Picture this: you wake up bleary eyed at the sound of a screaming alarm at 6am. You shuffle over to brew some coffee and prepare yourself breakfast and pack a lunch for your long day ahead. You dress to impress and fly out the door only to stuff yourself into a crowded train or be greeted by a wall of bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

By the time you arrive at the office disheveled and out of breath, you already feel drained. You look forward to greeting your co-workers, but instead…the office is completely vacant, and you’re the only one who showed up. 

After all that effort, you find yourself taking meetings on Zoom all day with your remote team. Making matters worse, you are desperately behind because while you were trekking to work, everyone else was getting a head start on the day. 

As frustrating as this sounds, it’s the experience millions of employees are having as the workforce attempts a clumsy office re-entry. And for those who make the effort, it is understandably leaving a negative impression. 

According to a recent survey by Flexjobs of employees who transitioned to remote work during the pandemic:

• 65% of respondents expressed their desire to continue working remotely on a full-time basis even after the pandemic
• 58% said they would actively search for new job opportunities that offer remote work options if these aren’t available in their current position
• 46% believed that going back to the office would result in less flexibility

It’s clear that forcing employees back into the office full-time will only put your company at a fierce disadvantage. Top talent is prepared to flock to organizations that empower them with the autonomy and flexibility that allows high performers to thrive.

Fortunately, there seems to be one solution that introverts and extroverts, managers and employees alike can perhaps agree on: a hybrid approach that accommodates both remote and in-office working styles. With just a little planning and organization, you can set your team up for a smooth transition into a hybrid schedule. Before anyone sets foot back into your office, these six strategies can help you avert disaster and navigate a brave new hybrid world.