When COVID-19 emptied offices in 2020, remote work wasn’t a carefully designed workplace strategy. It was an emergency response.
Kitchen tables became desks; meetings moved online, and businesses adapted faster than many thought possible. In the years that followed, flexibility became a defining feature of many workplaces.
But for some, the pendulum is swinging back globally once again. Amazon introduced a five-day office expectation in January 2025, with companies including JPMorgan Chase and Dell following suit. Google, on the other hand, has retained flexible work and is moving towards three office days a week. Nevertheless, despite differing policies, all have emphasised the value of in-person collaboration and connection.
Locally, financial services provider The Unlimited has retained its hybrid working model following more than five years of successful implementation.
The different approaches raise an important question: “Why does hybrid work succeed in some organisations and not others?”
According to Helen Bredenkamp, Group Head of People and Culture at The Unlimited, the answer may lie in how hybrid work is managed. “Without deliberate leadership, the model can create real risks,” she says. “Communication can become fragmented, people can feel disconnected, and leaders can struggle to assess performance. But that doesn’t necessarily mean hybrid work has failed. It may mean the business hasn’t built the structures needed to support it.”
Done well, Bredenkamp believes, hybrid work creates a win-win. “People gain flexibility and trust, while the business retains the accountability, connection and performance it needs.”
She shares five practical ways for companies to strike the right balance:
- Start with a clear reason
Hybrid work should not be the default. It should serve a clear business purpose, whether that’s gaining access to a wider talent pool and specialist skills, improving employee satisfaction and retention, or enabling task-dependent work.
At The Unlimited, this has meant that the business has been able to retain specialist skills, experience and institutional knowledge when employees have chosen to emigrate, while gaining access to talent across South Africa without requiring people to relocate to another province.
A clearly defined purpose also gives leaders a meaningful basis for evaluating whether the model is delivering its intended outcomes.
- Focus on results, not visibility
Hybrid teams need clear outcomes, responsibilities and deadlines. Employees should know what’s expected of them, how success will be measured and how their work contributes to business goals.
At The Unlimited, leadership is grounded in results. Every year, every person sets ‘big, hairy’ Unlimited goals, measured against the outcomes they have committed to delivering. We use Scrum to stay focused and on track, alongside regular performance reviews. This creates clarity, strengthens accountability, and keeps performance focused on impact rather than presence.
- Make communication intentional
In an office, information is often shared through quick conversations. Those interactions don’t happen as naturally in distributed teams. Regular check-ins can keep teams aligned, but people also need to stay connected to the wider business.
That’s why every other Friday, The Unlimited brings all head office employees together for Engage, a one-hour company-wide meeting. It’s used to share updates, align around goals, reinforce values, recognise colleagues and create space for feedback.
- Use the cloud, safely
Cloud technology is a key enabler of remote and hybrid work, helping people stay connected, collaborate effectively, and access the tools they need from different locations. But that convenience also brings additional cybersecurity risks that cannot be ignored.
At The Unlimited, we prioritise system security and give regular practical guidance and awareness sessions. Protecting company and customer information is not only an IT responsibility; it’s something every employee is passionate about safeguarding.
- Make office days meaningful
Culture doesn’t happen by accident in a hybrid environment. It should be reinforced through shared rituals, consistent leadership and regular opportunities for people to connect.
Face-to-face time remains valuable for solving difficult problems, building relationships and generating ideas. Employees shouldn’t travel to the office to spend the day on virtual calls. Instead, anchor days should be designed to bring the right people together for planning, collaboration, learning and relationship-building.
Shared experiences built around purpose also play an important role. Through “Love Days”, our employees come together to give back to communities, creating meaningful opportunities to connect beyond their day-to-day roles while contributing to something bigger than themselves.
The office should offer something that’s difficult to recreate at home. It’s not about people being present. It’s about using that presence well.
“Hybrid work isn’t the easy option. Nor is it an argument against the office,” concludes Bredenkamp. “To succeed, it requires clear expectations, purposeful communication and active leadership. When the reasons behind adopting the model are clear, and the risks are deliberately managed, performance and flexibility don’t have to compete.”