Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Resetting Offices, Employees & Expectations
We’ve reached it … the other side of work from home. And as companies begin to layout new plans, a variety of options are emerging. Some workers are already back in the office every day, some will continue in a work-from-home format, and many will shift to a blended schedule that includes time in the office and time at home.
And with all of these transitions, managers will have to reset expectations, especially as it pertains to managing a hybrid workforce.
Here’s why.
Managing a hybrid workforce and working from home was all over the board…for good reason. Managers pulled together WFH employees and found a way of managing a hybrid workforce that was different and effective. In many instances because there wasn’t a good alternative. Because many people weren’t in the office, they weren’t aware of how different some of the choices were among managers, across teams and from company to company. We’ve heard it all, from teams that get together every morning to groups that haven’t really met as a team for more than a year. And we’ve seen it all, from employees who got no support to set a home office environment to those equipped with the lighting and camera requirements to emulate a true office setting.
When it comes to managing a hybrid workforce, the reset will be different. Especially when it comes to managing a hybrid workforce. While managers tried ways to keep teams connected and involved with each other, the overall takeaway is that the company culture struggles when people don’t have a place and a community that brings them together. Not every day, but most days, so that individuals don’t lose the power of teamwork. And companies know that the employee experience needs to feel consistent and connected across all teams. They also know that they can manage impressions much better in a work environment.
Impressions never really went away. We noticed when someone wasn’t really dressed for work; we noticed when someone seemed distracted, and we noticed when technology failed. We saw it all, but since we were all in it together, we tried harder to focus on what we heard vs. what we saw.
And that’s where the shift begins.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: What Managers Need to Redefine
Once a few people went back, the expectations for managing a hybrid workforce came back as well. It doesn’t really matter where you are when you talk to a manager or a customer, but how you show up for that discussion does. And if someone has given you their attention, the expectation is that you will do the same.
Can you deliver a presentation with poor lighting? Sure, but the impact drops by more than 50% when people can’t see your face. Can you meet with a client from your bedroom? Sure, but it isn’t where they are anymore and they notice the difference. In fact, more than 80% say they’re distracted by it. And can you demonstrate product capabilities if your internet freezes? Sure, but more than 75% of viewers place some of that responsibility on you. They assume you weren’t prepared and didn’t check to be sure you could deliver the presentation well from your location.
The bottom line is that people working in offices now have a home-court advantage. The office environment makes it much easier to show up well. And when some people show up better than others, impressions can lead to assumptions that are hard to overcome.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Why Managing a Hybrid Workforce Is Different This Time
Right now, and for the next few months, managers will have to reset expectations of what participation, intention and focus look like in different settings.
As employees adjust to blended schedules or hybrid settings, managers will need to redefine what work from home really means. Is it about a relaxed schedule and flexible hours? Is it a decrease in hours and more time to manage family and personal time? Or is it simply a different location with the same expectations as in-office expectations?
In short order, we will feel the shift from “we’ll make it work” to “why aren’t you doing what I’m doing” comparisons. Clarity on expectations will be key. If people are held accountable to the same expectations, then companies will need to provide the right tools to help employees improve their home work environment. And if you haven’t done so, it will take training to help a virtual employee think about intention and impressions in an “out of the office” setting.
Over the last year, we’ve trained thousands of people to leverage virtual tools and show up with meaningful intention. And while it was a survival tool for many, it has shifted to a differentiator in impressions of people, products and companies.
The gaps and comparisons will only continue as we begin to mix the format and experiences between office settings and virtual settings. It doesn’t have to be a handicap; it can be a great choice as long as it comes with guidelines and expectations. We can help you do it as you focus not just on where people will work but how they drive influence and impact in any setting.
The word “hybrid” gets used like it’s one thing. It isn’t.
For some managers, managing a hybrid workforce means two office days and three from home. For others, it means employees choose their own schedule week to week. For others still, it means fully remote with occasional gatherings. None of these are wrong. But if a manager hasn’t defined which one applies to their team, employees are left to guess. And when people guess, they default to whatever is easiest for them, not what’s best for the team.
That’s where the reset has to start. Not with a policy memo, but with a conversation about what participation actually looks like in your specific team, in your specific company, right now.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Presence Still Has to Be Earned
Managing a hybrid workforce didn’t lower the bar on presence. It just moved where presence gets evaluated.
A manager can no longer assume everyone is building the same relationships, picking up the same cues, or getting the same visibility. Someone who’s in the office three days a week and vocal in every meeting is going to be remembered differently than someone who dials in from home and stays quiet. That’s not fair, but it’s real. And it means managers have to be more intentional about creating equal opportunities for impact, regardless of where someone is sitting.
This is also where communication training earns its keep with managing a hybrid workforce. Presence on a screen requires different skills than presence in a room. Eye contact, pacing, energy, and even lighting all carry more weight when a camera is the only thing representing you. Teams that get coached on this adapt faster and show up more consistently, no matter the setting.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Consistency Beats Perfection
Managers don’t need a perfect hybrid system. They need a consistent one.
That means the same expectations for meeting participation whether someone is in the room or not. The same standards for how updates get shared. The same accountability for deadlines and deliverables. When expectations shift depending on who’s watching or where someone happens to be that day, trust erodes fast.
We’ve found that teams do best when managers put a simple structure in place and stick with it. Define what a “present” team member looks like. Decide how decisions get made when the team is split across locations. Set the standard for video calls, whether that’s cameras on, backgrounds, or how questions get raised. None of this is complicated, but skipping it is where most hybrid friction starts.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Build It Into How Your Team Works
The best hybrid teams don’t treat communication as an afterthought. They build it into how they operate.
That might mean training managers on how to run a meeting that works equally well for the people in the room and the people on the screen. It might mean coaching individuals on how to command a virtual room the same way they’d command a physical one. Or it might mean simply getting clear, as a leadership team, on what your hybrid model actually is, so nobody is left guessing.
Wherever your team is on that journey, the goal is the same managing a hybrid workforce effectively and efficiently. People should be able to do their best work and make their strongest impression, no matter where they’re sitting.
Best Practices for Managing a Hybrid Workforce
The strongest hybrid teams do not leave communication to individual preference. They establish a few shared practices that make it easier for employees to understand what is expected and stay connected to the work.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Define What Hybrid Work Means for Your Team
“Hybrid” is not a complete policy.
Managers should clarify when employees are expected to be available, which activities require in-person participation and how schedule changes should be communicated. They should also explain whether designated office days are intended for collaboration, client meetings, development or other specific purposes.
The goal is not to create rules for every possible situation. It is to remove the ambiguity that leads employees to make conflicting assumptions.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Create a Hybrid Team Communication Agreement
A communication agreement establishes how the team will share information and work together.
It might define:
- Which channel should be used for urgent questions
- Where project updates and decisions are documented
- When email, chat or video should be used
- What constitutes a reasonable response time
- Which conversations require real-time discussion
- How employees communicate changes in availability
- How meeting notes and action items are shared
These agreements reduce guesswork. They also prevent employees from feeling that they need to monitor every channel constantly.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Use Meetings Intentionally
Hybrid work can create more meetings because managers worry that people are disconnected. But additional meetings do not automatically create greater alignment.
Before scheduling a meeting, determine whether the purpose requires real-time conversation. Brainstorming, sensitive feedback, conflict resolution and complicated decisions may benefit from live interaction. Routine updates can often be communicated more effectively through a written message or shared document.
When a meeting is necessary, design it for everyone. If some participants are remote, make sure they can hear, contribute and access the same information as those in the room.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Build Trust Around Outcomes
Leaders can unintentionally give more attention, information or opportunity to employees they see in person. Proximity can begin to influence perceptions of commitment and performance.
Managing a hybrid team requires leaders to focus on outcomes, contribution and accountability rather than physical visibility. Work assignments, feedback and development opportunities should not depend on who happens to be closest to the manager.
This does not mean presence is irrelevant. It means leaders must evaluate presence across settings. Employees should understand how to contribute effectively in person, virtually and through written communication.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: Communicate Change Consistently
Hybrid employees do not always receive information at the same time or in the same way. An announcement made casually in an office can reach in-person employees before remote colleagues know a decision has been made.
Leaders should establish one reliable source for important information. Decisions, changes and expectations should be documented somewhere every employee can access.
Consistency helps reduce rumors, conflicting messages and the perception that some employees have greater access than others.
Managing a Hybrid Workforce: How Communication Training Supports Hybrid Leaders
Managing a hybrid workforce requires managers to adapt familiar communication skills to new situations.
They need to run meetings that work for people in multiple locations, deliver feedback through the right channel, communicate expectations without creating unnecessary rigidity and establish presence without relying on physical proximity.
SW&A helps leaders apply Content, Style and Situation to these challenges.
Leaders learn to clarify what employees need to know, choose the best way to communicate it and adjust their approach to the audience and setting. They also receive practical feedback on how their communication habits influence clarity, trust, engagement and accountability.
The goal is not to make remote communication feel identical to being in the office. It is to help leaders communicate intentionally and create a consistent employee experience across both environments.
Explore SW&A’s tailored communication programs or talk with SW&A about development for leaders managing hybrid teams.
Want some help defining expectations and managing a hybrid workforce? Schedule a call with us and we’ll share our insights and tools to help you reset your team.