As we approach the fifth anniversary of the global pandemic lockdown – which forced businesses to close their offices and employees to work from home – it’s time to re-open the debate on hybrid working.
Despite a growing upturn in businesses serving return to office (RTO) mandates, data*. revealed that a third of UK hybrid workers would quit their job if work-from-home days were reduced, underscoring the lasting impact of the remote work shift. Yet, the novelty of remote work has faded, with many employees reporting video call fatigue, drops in productivity, and privacy concerns.
Thus, to truly thrive in this evolving workplace model, businesses must rethink how they support hybrid teams. 2,000 UK professionals engaged in hybrid work were surveyed, to explore their attitudes and experiences in today’s workplace landscape. Based on the responses, we have devised several tips on how employers can get the most out of their hybrid workforces as we kick off 2025:
Turn video calls into interactive experiences
The recent research found that 55% of UK workers suffer from ‘video call fatigue’, with Gen Z workers most acutely affected.
One third of all respondents, and more than half of the youngest respondents, think more interactivity during video meetings could help mitigate video call fatigue. Therefore, it’s time for employers to adopt tools that foster interactivity and engagement, transforming routine meetings into dynamic, collaborative experiences. By doing so, businesses can strengthen team cohesion and proactively address employee burnout.
Companies should also prioritise bit-sized, focused video meetings to accommodate shorter attention spans and manage the busy work days of the modern professional.
Increase productivity by boosting employee engagement
We found that 46% of UK workers believe they are more productive working in the office than working remotely. Only 23% believe that they are more productive at home.
Increasing productivity in any setting starts with fostering meaningful employee engagement. Employers should focus on creating collaborative environments where employees feel connected, motivated, and empowered to contribute their best work.
A first step for companies should be to embrace technology in bridging the gap between in-person and remote workers, yet our data revealed that 27% of UK hybrid workers feel that their company does not offer the right employee engagement and communication tech for them to perform their jobs effectively from home.
The correct technological tools can energise team activities, drive participation, and make learning and collaboration more dynamic, ensuring that employees remain engaged and aligned with company goals.
Foster a culture of trust and inclusion
We discovered that over a third of hybrid workers believe their work colleagues work less whilst working from home than they would in the office, with boomers being the most cynical about their colleagues’ productivity.
As a result of dispersed and hybrid workforces, employees can begin to lose touch with their colleagues. In this instance, fostering trust is critical. Transparent communication, clear performance metrics, and inclusive team-building efforts that benefit both the in-office and remote worker are key to addressing these perceptions and enhancing workplace harmony. Employers should also ensure hybrid models accommodate frontline and remote workers equally, offering fair access to resources, digital tools, and development opportunities.
The road ahead
As the remote working model shaped by the pandemic approaches the end of its life cycle, businesses must now look to cater to hybrid workforces which can flexibly work in-office, at home, or on-the-go. Backed by Gen Z (who are expected to make up a third of the workforce by 2025), the hybrid working model is set to stay. In order to truly succeed in 2025’s hybrid work landscape, employers should double down on engagement, trust, and interactivity to create a high-performing and connected workforce.
*Research from Kahoot!
