If you could change one thing about how your organization initially implemented its hybrid work structure, what would it be?

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VP, Growth and Client Experience in IT Services2 days ago

Allocation of desk/office space. We are redoing things to promote more space sharing and optimize a highly collaborative office setting for when people are in office.

Director of infrastrucure and operations in Services (non-Government)3 days ago

Let me start by saying: we’ve had our fair share of challenges. 

The return to the office post-COVID was heartwarming, people were genuinely happy to see each other again. But then reality kicked in: nearly every meeting still had remote participants. The result? A sea of people in the office, each wearing headphones, speaking into microphones, isolated in their own little digital bubbles. The irony wasn’t lost on us.

Our meeting rooms? Available, yes, but often too large for the small hybrid huddles we were having. We realized we weren’t using our floorspace effectively. So, we invested in compact meeting pods, cozy, tech-enabled, and just right for hybrid collaboration.

We also doubled our data lines to handle the increased bandwidth demand. And while we were at it, we rethought our printing strategy. We noticed documents being printed from home and left unattended on office printers, a clear security risk. So we linked our printers to our access badge system. Now, if you want to print, you badge in. Simple, secure, and a nudge toward paperless working.

Initially, we saw hybrid work as a potential cost-saving opportunity, less office space, fewer parking spots, less coffee, even less toilet paper. But we made a conscious decision: this wasn’t about saving money. It was about reinvesting. We used the freed-up budget to strengthen team bonds...

We brought in ice cream trucks, fries stands, even a bit of theater. We organized after-work walks and informal gatherings. The response? Overwhelmingly positive. People appreciated the effort, and each other.
We also noticed a shift in mindset. Where once people preferred working from home, we now see a growing desire for balance. They missed the hallway chats, the spontaneous ideas, the human connection. And so, they’re coming back, not because they have to, but because they want to.

And one final piece of advice, never underestimate the power of good coffee. It’s the silent hero of workplace culture.

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The guy you should take seriously in Travel and Hospitality3 days ago

When we first went hybrid, we were all about the tech—Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, you name it. But what we didn’t realize was that the real challenge wasn’t connecting devices—it was connecting humans. We had meetings where half the team was in a room and the other half were floating heads on a screen, trying to guess who was talking and whether they were being ignored or just on mute (again).

If I had a redo button, I’d push for team-level agreements from day one. Like, 'Hey, let’s all agree not to schedule 7 AM meetings just because we can now work from anywhere.' Or, 'Let’s not assume everyone’s available just because their status is green.'

And onboarding? Let’s just say some folks met their team in person for the first time… a year after they joined. Surprise!

So yeah, next time we reinvent work, let’s remember culture eats bandwidth for breakfast.

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Associate VP - IT & HR4 days ago

Abolish all internal virtual calls between the team members, on at-office days. No point in coming to the office, sitting in front of the desk and taking virtual calls to connect with others.

Director of Legal and Compliance7 days ago

Not related to my current company, but I truly believe any company with a remote or hybrid workforce needs to make sure managers understand and have support for their accountability to refresh THEIR skillsets in this "new" (not really anymore) environment. Any company that is multi-location is basically remote and in my opinion maintaining culture and performance is a leadership challenge more than a problem inherent to people being remote or hybrid. If there's a possibility for the full team to be in the same office on the same day(s) each week, set that expectation upfront. But if it's just going to be the three local people and the rest are all on video anyway for any meetings, just embrace it and give leaders updated training and expectations to upskill their own leadership skills for this environment. 

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