Hybrid work has shifted radically from a reactive response to world events, into the cornerstone of most modern workplaces. Yet while ubiquitous, the question remains: how can organisations strike the right balance between business objectives and employee needs? More crucially, how do you keep culture thriving when your team is spread across locations? Is it by enforcing arbitrary mandates, or by designing a hybrid working protocol that aligns with the company purpose?
Meaningful hybrid models are as varied as the organisations that adopt them:
Every model has its merits, supporting workspace optimisation and avoiding overcrowding, and empowering flexibility. But poor execution can backfire: department-driven schedules may lead to siloes, and open choice can leave offices feeling empty and purposeless.
The real task isn’t choosing the “best” hybrid, but aligning whichever approach you adopt with your organisation’s purpose and culture.
Culture isn’t accidental, especially not in hybrid working. Unless thoughtfully designed, dispersed teams risk losing meaningful connection, informal mentoring (especially important for those starting out in their careers) and the shared energy and connectivity that fuels belonging and performance.
This is where purpose plays a pivotal role. Before tweaking hybrid schedules, we recommend all organisations ask:
For instance, consultancies that depend on apprenticeship-style learning may prioritise structured in-person mentorship. Tech firms, in contrast, might be remote-first with periodic deep-dive innovation weeks.
This means that the question isn't “what hybrid model do we choose?”, but “what hybrid model best serves our vision and culture, and how do we communicate it?” When teams understand the why, hybrid becomes a shared commitment - not a tug-of-war between control and freedom, which erodes the culture every organisation works so hard to build.
Culture isn’t just crafted through schedules, it’s built into physical environments. Many organisations have invested in workspace “perks” - cafés, lounges, experiential zones - to encourage staff back to the office. And while initially this may have seemed a reasonable approach, a common complaint is now surfacing: where employees can work in focused, quiet areas. The idea that culture is based purely on leisure and collaboration scenarios is false. Every employee is different and not all enjoy these types of areas to work. Effective workplaces that suit all types of working can help build strong cultures between teams and people. These workspaces blend collaboration zones with quiet, heads-down spaces.
From conducting numerous workspace observation studies over the years, we have seen first hand how workstations and conference rooms are often underutilised. This is often not because the spaces lack value, but because employees aren’t sure how to use them, or use them for different purposes. It’s important to remember that optimising space isn’t about reducing footprint. Instead, it’s about redefining how space supports both culture and productivity.
Purposeful workplaces may reintroduce assigned workstations to build a sense of belonging. This is then coupled with flexible zones to foster collaboration. The aim being to create environments that are both efficient and emotionally resonant.
No hybrid model will satisfy everyone. Some people crave the buzz of the office five days a week; others value solitary deep work. Senior management’s real role isn’t erasing tension, it’s explaining why the chosen model exists and how it serves both the business and employee productivity, fulfilment and wellbeing.
Consistency is everything. If Tuesday is team day, it helps parents organise childcare. Quarterly “client weeks” enable consultants to plan ahead. Predictable rhythms make hybrid not just workable, but powerful.
Hybrid often gets framed as a compromise, but it doesn’t have to be. Done right, it combines the best of both: the vibrancy of in-person work with the flexibility of remote - and the cultural bonds that bind people together are built because people feel valued through the choice they have in the way they work.
To make hybrid a cultural success, it’s about being deliberate: structuring hybrid around purpose, fostering authentic connection, designing spaces for meaningful work and communicating with clarity.
In a hybrid world, culture doesn’t emerge by accident. It’s engineered through purpose, space and conversation. Organisations that master that will do more than adapt - they’ll lead, with cultures that feel connected, resilient and future-ready.
