The Ultimate Hybrid Work Quiz: Which Work Model Is For You?

Are you weighing the best hybrid work model for your company? Find your fit with our interactive hybrid work quiz, then read on to understand the different hybrid work models and how each one plays out in practice.

Hybrid work is a flexible arrangement where employees split their working week between a company office and a remote location, usually home.

It’s now the standard for people whose jobs can be done remotely. The percentage of remote-capable U.S. employees working in a hybrid model has settled at 51%, while fully on-site and fully remote work each hold a smaller share. Aside from the federal workforce, hybrid work has remained stable since the post-pandemic era began in 2022. So the debate has moved on from whether to go hybrid to which version fits your team.

The evidence for hybrid is strong on both sides of the desk. For workers, it improves work-life balance. For employers, it cuts office footprint and opens up a wider talent pool.

If you’re thinking of making the switch, the first question is which model suits your company.

There are different models, each with its own pros and cons, so it can be hard to choose without the right context.

That’s where our hybrid work quiz comes in. It looks at your specific circumstances and points you to the flexible work model that fits your company’s needs.

It’s the right quiz if you want a productive, sustainable hybrid setup for your team.

There are five workplace models to choose from: mandatory in-office, office-first, hybrid (50:50), remote-first, and fully remote. Knowing them well will help you pick the one that suits your organization.

Understanding the hybrid work models to choose from

Before you implement hybrid work, it helps to have a clear sense of the most common models.

Mandatory in-office (few flexible days)

The mandatory in-office model requires employees to work either mostly or exclusively from the office. Employers may offer a few flexible days, but there’s generally no remote work option.

This traditional model is common when the work needs a high degree of face-to-face interaction with co-workers or clients, close collaboration, confidentiality, or access to on-site resources.

Office-first (70% office, 30% remote)

In the office-first model, employees are primarily based in the office but can work remotely on occasion. A common set-up has hybrid workers spending about two-thirds of their time in the office and the remaining third from home.

Core work, meetings, and collaboration usually happen in the office, while routine work gets done from home.

Hybrid (50:50)

In the 50:50 hybrid model, employees split their time evenly between remote and in-office work.

This gives a practical mix of flexibility and in-person collaboration. It supports a better work-life balance while keeping room for face-to-face time and access to office resources.

Remote-first (30% office, 70% remote)

In the remote-first model, remote is the default: employees work roughly two-thirds of the time from home or other remote workspaces, and the remaining third in the office.

This works well for many types of virtual work, with in-person meetings and collaboration kept to a minimum. Employees rely mostly on remote communication and digital tools to coordinate.

Remote only (few or no on-site days)

In the fully remote model, employees work primarily or completely from their preferred location, such as home.

There’s usually no central, physical office. Employees do all their work online and handle communication and collaboration entirely through remote tools and technologies.

If your score points here, your organization would perform better working entirely remotely for now.

And if you’re wondering whether hybrid work is the new normal, watch this short video.

How the hybrid work quiz helps you find the best model for your organization

This quick 10-question quiz is a fast way to assess your business objectives and your team’s preferences around flexible working.

The results give you a read on how well your company fits each hybrid model, so you can make an informed call about which one to run.

The questions cover topics such as technical requirements, ergonomics, communication and collaboration practices, and productivity.

With that information, you can gauge the needs of both your in-office and remote workers and build an environment where each group can do their best work.

What are the common issues facing hybrid workers?

If you’re considering a flexible setup, another thing to weigh is how your specific workforce will adapt to working from home.

Many hybrid workers report a less stressful work life and a better work-life balance when they can spend more time at home. Research also links hybrid work to increased productivity.

Even so, a hybrid workforce has to handle new challenges that come with going remote. Here are the common ones:

Staying connected with colleagues

Remote and hybrid employees can find it hard to keep up regular communication with co-workers. Building or maintaining relationships and a sense of belonging is tougher when people aren’t interacting face to face.

Gallup’s data backs this up: the share of employees who say their hybrid schedule is “entirely up to me” has slipped, and schedules are now split roughly evenly between those who set their own, those whose team decides, and those whose employer decides. Hybrid models work best when teams, not individuals, decide the rules, because shared norms make people more productive and less anxious.

Difficulty managing workloads

Without the structure of a physical office, some remote and hybrid employees find it hard to manage their workloads.

Distractions at home, overlapping personal and work responsibilities, and blurred boundaries between work and personal life can all make it harder to stay focused.

Struggles with self-discipline

Hybrid work takes a fair amount of self-motivation and discipline.

Without direct supervision, remote employees can find it hard to stick to their schedules and avoid procrastination.

Lack of access to resources

Remote employees may not have the right office equipment or internet at home. They can also struggle to reach physical resources, specialized equipment, or documents that only live in the office.

Employers moving to a hybrid setup need to find effective ways to address these issues.

Here are some suggestions:

• Policies and training that help employees set up a dedicated workspace, establish clear routines, and hold healthy work-life boundaries.
• The right hybrid work management solution to organize admin tasks like desk booking and meeting room booking.
• Easy-to-use time management and scheduling software to keep out-of-office work on track.

Trust is the piece employers underrate. Just over half of managers who manage remote workers strongly agree they trust their teams to be productive when working remotely, and a similar share of employees say they feel trusted. Gallup found four practices that close that gap: timely and consistent communication, a strong sense of team community, clear accountability for performance, and equal access to feedback and development, whether people are on-site or remote.

Assess your flexible work readiness with our hybrid work quiz

If you’re considering offering remote options, start by picking the hybrid model that fits your workforce.

Our quiz helps you find the best model for your company, so take it to orient yourself to the next steps in switching to a hybrid setup.

And if you need a hand with the transition, reach out to us at OfficeRnD. OfficeRnD Workplace gives HR, facilities, and IT teams one place to manage desk booking, meeting rooms, and hybrid schedules, so the office runs smoothly on the days people come in.

Get started for free with OfficeRnD Workplace, or book a live demo and talk to our workplace experts to see how it fits your team.

Hybrid work models FAQ

What are the main hybrid work models?

The five common models are mandatory in-office, office-first (about 70% office), a 50:50 split, remote-first (about 70% remote), and fully remote. The right one depends on how much your work relies on in-person collaboration, how predictable a schedule you need, and what your team expects.

How many employees work hybrid?

Among remote-capable U.S. employees, 51% work hybrid, while fully on-site and fully remote work each hold a smaller share and each rose by two percentage points over the two quarters before the latest reading. Aside from the federal workforce, hybrid work has stayed stable since the post-pandemic era began in 2022.

How many days a week is a hybrid schedule?

Most hybrid schedules land at two to three office days a week. Gallup’s analysis finds hybrid workers now spend about 46% of their workweek in the office, roughly 2.3 days, up from 42% in 2022.

Which hybrid model is best?

There’s no single best model. The right choice depends on your industry, the nature of your work, and your team’s expectations. The more say employees have in their schedules, the more likely they are to see the arrangement as fair, and teams that decide their own schedule rate their policy as fair at the same rate as individuals who set their own. The quiz above is built to match these factors to a specific model.

Should teams or individuals set the hybrid schedule?

Team-level schedules tend to work better than fully individual ones. Compared with team-determined schedules, employees on self-determined schedules are more likely to name burnout, reduced work-life balance, and meeting customer needs as their biggest challenge, so hybrid tends to work best when teams decide the rules.