11 Hybrid work schedule best practices to adopt

The shift to hybrid work arrangements is no longer a post-pandemic trend. It’s a new standard that balances office collaboration with home flexibility. Today, 80% of employees prefer this blend, achieving a better work-life balance, reducing stress, and even boosting their productivity. Yet, to make it work, you must be aware of some hybrid work schedule best practices. The 11 following recommendations cover the most important aspects from setting up your team members for success to ensuring all of them feel connected regardless of their working location.

We’ve gathered insights from businesses that are leading the way in hybrid work, combined with practical advice to help you create a work environment that meets everyone’s needs. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve your current hybrid setup, our goal is to provide you with the tools to build a more flexible, productive, and happy team. Join us to find the right balance for your staff and ensure they feel engaged, supported, and part of a community, no matter where they work. 

A quick reminder about what a hybrid work schedule is

Hybrid work schedules have become more popular and enabled employees to have work-life balance. This approach combines traditional office settings with remote work flexibility. People can work on-site or from a location of their choice according to what suits them best. In other words, a hybrid schedule gives employees the freedom to decide where they work, leading to higher job satisfaction, greater productivity, and better talent retention and attraction. 

This tailored solution meets the diverse needs of today’s workforce, encouraging trust, flexibility, and shared accountability. For you, as an organization, it can also be a way to reduce costs by downsizing office space and lowering your energy and rent expenses.

11 Hybrid work schedules best practices you should consider

1. Determine the hybrid work schedule that matches your organization

To start off our list of hybrid office schedule best practices, our first recommendation is to find a rhythm that fits your organization. Recognizing your staff’s diversity, like their roles, work styles, and personal preferences, is crucial. This enables you to create a timetable that hits just the right notes.

Begin with feedback, surveys, or group sessions to understand collective and individual needs. Then, mix and match days in the office with remote work to create a hybrid environment that boosts productivity, fosters collaboration, and maintains a strong workplace connection. This tailored approach ensures your strategy supports both business objectives and employee well-being.

2. Find out your employees’ expectations regarding flexible working

Considering your team’s flexibility preferences is essential to succeed. Some would rather work from home twice a week, while others want more office time. Different choices highlight the need for a hybrid work policy that’s adaptable and inclusive.

By conducting surveys or holding open discussions, you can gather insights into what your team values most about their job setup. Use this feedback as your guide to designing an agile system that resonates with all your coworkers. Focusing on flexibility within your policy helps you acknowledge and value everyone’s individual style, creating a balanced and inclusive work environment.



👋 Discover 7 hybrid work schedule examples and practical tips!

‍

3. Try to foresee the potential pain points ahead

In a hybrid setup, challenges like scheduling conflicts, feelings of isolation, miscommunication, workplace disconnection, and micromanagement pitfalls can disrupt your team’s workflow. Considering these feedback loops is essential. Proactively addressing these problems means paying attention to your employees’ experiences, both in the office and remotely.

Implementing clear communication channels, regular check-ins, and flexible schedules can minimize these matters. You need to develop an environment where everyone feels connected, valued, and empowered to manage their responsibilities. By anticipating these challenges early and encouraging open feedback regarding any upcoming issue, you increase your chance of creating a successful hybrid work model and experience.

4. Adapt your office space to the needs of a hybrid workforce

‍

Adapting your office space to a hybrid workforce is about meeting your team’s various needs. This means creating an environment where both remote and in-office work is supported and encouraged. A mix of hot desks, quiet zones, and collaborative areas makes a huge difference. Integrating hybrid workplace technology is also a core component to consider.

By making these adjustments, you’re not just rearranging furniture or upgrading tech; you’re building a space that acknowledges and supports your team’s expectations and needs. This approach helps everyone feel included and productive. Ultimately, it fosters a positive and adaptable work culture that’s ready for whatever the future holds.

5. Recognize and encourage the need for a mindset change

It takes a whole mindset shift to move to a hybrid work model. This means transitioning away from the traditional office routine of a 9-5, Monday through Friday, to a more versatile schedule. It also implies team leaders to be more flexible in their management. 

From the top down, everyone must be on board for this transition to be successful. Managers should set an example, making it clear that they’re also flexible. Understand that productivity isn’t about location. The key is promoting transparent communication practices, setting expectations, and providing adequate tools and support for your team. 

6. Create and share your company’s hybrid work policy

Developing and sharing a clear hybrid work policy is crucial for fixing expectations and guaranteeing a smooth transition to this new approach. A well-crafted policy outlines company guidelines, balancing business needs and employee preferences. It should cover key areas, such as work hours, communication protocols, performance measurement, and office space. Addressing how you support remote work, from providing technology to ensuring ergonomic home office setups, is also vital. 

Sharing this policy transparently across the organization helps everyone understand the guidelines and expectations, fostering a culture of trust and flexibility. Remember to make your hybrid work policy easily accessible to all. This allows team members to have a reference and stay aligned with company goals and practices.



🎬 Do you want to learn more about our mission and how we can support your hybrid work environment? Discover the features of the deskbird app in less than two minutes in this video!
‍

‍

7. Make collaboration and communication your priorities

Putting collaboration and communication at the forefront is essential in a hybrid work environment. It ensures that all employees feel connected and part of the team regardless of their working location. Effective communication tools and strategies, such as regular collective meetings, clear channels for updates, and accessible platforms for sharing ideas, are fundamental. 

Open dialogue and feedback are also a must, allowing two-way information flow. Prioritizing these elements helps build a cohesive team culture that goes beyond physical boundaries. This creates a more dynamic, engaged, and productive workplace where everyone can reach their full potential, regardless of their location.

8. Reconsider the tools and technology your team members need for their daily tasks

Reevaluating the tools and technology your team uses daily is a crucial step in adapting to a hybrid work environment. Access to the right resources ensures seamless collaboration and efficiency between in-office and remote workers. For example, this might mean investing in better project management software and communication platforms that support instant messaging and video calls. 

It implies looking for tools that facilitate secure access to company networks from anywhere. It’s also about ensuring everyone has hardware, like laptops or mobile devices, to support their mobility. This could, for example, result in adopting a BYOD policy. Regularly checking in with your team to understand their technological needs and challenges helps you make sure everyone has the right equipment to work effectively from anywhere.

9. Make sure your corporate culture remains strong and positive

Your corporate culture must remain vibrant and positive no matter where your team members work. Not only does this relate to maintaining productivity, but it also means creating an environment where everyone feels genuinely connected, regardless of their physical workspace. To achieve this, emphasize regular group activities that bridge the gap between remote and office settings. These actions should involve team bonding activities, social events, and company retreats. 

Moreover, recognizing individual and collective contributions frequently reinforces a culture of appreciation and belonging. Lastly, embedding your company’s core values into everyday practices and decisions keeps the people aligned and fosters a sense of shared purpose. By actively working to preserve your corporate culture, strong and positive, you lay the foundation for a resilient and cohesive team dynamic. 

10. Provide hybrid team management training to leaders

Managing a hybrid team is a lot different than leading people you meet at the office daily. To effectively learn how to do so, leaders need specific training. It should involve the three following areas: 

• Mastering communication strategies for remote and in-office employees
• Creating an inclusive environment for all team members
• Understanding goal setting and tracking in a flexible work environment

‍

Training should also cover trust-building techniques to boost employee empowerment and encourage autonomy to foster a healthy and productive work environment. By following this approach, managers are equipped to support a diverse and distributed team, ensuring high morale and productivity across different workspaces.

‍

👉 Discover 17 signs of micromanagement that impact your business.

‍

11. Reevaluate your hybrid work setup regularly

Keeping your hybrid work setup agile and responsive requires constant review and improvement. As your business needs and employee preferences change, so should your approach to hybrid work. Regular assessments enable you to identify what’s working and what isn’t, allowing for timely adjustments. 

Whether it’s reshuffling in-office days, enhancing remote work technology, or redefining communication guidelines, staying proactive ensures your hybrid model remains aligned with your goals. We highly recommend you ask your employees for feedback to get valuable insights that will help you improve the hybrid experience to suit everyone’s needs better.

The reasons why using deskbird should be part of your hybrid work schedule best practices

deskbird supports you in managing your hybrid workspace

deskbird makes managing a hybrid workspace as simple as it can be. It shows you who’s in the office and when, which facilitates your office organization and planning. It helps everyone know their office locations and meeting room availability, promoting teamwork. 

Plus, deskbird gives you valuable information on how much office space is used. This means you can make the office work better for everyone without wasting space. It’s all about making hybrid work easy to handle so you and your team can focus on the work instead of worrying if you’re going to have a workspace to do it.

deskbird provides you and your team with the best booking software

deskbird’s desk booking software is a leading solution in Europe for managing hybrid work environments efficiently. With its user-friendly interface, everyone on your team can quickly book desks, meeting rooms, and other resources without confusion or double-booking issues. Our system supports hybrid schedule arrangements by enabling employees to plan their office days in advance easily, ensuring a smooth transition between remote and on-site work. 

deskbird also offers valuable insights into space utilization, enabling you to optimize your office layouts and resources according to your actual needs. By streamlining the booking process and providing clear visibility into office availability, we help you maintain a balanced and productive workplace. This approach enhances collaboration among team members and contributes to a more organized and stress-free work environment.

deskbird helps you optimize your office space and save costs

Our office analytics feature is a game-changer for optimizing office space and cutting costs. This tool helps you figure out the most effective way to use your office by analyzing your team’s hybrid work patterns. You can see how many desks and rooms you actually need versus how many you have, preventing wasted space. Data allows you to make smart decisions based on how your team actually functions, not just guesswork. 

By adjusting your office setup based on actual use, you can significantly reduce overhead costs. This means you only pay for the space you need, making your budget go further. deskbird makes it easy to adapt your workplace to your team’s needs, saving money and creating a better environment for everyone.



🔎 Check out our hybrid office calculator to see how much you could save by optimizing your office space to your employees’ actual needs!

deskbird makes hybrid work easier, more collaborative, and enjoyable

deskbird makes hybrid work not just easier but also more fun and engaging. Here’s how:

• Find the perfect meeting room: No more wandering around looking for a place to meet or being frustrated not having the equipment you need. Book in advance in three clicks only.
• Locate your colleagues in no time: With our interactive floor plan, see who’s in and where they’re sitting, no guesswork.

• Align your schedules with your team: Check each other’s weekly planning and find the most convenient times to meet in the office.
• Schedule events smoothly: Setting up office events has never been that quick and easy.

• Adjust plans flexibly: Need to change your schedule? It’s simple to update and keep everyone informed.

With deskbird, hybrid work becomes a seamless part of your day, encouraging teamwork and making office management more efficient and people-centric.

‍

You’re now all set to implement these hybrid work schedule best practices. By using the deskbird app, your hybrid work experience becomes even simpler and more enjoyable. Our desk booking software makes finding a spot in the workspace or connecting for a meeting as easy as it can be. Our main goal is to make the office work for people, not the other way around. For us, it means more than managing when and where your team members sit and work. It is also about fostering a flexible work environment based on inclusion, collaboration, and well-being. Do you want to see how we aspire to enhance these key aspects? Request a free demo of the deskbird app and discover all our user-friendly and people-centric features!