Flexibility has increasingly become a key factor when employees decide which organization to join. Following the widespread adoption of home offices during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies continued to offer remote workdays and hybrid teams to maintain the flexibility and work-life balance employees had come to appreciate.
However, a new “return-to-office” (RTO) trend is emerging across the globe, with both large and small companies asking employees to spend more days in the office – or to abandon remote work entirely. Examples include Microsoft in the U.S., Novo Nordisk in Denmark, Ubisoft in France, and Lloyds Banking Group in the U.K.
The reasons for this shift typically include a desire to boost performance, collaboration, knowledge sharing, engagement, and connection to the organization.
In several companies that have implemented such changes, the reaction from employees has been negative. For instance, at Lloyds Banking Group, where a minimum of two days in the office was required, internal surveys subsequently showed a clear drop in engagement.
How to Maintain a Sense of Community?
Is it possible to create a hybrid work culture without compromising employees’ connection to the workplace?
Eurofound and the OECD highlight that team cohesion, communication flow, and clear rituals are key to preventing a decline in engagement and attachment in hybrid work.
HR and leadership can make a difference by activating organizational community as a strategic strength – even in a mobile, hybrid workforce. This requires intentional design of both physical and digital gathering points, strong leadership, and clear expectation setting.
What do the numbers say?
What do the numbers say?
Responses from a survey of 2,050 HR professionals in the UK.
Returning to the workplace:
65% of organizations in the survey require employees to be physically present at the workplace for a minimum number of days per week or month. Overall, 14% of all employers who allow hybrid work plan to introduce or increase the number of mandatory in-office days over the next 12 months.
More or less productivity?
41% of employers believe that an increase in remote or hybrid work has led to higher productivity in their organization, while 16% think it has reduced productivity.
Positive impact on quality of life and career
80% of employees say that flexible work has positively impacted their quality of life, while one-third believe it has had a positive effect on their career.
Source: “Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in 2025,” The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Designing Strong Hybrid Communities
Ask your employees:
Survey employees to understand what matters most to them and what drives their desire for flexibility. Is it flexible working hours for better work-life balance? Is it location, commuting, or other factors?
Communicate your workplace values:
Define the values that should characterize your workplace and community – even in a hybrid setting. For example:
We check in with each other daily.
We are curious and provide feedback – even remotely.
We stay present as leaders and colleagues
Define clear team and organizational agreements:
Communicate clearly: What does hybrid and flexible work mean in our organization? What are the expectations for presence, community, and collaboration? What should be prioritized on in-office days, and what is better suited for remote work (e.g., focused tasks)?
Consider introducing “anchor days” when everyone knows they will meet in person.
Create rituals and hybrid social interactions:
Ensure there are check-ins, virtual coffee breaks, learning sessions, and knowledge-sharing meetings when working remotely, and make room for social breaks on in-office days in hybrid settings.
Monitor engagement:
Use wellbeing and engagement surveys to track developments over time. How does remote or hybrid work, and flexibility, affect collaboration, social connection, results, and perceptions of leadership? What does the data reveal about employees’ attachment to the workplace?
HR insights
“We have evolved from offering flexibility as a perk to adopting a hybrid model built on radical trust, viewing it as an essential foundation for our GIMsters’ long-term well-being and peak performance. This shift formalizes our belief that individual autonomy in work structure is crucial for maximizing efficiency in an innovation-driven technology environment.”
Isabella Oksama, Head of People, GIM Robotics
“We see flexibility as a shared responsibility. For us, it’s not about where you work, but how you contribute. We expect freedom with accountability – and presence when we are together.”
Sebastian Kastrup, HR Director, Amero
“We believe we succeed best when life is balanced, allowing room for work, family, and everything in between. That’s why flexibility is a natural part of our culture at OK- both in daily work and when life requires a little extra.”
Stina Bonde, Senior Vice President, HR, ESG & Kommunikation, OK
“Our employees have significant freedom to choose when and where they work best. At the same time, we’ve learned that flexibility must not come at the expense of community. That’s why we intentionally create strong physical and digital gathering points to keep our culture alive. It’s about building a hybrid work culture where connection and flexibility go hand in hand.”
Mads Lyngby Olsen, CHRO, Zenegy
Take the temperature of your hybrid
and flexible work culture
In the GAIS surveys, you can dive into what is important for your employees’ wellbeing. You can place special focus on hybrid ways of working, working from home, work–life balance and flexibility, as well as other relevant themes.
