Written By – Jaya Pathak
Triggered by COVID pandemic and accelerated by technology, the global workforce underwent a huge transformation. Office, which was once considered central through productivity and collaboration suddenly became optional. The two dominant models emerged in its place- namely, remote work and hybrid work. They are not simply trends but they are the tectonic plates depicting the shift in the way we are building career and company.
Remote work
Wikipedia defines remote work as the practice of working at or from one’s home or another space rather than from an office or workplace. In 2020, COVID-19 catalysed the transition to remote work for white collar jobs around the world which even persisted after the restrictions were lifted.
Hybrid work
Hybrid work is a flexible work model which is the amalgamation of both remote work with in-office presence. Employees have to split their time so that they can perform both remote work as well as work from office, following a two to three-day schedule. It offers flexibility and at the same time preserve the opportunity for face-to-face interaction and collaboration.
Comparison between remote and hybrid work model
- Productivity and performance: Remote employees show 35 to 40% higher rate of productivity and are more focused. Among U.S. Federal workers, remote arrangements boosted case processing by 12% without quality loss. Hybrid model delivers 27% productivity gains with better employee engagement and lower rate of burnout. The burnout rates differ which is 28% in hybrid, 36% in fully remote and 35% in in- office setups.
- Cost effective: Both hybrid and remote work reduces the expenditure of company by roughly $11,000 push participating employee annually. Even workers also save 700 to $7000 yearly. Therefore, it is cost effective for both employees and employer.
- Flexibility: The remote works provide flexibility as you can work from anywhere, any place. Whereas, hybrid also offers flexibility but it is quite structured as you have to go around two to three days office and the rest time you can work from your home. Therefore, employees may feel compromise than full freedom which is provided in remote work.
- Work life balance: Remote work provides employee a work life balance. Employees have the control over time. They can take breaks and deeply involved in work. What it lacks is a clear boundary. On the contrary, hybrid work provides a rigid schedule which offers a clear separation of work as well as home.
- Overall well-being and job satisfaction: The remote work lower stress and boost mental health. As per the data, remote work boosts better mental health to flexible structure by 82%. The work life balance it rises by 54% for hybrid mode and 53% for remote. 69% of burnout is shown and fully remote arrangement whereas hybrid shows 28%.
- Technology and collaboration: In 2025, organizations are taking help of artificial intelligence tools, IT solutions and automation to enhance productivity, build connection and employee retention. In hybrid mode, a sense of connection and culture building power is preserved whereas the remote work lacks it.
Challenges associated with hybrid work model
Hybrid work model can be good until it lacks coordination. If someone forgot to come to office or failed to join Zoom meeting, then it may put a challenge. Another key challenge associated with hybrid work is inequality. It might happen that some employees are always given remote work while others have to come to office daily and they have to transfer information. It might happen that due to the heightened proximity, biasness may prevail. Therefore, when it comes to inclusivity, hybrid work model can be questioned.
Challenges associated with the remote work model
Remote work may be quite enjoyable for introverts but doing the all-time work from home might be boring. Employees may feel lonely and may lack in-person collaboration. Burnout is another key challenge associated with remote work. 36% of fully remote workers feel frequent burnout. It may be due to lack of clear boundaries, water cooler breaks and daily commutes which made many forget that logging off is as important as logging in.
There is also absence of physical transition which removes essentially decompression time. Another key problem associated with remote work is the technology problem. Internet might drop. You have to open 10 tabs in a day and spend almost half day in Google documents. If there is network problem the everything might be ruined.
What do employees generally prefer?
Younger employees generally prefer remote work as it values flexibility and autonomy. Whereas, if you have become a parent then you might prefer a hybrid work culture where you are getting flexibility and at the same time you are able to escape from chaos once or twice a week. As per the recent data and survey, most employees now prefer a hybrid work model only when it is flexible not mandatory. You have to give people their own choice and trust them so that they will be able to manage their time and give you the better output.
How to choose the right model?
If you want flexibility and deep focus, then you must try remote work. But if you are craving for social connection and structure, then hybrid mode may suit you better. If you hate commuting but love to see people around you, then flexibility and hybrid mode maybe your head. If you are a manager or an employer and your team highly depend on real time collaboration, then you must lean towards hybrid mode. But if your team is highly independent, then remote work will suit them as it will be both cost effective and boost their morale.
Future trends
In upcoming time, work will not be just remote or hybrid. Rather it will be amalgamation of both. Both humans as well as artificial intelligence tools will be working together like automated systems. Business will provide tailored workplace strategy. Companies will customize work setup based on job types, age group, personal situation and personality. Companies are launching employee centric policy because if employees are happy then stronger retention will be made.
Conclusion
It is not possible to give a straightforward answer that which one is better among the two. It is clearly the choice of an individual or an organization. You have to ask from yourself that which among the two is matching your own priority. But one thing you have to make clear is that success does not come from any specific work model, it comes from how good you are in implementing it. You have to use the right tools and you must set clear boundaries. Understand your workflows and talk to your team. Pick that working model which is boosting your performance as well as your people.
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