What are Hybrid Remote Jobs? (The No BS Version)

Hybrid remote emerged as the buzzword du jour back when we were still figuring out how to navigate a blossoming COVID-19 pandemic. But nearly five years down the line, we're still scratching our heads about what the heck it actually is.

And who could blame us?

Hybrid remote jobs are the workplace equivalent of a mullet - business in the front, party in the back. 

They're stuck somewhere between the freedom of remote work and the outdated notion that productivity is directly proportional to your time spent in a cubicle.

Now, you might be thinking, "Why should I care about this corporate fence-sitting?" Well, because the future of work has arrived, and pitched up wearing sweatpants and a dress shirt.

A recent FlexJobs survey spilled the tea. 

Some 51% of working professionals are ready to go all in on remote work, while 46% are okay with the hybrid hokey pokey. Only 3% are clinging to their office chairs like it's the last slice of pizza at a company potluck.

Shocking absolutely no one.

But here's the good news! Companies are finally taking notice - even if they're moving at the breakneck speed of a tai chi sloth.

Flex Index’s 2024 Q2 report shows that 69% of US companies now offer some form of location flexibility. That's an 18% jump from Q1 last year!

But back to the task at hand. What the heck is hybrid remote work?

The Four Flavors of Hybrid Remote Work

At its core, a hybrid remote job is an arrangement trying to combine elements of traditional in-office work with the flexible remote work we all love. 

It's the work environment equivalent of having your cake and eating it too – or at least, that's how it's often sold. In reality, it's more like having half a cake and being told you should be grateful you didn't get a plate of crumbs.

Companies are flocking to hybrid models, touting them as the perfect balance between the old and the new. 

• For employers, it's a way to maintain some semblance of traditional oversight while appearing progressive. 
• For employees, it's sold as the best of both worlds – flexibility with a side of office camaraderie.

But here's the no BS truth: hybrid models often end up being a watered-down version of both office and remote work, capturing the downsides of each without fully realizing the benefits of either.

By our count, corporates have thought up four flavors of remote hybrid work.

1. Hybrid With a Daily Commute

We'll call this the "we're doing remote work, but we're not happy about it" model.

You're allowed to work remotely some of the time, but there's always that underlying guilt trip about "team building" and "company culture." 

It's like being told you can have dessert, but only after you've eaten all your vegetables, wasted four hours on unannounced desk drive-bys, and written a 5-page essay on why in-office work is superior.

This model is a favorite of companies that are dragging their feet into the future, one slow, reluctant step at a time.

The Corporate Spin:

"We're adapting to the new normal while maintaining our traditional values!" Translation: "We're grudgingly allowing some remote work because our employees threatened to quit if we didn't."

2. The Reluctant Hybrid

YOU'VE MADE IT! Welcome to the more productive, more flexible world of remote work. Right up until you're called back to the office for your weekly Wednesday in-person brainstorm.

This model is your company dipping its toes in the remote work pool but being too scared to dive in. You're remote... except when you're not.

Maybe it's two days a week in the office, or one week a month. It's fine, but it's a bit confusing.

The Corporate Spin:

"We're embracing the future of work while maintaining our strong company culture!" Translation: "We're terrified of losing control, so we're compromising for our corporate comfort."

3. Freedom with Fine Print

Ah, the "Flex Time" approach - it's all about freedom within limits.

Work from wherever, whenever, as long as you hit your hours and make it to that 2 PM in-person demo that could've been a Loom. It's like being told you can eat whatever you want for dinner, but your parents have already decided it's meatloaf.

This model tries to give you the best of both worlds but often ends up feeling lukewarm. 

You've got the flexibility to build your own work schedule, but also the pressure to be available at all times.

The Corporate Spin:

"We trust our employees to manage their own time!" Translation: "We’ve seen the benefits, but we're still deciding if we're ready to accept the proof."

4. The Cool Kid of Hybrid Work

Welcome to the "we're hip, we're with it" approach. The office is there if you want it, like that gym membership you swear you'll use someday. 

This model is the closest to fully remote, and it shows.

The office is ready and waiting when you need that industrial-strength printer or a quiet room on the day your neighbor decides it's time for a DIY kitchen reno.

It's remote work with a safety net.

The Corporate Spin:

"We're a digital-first company with a physical presence!" Translation: "We’re trying to figure out what to do with all this real estate we bought before we go fully remote."

The Rocky Road to Remote

Here's the deal, hybrid work is trying to please everyone. 

And in doing so, it often leaves you feeling like you're stuck in the middle of a corporate tug-of-war. It's like that half-vegetarian, half-meat lover's, gluten-free pizza that left you thinking, "What the heck did we just create?"

It ticks a bunch of boxes, but still... WHAT THE HECK DID WE JUST CREATE?!?

Harsh verdicts aside, we get it. Going remote can be scary. Our real problem isn't with hybrid remote jobs. It's with companies trying to retrofit remote work into existing office-centric structures.

The result? A massive hit on the team flexibility remote promises and rampant proximity bias. You know, the workplace equivalent of "if I can't see you, you must be slacking off."

It's 2024, folks! 

We've put billionaires in space, but 54% of managers still say they're more likely to ask the opinion of those physically around. Whatever happened to the best person for the job?

But despite the growing pains, remote and hybrid setups are still winning the war. 

Especially in mental health, where a whopping 96% of professionals say flexible arrangements support their well-being better than traditional in-office work.

So, while hybrid work might feel like a corporate Frankenstein's monster right now, it's a step in the right direction. It's messy, it's complicated, but it's progress.

If you need the occasional face-to-face interaction or you're not quite ready to say goodbye to the odd office high-five, then hybrid work might be your jam. It can be a great stepping stone towards more flexible, more productive work.

But if you're all about that fully flexible, work-from-anywhere life, you don't need to settle for half-measures. There are plenty of options to choose from! 

Just check out Crossover's job board if you don't believe us.

Whether you're hybrid, fully remote, or still trying to figure out which end of the webcam to look into, your best work happens when you're in your element. 

So find your element and own it. And if anyone throws those in-office complaints your way? 

Well, that's what the mute button’s for.