safety at work are 72% more likely to be motivated.
Culture becomes even more important in hybrid environments because employees spend less time sharing the same physical space. Organizations can’t rely on proximity to reinforce values, build trust, or make employees feel included. Instead, culture must be maintained in ways that reach teams wherever they work.
PwC research shows that employees with a culture-driven sense of psychological safety at work are 72% more likely to be motivated than those who feel less safe. To maintain a hybrid culture where that safety is consistent, leaders should implement:
Visible leadership communication: Regularly share priorities, decisions, and context so employees understand where the organization is heading and how they play a role.
Inclusive participation in meetings and decisions: Design meeting structures that give remote workers and in-office employees equal opportunities to contribute.
Recognition that reaches everyone: Celebrate accomplishments through digital channels to ensure recognition is visible to employees across locations.
Regular opportunities for connection: Hold team discussions, virtual gatherings, and cross-team initiatives help employees build relationships beyond day-to-day work.
Manager reinforcement: Be sure managers play a key role in reinforcing values and expectations so culture remains consistent across distributed teams.
Hybrid work environments are no longer experimental. For many organizations, they’ve become the standard way work is done and will be done in the future. The challenge now for HR leaders is no longer deciding whether hybrid work should exist, but ensuring that it operates in a way that continues to support productivity, engagement, and long-term workforce growth.
Achieving that balance requires a coordinated approach to hybrid team management: Employee experience, skills development, analytics, collaboration technology, and culture all play a role in shaping how hybrid teams function day to day.
When those elements work together, organizations gain greater flexibility in strategic hiring and retention. The opportunity lies in building systems that support both employees and the business as hybrid work continues to evolve. With the right strategies in place, companies can create environments where distributed teams still stay connected and employee performance drives the business forward regardless of location.
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