Why line managers are the secret to successful hybrid work

Workplaces globally were disrupted by the pandemic, and since then, hybrid work has been a popular option for employees seeking work-life balance. McKinsey & Company found that nine out of ten organizations have embraced varying hybrid work models for their teams.

There has been much debate around whether hybrid working brings more productivity, how many days employees should come to the office, and whether collaboration and company culture are best nurtured face-to-face. But the conversation often fails to include one important group—the line managers who are tasked with making hybrid policies work in practice.

Gallup finds that hybrid work results in the highest employee engagement and wellbeing, provided it is effectively managed. Because managers account for up to 70 per cent of a team's engagement, the abilities of the line manager can play a significant role in determining whether a hybrid setup thrives or fails.

A new study by Tatiana Andreeva of Maynooth University, Jordi Trullen, Associate Professor in the Department of People Management and Organization at Esade Business School, and Jim Copeland, Operations Manager and Business Continuity Coordinator at the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), assesses the reality of implementing hybrid policies from a middle-management perspective. Through 36 interviews across 32 organizations, they reveal the extra responsibilities and challenges that line managers encounter, and why they often feel they lack the authority, tools, or support to fully translate hybrid policy into a workable reality.

The hidden architects of hybrid work

Frequently, a hybrid strategy is defined by executives. “Most employees spend far more time interacting with their direct supervisor than they do with company leaders,” say the study’s authors. This makes line managers critical to whether hybrid work succeeds or fails, as they must provide guidance, help teams interpret the rules, and try to ensure acceptance.

Given the importance of line managers in communicating and enforcing the policy, it is surprising that senior leaders often fail to include these managers when creating it. According to the study, 66 per cent of respondents said there had been no consultation with line managers before new hybrid work policies were introduced. One interviewee said: “There was no consultation with anybody, just the CEO decided at the top.”

Policies from above, problems below

Managers frequently find their hands are tied, as they were not given the authority to adapt the hybrid policy to suit their teams. When working with individuals across different time zones, enforcing mandatory office days doesn’t always make sense for team members who have a long commute. Many managers questioned the logic of enforcing blanket rules in such a scenario.

The authors say organizations risk creating frustration when policies are disconnected from operational reality. Hybrid work, they argue, cannot be managed effectively through a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, companies need greater flexibility based on the nature of the work itself.

Another complication facing managers is the requirement to explain and enforce hybrid policies that they don’t agree with themselves. For example, in situations when companies required an increase in the number of days in the office, managers themselves were not convinced of the reasoning.

“They put forward things like ‘We work better together’ and ‘Collaboration is better when we’re in the same room,’” one manager said. “But I don’t think anyone really took those ideas seriously.”

Asked to enforce, but not equipped

The study revealed that managers were experiencing significant stress when enforcing and monitoring attendance. Overall, they lacked the data or systems needed to monitor attendance properly. “There’s no logging system as such,” one interviewee explained. “There’s no way that that can be done at the moment.”

The result is a widening gap between formal policy and everyday practice. Managers are accountable for implementation but don’t possess the authority or the information needed to intervene effectively.

Ironically, many managers reported that in an attempt to “lead by example,” they tended to work from the office more than the teams they manage—even when they themselves felt they would be more productive working remotely.

Quiet resistance and everyday workarounds

At times, line managers reported turning a “blind eye” when their teams didn’t attend the office as often as mandated. “This predominantly stemmed from managers perceiving the reasons for office attendance as unrealistic or misaligned with their jobs or work environment,” explained the researchers.

In some organizations, managers tolerated limited non-compliance as long as the team’s performance didn’t suffer. Others adjusted schedules informally to improve collaboration or accommodate employees’ circumstances.

Managers weren’t outright rejecting hybrid policies, but rather trying to reconcile corporate expectations with the operational realities of their teams. “Some respondents explained their non-compliance with the inconsistent behavior of senior leadership. Despite promoting office attendance, executives were often absent themselves, sending a conflicting message,” say the co-authors of the study.

In one company, office attendance was justified as a way “to make the magic happen.” But for employees working many kilometers apart, the reality is far from ‘magic’, as one employee explained: “When I go to the office, I’m alone. I have no colleagues!”

The real challenges of hybrid management

The study also highlights how managing hybrid teams presents more challenges than managing in-house employees. The most frequently cited issues included onboarding junior employees, maintaining team relationships, running effective hybrid meetings, and avoiding proximity bias—the tendency to favor employees who are physically present more often.

Some managers felt concerned that junior employees were losing out on mentoring opportunities and that reduced time in the office was weakening camaraderie and social integration.

Hybrid meetings emerged as a particular pain point. Managers explained the difficulties with including all participants and the need to go slower. Facilitating a meeting was especially hard if some employees were in the office while others signed in remotely. “Hybrid meetings don’t work,” one respondent said. “It should be either fully remote or fully in person.”

Managers are being left to grapple with these challenges alone—most respondents said they hadn’t received any formal training on managing hybrid teams.

What needs to change

Conversations about hybrid work usually center on whether employees should be in the office or working remotely. The study highlights the importance of line managers and why their input should be considered when creating hybrid policies in the first place. Companies that ignore this role risk creating policies that look effective on paper but fail in practice.

Managers, who are the link between corporate strategy and employees’ daily realities, are tasked with balancing productivity, flexibility, collaboration, and wellbeing.

What Trullen and his co-authors discovered is that these managers could benefit from additional training and involvement in decision-making to equip them with the right tools to manage hybrid workers long term.

Advice for managers is to take more tailored approaches, including greater use of team-level “anchor days” and creating more meaningful opportunities to build relationships.

Hybrid work is not simply a logistical issue. It is a management challenge that requires new skills, clearer communication, and greater organizational trust.