According to workplace expert Brian Elliott, five major trends will shape hybrid working in 2025:
- Talent migration - organisations offering flexible working will attract top talent from companies imposing strict return-to-office mandates. This will be particularly notable for skilled women seeking better work-life balance.
- Results-based performance - progressive organisations will shift from measuring attendance to evaluating actual results, using tools like KPIs and continuous feedback rather than traditional annual reviews.
- Shift of focus to ‘core hours’ - the conversation will move beyond office days to establishing 'core hours' for collaboration, with teams setting specific time windows for meetings and protecting focus time for deep work.
- Customised approaches - one-size-fits-all policies will give way to function-specific arrangements. Different teams will adopt varying hybrid models based on their specific needs and circumstances.
- AI Innovation - companies successfully managing hybrid work will likely lead in AI adoption, as both require similar organisational attributes: trust in employees, willingness to experiment, and investment in training.
The key take-away here is that successful organisations will focus less on where people work and more on how teams work effectively together.