Is Hybrid Work The “Worst Of Both Worlds”?

After Yelp attempted to embrace a hybrid work model for its company, CEO Jeremy Stoppelman announced that the public review platform is going fully remote. 

Describing hybrid work as the “worst of both worlds,” Stoppelman said Yelp will shift to a totally remote arrangement, while keeping just its San Francisco headquarters and Phoenix outpost. 

Yelp isn’t the only company making the big leap — Airbnb and Spotify also announced commitments to a fully remote model recently. 

“Hybrid work is really hard to manage,” said Frances Milliken, professor of management at Stern School of Business at New York University. “There’s a lot of scheduling complexity with hybrid work.” 

The obstacles that come with a hybrid arrangement have been highlighted as workers slowly return to the office. And the biggest issue? There’s no method to the madness. 

Some businesses used the term “hybrid” quite loosely, making both synchronous and asynchronous work difficult. Without proper planning, this model becomes a mess. 

In Yelp’s case, an internal survey of employees showed that 86% wanted to work remotely most or all the time. Not only does this validate the company’s move, but it also shows employees’ opinions have been heard, thus keeping Yelp from falling victim to the Great Resignation. 

Even Stoppelman says that candidate applications have skyrocketed since making its commitment to a remote-first company.