Hybrid/Remote Isn't Going Anywhere. It's Time to Stop Treating it Like an Interim Arrangement
"We are hard-wired for face-to-face communication. Anything that is not face-to-face is a corruption of face-to-face communication."
I do not remember who said this during a session at a conference many years ago, but the statement has stuck with me.
Humans evolved as social creatures who relied on face-to-face communication for survival, cooperation, and social bonding. Before written language was first introduced around 3200 BCE in Mesopotamia, face-to-face communication was the dominant means of sharing information, resolving conflicts, and building relationships.
Despite the development of written and digital communication, our preference for face-to-face interaction is deeply embedded in our biology. It is wired into the brainstem, which controls basic survival mechanisms, and the limbic system, which governs emotional and social connection. Only with the later evolution of the neocortex did we develop the ability to communicate beyond direct, in-person interactions.
Face-to-face communication provides instant feedback through gestures and facial expressions, conveying meaning beyond words. Tone, body language, and context enhance understanding. In contrast, text-based communication can be ambiguous, lacking the immediacy and nonverbal nuances that reduce misunderstandings. Digital communication introduces further layers of abstraction, increasing the potential for misinterpretation.
All of this may sound like I’m advocating for employees to return to the office (RTO).
I am not.
But companies do need to bring their employees together in the real world from time to time.
(Of course, there are jobs that cannot be remote or hybrid. From ambulance drivers and ER doctors to manufacturing facilities to the employees who build buildings -- the industry in which I work -- some people have to be on the job every day. But not everyone.)
The Case for RTO—and Why It Doesn’t Hold Up
The business leaders speaking out the loudest for RTO make the same arguments repeatedly:
None of these arguments hold water.
The Myth of Serendipitous Encounters
While spontaneous workplace interactions can spark ideas, research suggests that their role in innovation is overblown. A study published in Organization Studies found that workplaces designed to encourage collaboration through physical proximity often led employees to develop strategies to avoid unnecessary interactions. Meanwhile, a UC Berkeley study found that while informal interactions can foster creativity, employees tend to engage mostly with people similar to themselves, limiting exposure to diverse perspectives and reducing the potential for truly innovative ideas.
Productivity and Quality in Remote Work
Remote work initially led to a reported 16 percent decline in productivity. However, this drop was largely due to the adjustment period. By mid-2021, the same firms that had reported a decline saw a 17 percent productivity increase among remote workers compared to in-person employees. They had adapted. In fact, 77 percent of employees working remotely at least part-time reported increased productivity, with 30 percent saying they accomplished more in less time and 24 percent achieving more within the same timeframe.
Newer research finds hybrid workers have lower turnover rates than in-office workers and are as productive as those who worked entirely in-person. (It's also worth noting that 80 percent of employers report losing talent because of RTO mandates.)
Company Culture in a Hybrid World
The belief that company culture cannot survive remote work stems from the misconception that remote work was always meant to be a temporary, pandemic-driven solution. Instead, the pandemic revealed a new way to work. Strong cultures are built on intentional strategies and policies that support engagement, social interaction, and team cohesion—regardless of physical location. Flexibility and autonomy in hybrid environments often lead to greater job satisfaction and greater productivity.
Young Employees and Remote Work
If remote and hybrid work are here to stay, organizations must rethink mentorship and career development. New strategies can help young employees integrate into company culture, build relationships, and access mentorship. Virtual mentoring, structured onboarding programs, and hybrid team-building events can replace outdated in-office norms. Companies that embrace these approaches will attract and retain the best talent.
Making Hybrid Work… Work
Despite resistance from some executives—such as JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon—hybrid and remote work have become embedded in the modern workplace. About 60 percent of organizations now operate under a hybrid framework, with 27 percent of U.S. remote-capable employees working fully remotely and another 53 percent following a hybrid schedule. One out of every four active job listings offers full-time hybrid and/or remote work arrangements.
Instead of mandating arbitrary in-office days, companies should focus on making in-person time more meaningful.
Where and When We Work
Too many hybrid models enforce rigid schedules, such as requiring employees to be in the office three days a week. This approach ignores the reality of knowledge work. If an employee is spending the day writing reports, why must they commute to an office? Worse, open-office environments often force employees to jam earbuds in their ears to avoid interruptions, defeating the purpose of in-office collaboration.
Instead, in-office work should be driven by purpose, not an arbitrary schedule. Employees should gather in person for:
Intentional culture-building opportunities, both virtual and in-person, are critical. Virtual team-building activities and regular check-ins can supplement digital interaction, but nothing replaces the power of face-to-face engagement.
The Role of In-Person Events
Company picnics, barbecues, and offsite gatherings create opportunities for informal networking and relationship-building. These events foster cross-functional connections and reinforce a shared sense of belonging. They also afford employees the chance to see and interact with company executives in a more laid-back setting.
Similarly, in-person town hall meetings enhance engagement. While virtual meetings are convenient, studies show that 55 percent of attendees pay full attention in face-to-face meetings. The spontaneous social interactions before and after a meeting -- especially if it's planned, with food and beverages before and after -- further strengthen workplace relationships and reinforce culture.
Supporting New Hires and Young Employees
Reimagining new-hire orientation for a hybrid world means leveraging virtual tours, structured mentorship programs, and e-mentoring platforms. I have mentored a young content marketing professional for years through monthly Zoom meetings—despite never having met in person. (IABC/San Francisco created the program. It was abandoned a couple years ago, but Sarah and I continue our monthly sessions.) Organizations should implement structured e-mentoring rather than leaving mentorship to chance.
A buddy system can also help new employees acclimate by pairing them with experienced colleagues for guidance. Virtual team-building events, interactive workshops, and informal gatherings can provide early-career employees with exposure to colleagues they wouldn’t naturally interact with.
Encouraging young employees to participate in in-person opportunities—such as company events, team meetings, and networking sessions—rounds out their professional development.
Training Managers for the Hybrid Future
Recognizing hybrid and remote work as the new normal means investing in manager training. Leaders must develop skills to support, engage, and mentor employees in distributed teams. Effective remote leadership requires clear communication, active engagement, and the ability to foster trust and collaboration across digital channels. This training will also help managers address those workers whose scopes require them to be onsite every day, so they don't feel marginalized or denied the work-life balance afforded to others.
Conclusion
Experts don't forecast a change any time soon to employees' desire to work from home at least some days. Among employees working for companies mandating RTO, many have embraced a growing trend labeled "hush hybrid," in which employees who want to work remotely find ways to get away with it, mainly because their supervisors allow them to.
This widening gulf between leaders and front-line employees will not end well. There cannot be much trust between Jamie Dimon and his employees (despite his reminder that they're welcome to work elsewhere). Shutting off the channels employees use to engage with one another because leaders don't like the dissent they see there -- as Mark Zuckerberg has done at Meta -- is contrary to the idea of listening to the employees' voice, which is one of the four enablers of employee engagement.
Face-to-face interaction remains deeply ingrained in human communication. However, clinging to outdated office norms ignores the reality of modern work. Instead of enforcing blanket RTO policies, organizations should focus on creating intentional, meaningful opportunities for in-person interaction while optimizing hybrid and remote work structures. Companies that embrace this shift will not only retain top talent but also cultivate stronger, more adaptable workplace cultures.
Note: Neville Hobson and I discussed this in a June 2024 episode of our “For Immediate Release” podcast after the initial release of a report from the USC Annenberg School/IABC that made similar observations.