Hybrid working: What does the future hold? 

Following the pandemic, hybrid working has become a mainstay in the UK, enabling staff to better balance professional responsibilities with personal needs.

However, in 2025, it seems some companies are now asking employees to return to the office full-time.

The CIPD recently reported a number of businesses are looking to implement an official return-to-office mandate, noting that one in eleven employers are not allowing any form of hybrid working.

Companies such as Boots, JD Sports, and Santander have all been recorded enforcing a return-to-office policy (RTO).

Why are we seeing some businesses push a return-to-office?

Among some employers, there’s a perception that productivity drops in a home working environment.

As such, they are implementing a return-to-office policy, which is essentially a set of guidelines or expectations laid out by a company to manage how and when employees need to come back to the workplace after working remotely.

Research suggests productivity could be a regional issue, finding that productivity dropped in London while increasing in the North West.

This said, the UK still has the 4th highest productivity in the G7.

Forcing people back to the office won’t close the gap.

If you want to encourage productivity, businesses need to empower staff to work smarter, investing in further education, training, technology, and innovation.

Podcast: People management needs to change

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Research shows young people favour working from home

Despite the desire of some businesses pushing RTO, workers remain resistant.

A new survey found that one in six workers stated they would quit their jobs if forced to return to the office, with 54% saying it would have a negative impact on their work-life balance.

People Management also recently reported that only 10% of workers aged 18-27, want to work in the office full-time.

The same study also found that only 17%  would like to be at home full-time, with the research suggesting the sweet spot is a hybrid split between the two, with 24% stating they would like to be at home most of the time.

Gemma Dale, lecturer at the Business and Law School at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Should we make the office attractive, or instead recognise this as an opportunity to do things differently? Just because the office has been around for decades does not necessarily mean it is the best way to work for now or in the future.

"Too many people find themselves working in uncomfortable and unsatisfactory environments. Make the office a good place to come to and people may choose to be there."

How to thrive in a hybrid and remote world

While some employers may have concerns around productivity with hybrid workers, the CIPD stated the benefits include:

• Better work-life balance
• Greater ability to focus with fewer distractions
• Better wellbeing
• Saved commuting times and costs
• Higher levels of motivation and engagement

Our recent research uncovered that 60% of HR professionals believe the candidate demand for hybrid working and remote roles will increase dramatically over the next two years.

The workforce is experiencing a balancing act between those who favour remote work for its flexibility and those who support returning to the office.

Businesses face the challenge of finding a middle ground that ensures productivity and employee satisfaction.

Three hybrid working considerations

Every business is different, so there can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid working; to truly make it work, there are a few things to consider.

1) Proximity bias

Hybrid working can result in a ‘proximity bias’ where the people who spend more time in the office, working together side-by-side, have the most kinship compared to those who spend more time at home.

As such, those working remotely may suffer from unequal opportunities for career growth, as they might be overlooked for promotions or key projects. Effort is needed to ensure all staff are included, whether they are fully remote, hybrid or in-office, ensuring everyone feels appreciated and involved.

Look to implement objective performance metrics that focus on results rather than physical presence in addition to prioritising regular and transparent communication.

Additionally, some managers may be missing the tools and skills needed, requiring further training to better support staff remotely.

2) Financial considerations

Jobs in areas such as London often pay more to compensate for the cost of living difference.

However, with remote working breaking down the need to be in central areas, some businesses are looking to minimise regional salary differences.

Another financial consideration is the reduction in office spaces – some businesses are reducing their overall office sizes and transforming the remaining spaces into hot desks, and increasing their collaborative meeting locations for creative team meetings and bonding.

3) Feasibility

Hybrid working is an unavoidable demand from employees and needs to be implemented to some capacity where feasible.

The keywords are: where feasible.

Many sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture and hospitality, are unable to offer all roles some form of hybrid working.

In these cases, the next step should be to consider what alternatives you can offer, with some employers now looking at flexible shift patterns as a compromise.

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Three tips for facilitating hybrid working   

If you’re looking to make the most of hybrid working, consider the following three areas.

Upskill managers: Plenty of new skills are now needed to support remote workers that weren’t required to the same extent five years ago. To better support those working from home, perhaps managers need help replacing some of their in-person tactics with ones that might work remotely or they require an updated approach to communicating through primarily digital methods.

Optimise onboarding: Starting a new job can be anxiety-inducing. Many businesses still lack the personal touch and hands-on training that traditional, in-person onboarding offers. Look to create a welcoming digital environment with clear and accessible orientation materials, helping new starters hit the ground running.

Frequent communications: It can, at times, feel lonely when working from home. These feelings of isolation can quickly become a negative mindset which can severely impact engagement, satisfaction and productivity. To help keep staff connected, a great starting point is to send regular updates to your workforce on the latest news. On a day-to-day basis, virtual stand-ups are great! Grab 10 minutes with your team throughout the week and discuss how everyone is doing. Shared digital workspaces or team group chats are also great for collaboration.

Recruiting in a hybrid world

By overcoming geographical barriers, companies can find top talent anywhere – no longer are candidates or businesses limited to the opportunities in their immediate area.

This broadens the candidate base and helps create inclusive, diverse teams, leading to improved problem-solving and better creativity.

Leveraging digital platforms and tools is crucial in modern recruitment.

Utilising online job boards, social media channels and recruitment software designed for wider outreach helps businesses identify and attract top talent.

Our HR Director, Lizzy Barry, and Client Talent Acquisition Advisor, Claire Smith, recently ran a webinar which covered the impact of hybrid working on recruitment and shared tangible tips for businesses.

If hybrid and remote recruitment is something you need support with, you can tune into the on-demand webinar here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about hybrid working.

Q: What is hybrid working? 

Hybrid working is when an employee splits their time between the office and working from home (remote working).

Employees who do this are known as hybrid workers.

Q: Is hybrid working a legal requirement?  

All employees can make a request for flexible working, or hybrid working, from their first day on the job, which covers:

• The number of hours they work
• When they start or finish work
• The days they work
• Where they work

Employers must then deal with the request in a ‘reasonable manner’.

Q: What is the difference between hybrid vs remote work? 

We often get questions about what is hybrid vs remote work. Remote working refers to someone operating away from the office – this could be working full-time from home, part-time from home, on the road or even in a different country.

Hybrid working, on the other hand, refers to a worker splitting their time between the office and working from home.

Q: How many days in the office for hybrid working?

There’s no set amount of days a worker needs to be in the office to be classified as a hybrid worker.

The term, hybrid working, refers to someone who splits their time, regardless of what that is.

Q: Can my employer force me to return to the office UK?

If your employment contract states the office as your primary place of work, employers are entitled to ask you to return to the office.

However, do note, under the Employment Rights Bill, staff are entitled to make hybrid working requests and employers must deal with the request in a ‘reasonable manner’.

Q: What is a return-to-office policy?  

A return-to-office policy (RTO) is a set of guidelines that outline an employer's plans to transition staff back into the workplace.