Hybrid Communication: A Definition

Hybrid work blends in-person work blocks with remote working time. "The idea isn't to pit the two modes against each other, but to combine them, since they're intertwined. That requires rethinking how a company manages and communicates," notes Joël Siellez.

This way of organizing work reshapes several parameters at once:

Communication tools are more numerous than before.
Workplaces are scattered, with teams split across the office, home, and shared workspaces.
The relationship to working time has changed, with flexible schedules and communication that can be synchronous or asynchronous.

Social interactions and exchanges within the company are being reshaped at their core. New ways of communicating are emerging, with consequences on multiple fronts.

"The acceleration of communication flows is affecting psychosocial risk, employees' available mental bandwidth, and the overall quality of communication within organizations," notes Arthur Vinson.

Tip 1: Create New Forms of Camaraderie

How do you preserve team cohesion when members work remotely, at least some days of the week? How do you keep moments of informal communication alive in this context? For Joël Siellez, work is also a place for connection: "It's essential to find ways to replace the conversations that used to happen around the coffee machine."

Hybrid work disrupts social interaction within the company, and working from home can create a sense of isolation. Discussion groups, virtual coffee breaks, internal chat channels — every team needs to find the informal communication channels that suit it best. The goal is to maintain camaraderie, team cohesion, and socialization, even within a hybrid setup.

Tip 2: Protect the Work-Life Balance

Hybrid work has a major effect on life balance. Employees have more freedom over their schedules, but according to Arthur Vinson, they tend to start earlier and finish later.

"As a result, the window for workplace communication widens. Communication flows become more frequent and longer. Leaders, for instance, tend to answer emails on weekends," he notes.

How do you protect that balance in this context? By moving away from the pressure to respond instantly to every request, and by genuinely learning to work asynchronously.

The rise of hybrid work has blurred the line between professional and personal life.

"Not everyone has good physical conditions for working from home — a dedicated room and desk, for example. Requiring staff to keep their camera on during video calls touches on questions of privacy," explains Joël Siellez.

Some tasks are genuinely difficult to carry out remotely. That's why some teams choose to set a single in-office day for the whole workforce. That day is reserved for activities that don't lend themselves well to remote work and require physical interaction: brainstorming, team-building, and the like.

Tip 3: Prevent Hyperconnection and Isolation

The rise of hybrid work goes hand in hand with heavier use of new communication tools within organizations — video conferencing, collaborative document management, project management software. How do you tame these tools and fold them into daily work without being overwhelmed by them?

An avalanche of emails, a flood of notifications, screen fatigue, "Zoom fatigue" — while remote work blocks bring employees more flexibility and balance, the shift also carries its own risks, from hyperconnection at one extreme to a sense of isolation at the other. According to OICN's annual report, 12.3% of employees interact with fewer than 10 different people per week, which contributes to a sense of digital isolation. Hyperconnection and isolation both need to be addressed head-on and discussed openly within the organization.

Tip 4: Rethink Communication Practices

For Arthur Vinson, the information overload created by hybrid communication calls for a collective rethink of digital collaboration habits. The goal: use concrete metrics to build awareness of how many emails are actually generated, reflect on one's own role in digital overload, and explore ways to communicate with more restraint.

"Usage charters for communication tools don't work. This needs to be worked through in small groups — by team, by role, with the manager involved."

These rules and practices need to be revisited regularly, in a setting that encourages open exchange.

"Within a hybrid organization, managers need to make sure information doesn't only flow downward. They also need to make room for feedback," notes Joël Siellez.

Tip 5: Rethink Company Culture

The growth of hybrid organizations is surfacing differences in company culture — and pushing that culture to evolve.

For Arthur Vinson, the question of communication flows within a company is tied to company culture.

"The more employees work remotely, the more they need a culture built on writing things down, with a need for traceability that, in some organizations, generates a large volume of unnecessary emails. Conversely, companies with a strong oral culture that lean more on trust tend to fare better," he explains.

Joël Siellez shares that view, noting that "trust also has to be built over time, sometimes alongside a real shift in managers' posture and practices."

According to Vinson, tackling information overload and communication flows is ultimately a collective responsibility across the organization.

He recommends:

measuring the sources of information overload,
identifying the underlying causes and mechanisms,
building awareness of the impact on employees' mental health.

These are the steps needed to ease digital strain and communicate more calmly at work.

Improve Information Sharing Across Your Teams

SIGMA-HR's HRIS supports hybrid communication by providing a centralized platform where information, coordination, collaboration, and communication can flow smoothly and efficiently — no matter where team members are located.