10 Hybrid Companies Examples with Working Models in 2024
Even if the 'Hybrid Working Model' was introduced in the early 1990s, it was accredited and accepted prodigiously during COVID-19. This pandemic has upside down the dynamic work culture, and businesses have transformed from in-office to remote work culture.
Later on, this transformation sparked an ongoing dispute between employers and employees over the preference for working from home or returning to the office, ultimately leading to an agreement to uphold the hybrid working policy.
Now, many companies are adopting this new norm. With fine-tuning, they're growing some practical models that can be a groundbreaker for others.
Therefore, we've landed on this topic to provide you with a clear understanding of how hybrid work impacts businesses with some outstanding hybrid work model best practice examples.
What is the Hybrid Work Model?
To run an organization, hybrid work combines in-office, outdoor, and remote employees. It provides flexibility and options to tailor the work locations as most of the employees want. It helps them fine-tune the right work-life balance and maximize productivity.
Gartner's 2020 ReimagineHR Employee Survey showed an entire productivity boost of 55% when employees are resilient enough to choose their workplace.
Types of Hybrid Work Models Examples
Preceding the hybrid workplace examples, you should know the different categories of the models. Here are the major hybrid models that companies work around.
Flexible Hybrid Model
Description: This model allows employees to choose when to work in the office or remotely. Organizations may set some core rules or fixed hours to work. Employees have the flexibility to prepare their work schedule of their own.
Use case: Offers maximum flexibility, suitable for organizations prioritizing autonomy and managing a more fluid structure.
- Examples: Microsoft, Meta, GitLab, Automattic
Fixed Hybrid Model
Description: A fixed hybrid model implies a predefined schedule showing when employees must be in the office and when they can work remotely. Say your employees should have to attend 3 days in the office, and for the next 2 days, they can work remotely for a week. Or you can fix the schedules to fit your organizational needs. This model offers consistency and flexibility.
Use case: Works well for roles that benefit from regular in-person collaboration but also require focused remote work time.
- Examples: JPMorgan, NTT DATA, Shopify
Remote-First Model
Description: The primary preference for employees is remote work, but there is an office space for teamwork, collaboration, socialization, or individual needs. The employees may come to the office occasionally, once or twice a week.
Use case: It is suitable for companies that want to onboard the best talents in the local areas, where the role nature only necessitates a constant office presence.
- Examples: Hubspot, Spotify, Zapier
Office-first Model
Description: The office-first model prioritizes the in-office presence while offering flexibility for remote work. Employees are expected to be in the office most of the time, though there are some provisions for occasional remote work.
Use case: This model often suits companies where in-person interaction and collaboration are crucial for productivity and innovation.
- Examples: Google, Apploye
Week-by-Week Model
Description: Teams alternate weeks between working in the office and remotely, ensuring everyone has equal access to office space and remote work benefits.
Use case: Suitable for organizations with limited office space but who want to maintain a regular in-person presence.
Examples: InnoTech Software Solutions
| Hybrid Work model | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible Schedule | Employees have the flexibility to choose when and where they work, within certain guidelines or core hours. |
Salesforce, Twitter, Microsoft, Meta, GitLab, Automattic |
| Fixed Hybrid | Set schedule of in-office and remote work days. | JPMorgan, NTT DATA, Shopify |
| Remote-First | Employees predominantly work remotely, with occasional in-person meetings or gatherings. |
HubSpot, Spotify, Zapier, Dropbox |
| Office-First | Employees predominantly work in the office but have the option to work remotely occasionally. |
|
| Week-by-Week | Less commonly applied, employees alternate between in-office and remote work on a weekly basis. |
InnoTech Software Solutions |
Details of the Companies with Hybrid Work Model Example
Microsoft
Microsoft has embraced a flexible hybrid model that emphasizes 'one-size-fits-all' where employees have the autonomy to work remotely for up to half their time. It has acknowledged that no single solution can work for everyone and empowers employees and managers to determine the best work arrangements for their situations.
Their core principles of flexibility, focused in-person interaction, and employee well-being offer valuable insights for organizations crafting their hybrid work policies. This allows them to manage personal needs and preferences while maintaining productivity.
Meta
Meta has added a buzz to the hybrid work policy by declaring its fixed-split hybrid work model that most employees spend three days per week in the office, with the remaining two days being available for remote work.
To emphasize in-person collaboration and nurturing culture, Meta has stopped remote work or working from home and started this office-first hybrid workplace. It encourages feedback from employees to improve the hybrid work model continuously. This feedback helps identify areas for improvement and ensures that the work-life balance is met.
GitLab
GitLab inherited more than 1500 employees in 65 countries and has set a benchmark for its remote work culture. It has achieved transparency, flexibility, and inclusivity. Mitigating the challenges of remote work shows how employee satisfaction and flexibility lead a company in its expected direction.
It has created a work environment that supports its current workforce and attracts top talent globally. It also offers extensive resources and insights relevant to companies considering or implementing a hybrid work structure.
Automattic
Automattic is revolutionizing businesses by working as a distributed company. It has established a unique model that fosters collaboration and productivity despite considering the physical distance. It gets maximum employee engagement through asynchronous communication and information sharing regardless of time zone.
Automattic trusts its employees to manage their time effectively and make decisions independently. This fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, leading to higher engagement and motivation.
Hubspot
HubSpot's hybrid work model empowers employees to choose their work environment based on their preferences and needs. To glorify the work-life balance, it gives its employees the flexibility to work at home, in the office or both.
It is based on adaptability and transparency to retain employee performance, manage their work effectively, and make decisions independently. They facilitate regular in-person interactions, like team meetings and social events, to foster collaboration and build employee relationships.
Spotify
Spotify promotes "Work From Anywhere" (WFA), referring to a philosophy: 'Work is what you do, not where you go'. It empowers individuals to choose where they work best, primarily at home (Home mix) or in a Spotify office (Office mix).
Spotify recognizes the importance of connection, even with a distributed workforce. It actively promotes clear and consistent communication through various channels and organizes virtual and in-person events, like team meetings and social gatherings.
Zapier
Taking the concept of location independence further, Zapier offers a global mobility policy. This allows employees to work remotely from anywhere in the world. It embraces a more fluid and adaptable approach to prioritize individual autonomy and team collaboration over rigid structures.
It provides all employees with the necessary technology, including laptops, collaboration tools, and cloud-based software, to facilitate seamless communication and work regardless of location.
Google's hybrid work model, implemented in April 2023, combines in-office and remote work. It's designed to offer employees flexibility while maintaining the benefits of collaboration and connection. Most Google employees spend three days in the office and two days working from wherever they work best.
It has taken a work-from-anywhere week, focus time, and reset-day schemes to make employees more flexible. Google's hybrid work model reflects a growing trend in the tech industry, offering employees choices in their work environment while focusing on collaboration and company culture.
Salesforce
Salesforce has embraced a hybrid work model called "Return & Remote" that empowers employees to choose their work environment based on the needs of their specific roles and personal preferences.
Despite the shift towards digital and remote work, Salesforce values in-person interactions, encouraging regular team off-sites. Overall, This hybrid model has contributed to Salesforce being recognized as one of the best places to work, showcasing the success of its flexible and inclusive work environment.
Atlassian
Atlassian's approach to the hybrid work model offers a mix of remote and in-office work, embracing flexibility and prioritizing employee preferences. It emphasizes the importance of a clear transition plan, effective communication, and enabling collaboration, regardless of the physical location of the team members.
This involves adapting office spaces and technologies to facilitate seamless interaction between in-office and remote employees. It reflects a forward-thinking approach to work that values flexibility, employee well-being, and the integration of digital and physical work environments.
Critical Components of Successful Hybrid Work Models
Successful hybrid work models integrate both remote and in-office work environments to improve productivity, flexibility, and employee satisfaction. Critical components of these models include:
Clear communication and expectations
The ability to communicate effectively and consistently is crucial for hybrid work models to be successful. Organizations must ensure that goals, project updates, and roles are communicated transparently, which helps minimize uncertainty.
No matter how far apart they may be geographically, team members can still work together effectively if they have well-defined expectations. Keeping everyone informed and on the same page requires consistent check-ins, detailed documentation, and collaboration technologies.
Technological infrastructure and support
A strong technology infrastructure is the foundation of any hybrid work model. This includes reliable internet connectivity, access to cloud-based services, and the deployment of collaboration tools like video conferencing, project management software, and secure file-sharing platforms.
Providing employees with technical support to fix any possible issues is crucial, ensuring their work is disrupted as little as possible.
Flexible work policies
Flexibility is at the core of all the hybrid models, allowing employees to work in a way that best suits their productivity peaks and personal commitments. This may include choosing one's work location, flexible hours, or individualized work arrangements.
Flexible policies recognize the diversity of work styles and life commitments, aiming to accommodate these differences to boost morale and job satisfaction.
Focus on outcomes, not just activity
Every individual has different patterns of work. It recognizes that productivity can vary based on tasks, individual working styles, and the environment. By prioritizing outcomes over activity, employees are motivated to work smarter, not harder, fostering a culture of accountability and performance.
Final verdict
Undoubtedly, the Hybrid work model has added a new era to industries, offering a win-win situation for companies and employees—no strategy you could find to apply universally.
When building their hybrid model, businesses should carefully consider their specific requirements, the organization's culture, and their employees' preferences.
Through the implementation of a hybrid work model that is well structured, businesses can attract and retain top personnel, stimulate innovation, and prosper in the always-shifting terrain of the workplace.