The battle over returning to the office is heating up. Employers of all sizes are demanding workers come back to the office, often calling it a “return to normal.” But is it normal? Or is there a new normal that small businesses need to adapt to?

To learn more about the future of work, I talked to Aruna Ravichandran, SVP/chief marketing and customer officer of Webex by Cisco.

Is hybrid working the future of work?

Rieva Lesonsky: What are the main challenges small businesses face when dealing with remote workers?

Aruna Ravichandran: Small businesses face many of the same challenges with remote workers that larger enterprises do in terms of security, availability of collaboration technology, training, employee engagement, right-sizing real estate investments, and legal and compliance, to name a few. These challenges are critical to attracting and keeping people, ensuring productivity, and maintaining the health and security of any business, large or small—yet many companies are still struggling to find the right balance for their unique needs.

In our experience, no two companies are the same, and no single correct approach exists. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is nailing down the hybrid and remote work policies that teams will follow. Some job functions like coders may not need to go into an office often or at all, while a team that frequently brainstorms may benefit from more face time.

Another challenge is building trust with your workforce and knowing they are getting the job done no matter where they log in. And, of course, inclusion can be tricky—ensuring that remote team members and in-person employees have similar experiences and feel included and connected to what’s happening in the business. Collaboration technology and devices can undoubtedly aid this, but ultimately, it will come down to your company’s culture and value system. Some trial and error are to be expected, but it will be worth it once that sweet spot is found between meeting the needs of the business and ensuring happy, productive employees.

Lesonsky: How has this changed since the pandemic ended?

Ravichandran: With many businesses being nearly 100% remote during the pandemic, many workers became accustomed to the work-life balance that remote work provides and the option of choice for when they can come into the office. In many instances, they are reluctant to be mandated to return to the office. The model of insisting people work in-office full time, five days a week, is considered outdated in the post-pandemic era; it’s now about the work people do, not where they work.

A hybrid approach can provide the best of both worlds. It can certainly be considered a benefit of working for a business by enabling people to come back to the office for collaboration, brainstorming, or in roles that require physical presence, while providing the flexibility to work remotely.

Companies that embrace hybrid work are expected to outperform their peers. At Cisco, we reimagined our workspaces to make the office a magnet for connecting, collaborating, and innovating. This new office experience recognizes employees as people, not just workers, and provides unique spaces that foster creativity, brainstorming, and focus time…this makes the office a magnet, not a mandate.

Lesonsky: What specific issues are small businesses encountering when managing remote teams, and how are they addressing them?

Ravichandran: It’s estimated that 20 to 30% of employees were hired during the pandemic when work was 100% remote. These workers may have never set foot inside the office and might not feel it’s necessary if they’ve been able to handle job responsibilities remotely.

Going back to the office is not like pre-pandemic days—and we need to adapt to a world of collaboration in a hybrid environment, which brings forth multiple challenges:

• Given that 98% of all meetings moving forward will have at least one remote participant, how do we ensure that people feel included?

• People want the flexibility to work from home, but we’re hearing about feelings of isolation and employees not building critical connections at work. Is the answer to return to the office?

• And how do you create a “new” workplace that becomes a magnet, not a mandate—enabled by technology, culture, and the workplace?

Lesonsky: Are small businesses concerned about the productivity and efficiency of remote workers? Is there something they can do to ensure optimal performance?

Ravichandran: Productivity and efficiency should be taken into consideration by businesses of all sizes when developing their hybrid and remote work policies. Small businesses, in general, are often better at managing productivity and efficiency than larger organizations because there is less red tape and fewer layers in their organizational structure.

However, there are always going to be opportunities to optimize performance through a variety of tools. Technology and devices are vital in supporting a productive, efficient workforce, particularly technology integrations that enable interoperability and support information and data security.

Lesonsky: Is going hybrid a solution? What key factors should small businesses keep in mind when considering adopting a hybrid work model?

Ravichandran: We know hybrid work works. People enjoy it and have come to expect it as a perk of working. There’s also a case for remote positions because, aside from employee benefits, requiring employees to report to a single physical location often limits talent pools, making employee attraction and retention more competitive and expensive.

In general, when considering a hybrid work model, small businesses should consider first their people. Hybrid work is more inclusive of different work styles and abilities, reinforcing an inclusive culture. Culture is how you get people in the office. And finally, every company, no matter its size, needs technology that offers employees the ability to collaborate and engage and the tools to secure their information and data.

Lesonsky: How can small businesses make hybrid solutions work?

Ravichandran: Creating a thriving hybrid work environment relies on the thoughtful integration of people practices, technology, and physical spaces. It’s harder to lead in a hybrid world, but not impossible. A people-first approach is critical. Managers must build meaningful reasons to bring their people together for connection and collaboration.

Success in enabling hybrid work will be worth it. It can benefit small businesses by optimizing real estate investments, providing a wider pool of talent because they can hire from anywhere, increasing employees’ sense of well-being and loyalty, and building a culture and community where everyone is connected to the mission and vision.

Lesonsky: Will we still be experiencing these issues in 2025? Five years from now?

Ravichandran: The hybrid world is here to stay. We may never “solve” hybrid work because the meaning and framework will vary depending on each company’s goals, belief systems, and infrastructure.

However, focusing on the experience in hybrid settings will help businesses as they make decisions. So much of any company’s success is due to its people, and it’s their insights that tell us what we need to do better, so our first job is to listen. To get it right, business [owners] must lead with empathy, offer flexibility, support holistic well-being, and foster ongoing, transparent communication with their people.