Work from abroad? 10 till 3? The hybrid pioneers shaking up work

Many employees now expect to choose how they split their time between the office and their home or other hybrid workspace. In fact, the offer (or not) of hybrid working is now a major factor in job candidates’ decision to accept a new role. 

But as with any seismic change, it hasn’t taken long for the downsides to emerge. 

The great risk of the hybrid age is “disengagement and diminished collaborative intent leading to declining social capital… denuding firms of the very energy and vitality we know creates innovation and ultimately advantage for the firm.” 

So says John Dore, director of the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School and author of Glue: Transforming leadership in the hybrid world. 

In other words, the collaborative spark that can come with full-time office life risks being extinguished in the transition. 

• Read more: The great office stand-off
• Resolving the great WFH vs office debate

Are you putting in the effort?

Boots, JPMorgan Chase and even Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have all adopted a similar rationale for rolling back hybrid arrangements and insisting that people return to the office.