Hybrid Work, Empathy, And The Connection Crisis

Forbes

6 hours ago

Online video conference webinar meeting in the modern office
While debates over remote versus in-office work have dominated conversations about the future of work in recent years, hybrid models have promised the best of both worlds. Flexibility and work-life balance without the loss of structure and collaboration. But a couple of years into this experiment, a subtle yet significant challenge has also emerged: We may be working together, but we're feeling less connected.
A 2023 BBC article about employee experiences reported that even though 94% of the 2,428 global workers surveyed 'liked hybrid working - in principle,' 42% indicated feeling 'sometimes or frequently socially disconnected from colleagues on their remote day.' Additionally, a 2025 Gallup report on the post-pandemic workplace found that only 30% of U.S. employees feel a sense of connection to the mission and purpose of the companies they work for. The report also noted that in early 2024, 'only 21% of employees strongly agreed that their organization cares about their overall wellbeing.'
It's not just about missing chatter around the water cooler and lunchtime huddles or passing around birthday cards and cupcakes. These statistics matter because a growing sense of disconnection in the workplace can undermine team morale, employee well-being, and productivity.
But it doesn't mean we have to give up on the flexibility and benefits that hybrid work offers so many in balancing their personal and professional lives.
As hybrid work continues to become more of a norm, the leaders who will thrive are those who are learning to lead with empathy as a strategic advantage. Those who can intentionally nurture morale across distances and boost belonging and engagement even when physical proximity is limited.
Here are three empathy-driven strategies that can be employed to [re]build authentic connection in hybrid leadership and workplace relationships.
Leveraging empathy in hybrid workplaces begins with acknowledging its trade-offs. In her MIT Sloan Management Review column, Tracy Gratton recognizes how the erosion of social capital can impact employees' development: 'An experienced manager can mentor and coach remotely, but many struggle with it; the consequence is that inexperienced workers may fail to receive that all-important in-person coaching attention.' Empathetic leaders are willing to sit with challenges like this: to listen, reflect, and recognize the value of using in-person interactions with intention. As workplace expert Neil Miller emphasized during an episode of The Empathy Edge podcast, 'There's this hierarchy of collaboration tools that we have, and in-person is the most expensive, it's the most time-intensive, it's the hardest one to do, it's the most exhausting. And it's amazing at some things that just cannot be beat in other ways.'
Although hybrid work is touted as an all-around win-win for both leaders and employees, curiosity is essential because it still may not suit everyone. As Harvard Business Impact notes, hybrid workplace models can present unique communication and inclusion challenges, which makes understanding different employees' particular pain points critical. Giovana Cervi, Managing Director of Signium Brazil puts this plainly in The HR Director, 'People are different. Their appearances, natural abilities, learned skills, leadership styles, home life dynamics, personal values - and how they respond to remote and hybrid work demands.'
When leaders show up with a willingness to be curious and ask open-ended questions, needs that may not have surfaced otherwise can be seen, and hybrid models can be tailored to employees' experiences rather than unspoken ideals. As Box's Chief People Officer Jessica Swank adds during another episode of The Empathy Edge podcast: 'It's not just up to the business to say, 'Here's what I need from you.' It is incredibly valuable for every person to have that open dialogue with their managers... not just sitting back and waiting to be told, but also engaging in that dialogue.' In this way, curiosity is a tool for building hybrid workplace cultures that reflect the people in them.
Workplace culture isn't something that only happens within the same four walls. It is how we get things done and how we treat each other. As Michael McCarthy, Harvard DCE Professional & Executive Development instructor asserts, it's 'not just about sticking a list of values on a wall in the break room and then going about your day, it's a commitment that every person in the organization, including senior leadership, will model their behavior to support those values.' It's created in every meeting and message, and also in moments of support or silence. These are all shaped by how people feel, connect, and collaborate with each other, regardless of whether they are working at home or in person on any particular day. Neil Miller adds, 'In a digital world, you're forced to deal with that in a much more explicit way than when you're in the office.' Some ways of doing this in a hybrid workplace, according to Entrepreneur, include letting employees co-create those stories that showcase the organization's mission, engaging in virtual traditions and connection exercises, and recognizing and rewarding milestones and successes.
Hybrid work isn't going anywhere, but connection won't happen by accident. As leaders navigate this new normal, empathy must move from a buzzword to a daily, intentional practice. Acknowledging the trade-offs, leading with curiosity, and reimagining culture as a shared emotional climate are no longer soft skills. They're survival skills. Because in a world where physical presence is optional, emotional presence is everything.