The Truth About Hybrid Work: Why Trust & Culture Matter More Than Location

Headlines about the “end of hybrid work” keep coming, but the latest Gallup research paints a different picture: hybrid isn’t going anywhere. Since 2022, the percentage of U.S. employees in hybrid arrangements has held steady at around half of the remote-capable workforce — a clear sign that flexibility is here to stay.

But while location debates continue, the real story is about something deeper: trust, culture, and fairness. These factors, not office attendance, are shaping how employees feel about their work and whether they stay.

Hybrid Work Has Stabilized

Despite pressure to “return to the office,” Gallup finds only 21% of remote-capable employees work fully on-site nationwide. Hybrid work remains the dominant model, especially in industries like tech where nearly all remote-capable workers are either hybrid (45%) or fully remote (47%).

Even for those fully on-site, collaboration is changing. In 2023, just 13% said their team was spread across multiple locations. By 2025, that number doubled to 27%. Work is distributed, even for those physically present.

The takeaway: flexibility is not a fad. Instead, hybrid has become the “new normal,” and organizations are learning how to make it work better.

Who Controls the Schedule Matters

One of Gallup’s most striking findings is about who sets the rules.

• 91% of employees say their hybrid arrangement is fair when they or their team decide the schedule.
• That drops to 73% when leadership dictates schedules.

Autonomy and shared decision-making drive perceptions of fairness but, interestingly, self-determined schedules come with trade-offs. Compared to team-determined arrangements, self-schedulers are:

• 76% more likely to say burnout is their greatest challenge.
• 57% more likely to report reduced work-life balance.
• 52% more likely to struggle meeting customer needs.

Hybrid works best when teams set norms together. That way, in-office time feels purposeful, predictable, and more rewarding.

Trust Is the Achilles’ Heel of Hybrid

Remote work raises a core question: Are employees really working?

• Just 54% of managers strongly agree they trust remote workers to be productive.
• Only 57% of employees feel trusted by their manager when working remotely.

That’s a problem. Trust fuels engagement and performance — and it can be built with four simple practices that raise trust by nearly 30 percentage points:

1. Consistent communication about what’s happening on the team.
2. A sense of community across locations.
3. Accountability for performance expectations.
4. Equal opportunities for feedback and development, whether remote or in-office.

These are management basics, but Gallup shows they’re still not consistently applied.

Productivity Isn’t Just About Hours Worked

Another Gallup analysis reveals that U.S. employees are working fewer hours than before the pandemic — averaging 42.9 hours per week in 2024 compared to 44.1 in 2019.

At first glance, this looks like lost productivity. But output hasn’t dropped. Instead, productivity gains come from organizations tapping into better talent matches — hiring across geographies to place the right people in the right roles.

This shift reinforces an important truth: it’s not where people work, but whether they’re engaged and using their strengths that drives results.

Why Recognition Still Reigns Supreme

Gallup highlights that hybrid’s top benefit is improved work-life balance (cited by 76% of employees). But balance alone isn’t enough to keep employees engaged.

The bigger drivers of satisfaction are timeless:

• Feeling appreciated.
• Receiving clear communication.
• Having opportunities to grow and contribute.

That’s where recognition programs come in. Whether your workforce is hybrid, remote, or on-site, consistent recognition builds trust, reinforces culture, and reminds employees that their contributions matter.

With tools like the Engage2Reward™ Gift Card Ordering Platform, you can deliver personalized, flexible rewards that work across locations — from a thank-you for extra effort to a team-wide recognition moment.

The Bottom Line for Employers

Hybrid and remote work aren't in retreat — they're evolving. The key for organizations in 2025 isn’t to debate office attendance, but to double down on what actually matters: trust, culture, and recognition.

By giving teams a voice in how they work, building trust through consistent practices, and reinforcing culture with recognition that resonates, leaders can turn hybrid from a management challenge into a long-term advantage.

Ready to strengthen your hybrid culture? Explore how the Engage2Reward Platform can help you deliver meaningful, scalable recognition — wherever your employees work.