Organizations now recruit, integrate, and support people differently as a result of the transition to hybrid employment. According to Gallup research, more than half of workers increasingly want a combination of in-office and remote work arrangements, a trend that is also prevalent worldwide. However, new difficulties are brought about by this flexibility: How do businesses foster trust when teams don’t often work together? How can new hires experience a true feeling of community without meals and discussions in the hallway? It has been often said that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and nowhere is this more evident than in hybrid environments. Creating deliberate, human-centered experiences that transcend distances and maintain engagement long after the first day is the new standard for effective hiring and onboarding. Here’s what thought leaders say.

Multi-Touch Recruitment Enhances Hybrid Team Success

Managing hybrid teams means you can’t rely on charm alone to attract and retain talent. My approach? Multi-touch recruitment that integrates initial video interviews, realistic skill assessments, and interactive team exercises. Rather than just ranking resumes based on keyword optimization, candidates are culturally aligned for success.

Onboarding? Forget endless PDFs and Zoom fatigue. We combine bite-sized learning with live check-ins, creating connection, reinforcing culture, and staying compliant — all before day one. The payoff: top talent hits the ground running, feels genuinely included, and stays with the company, even when the office is optional.

Jeremy Golan SHRM-CP, CPHR, Bachelor of Management, HR Manager, Virtual HR Hub

Design Onboarding as an Experience

One of the challenges with hybrid work is that it can unintentionally create two different employee experiences: one for those in the office and another for those working remotely. For HR, the responsibility is to ensure both experiences feel equally connected, intentional, and compliant.

The practice that has made the biggest difference is designing onboarding as an experience, not just a process. Instead of thinking about it as a checklist of tasks, we treat it as the first chapter in how someone understands our culture. That means blending structure with human connection.

For example, we pair every new hire with both a compliance guide and a culture guide. The compliance guide ensures all policies, legal requirements, and role expectations are clear from the start. The culture guide is usually a peer who helps the new hire navigate team norms, communication rhythms, and the unwritten ways of working that you will never find in a handbook.

We also use intentional touchpoints across the first 90 days. Weekly check-ins, feedback loops, and clear milestones give new hires confidence that they are supported and not left to figure things out on their own. For hybrid teams, we are deliberate about mixing virtual and in-person moments so no one feels like a second-class employee because of their location.

The measure of success for us is not just whether someone can do the job. It is whether they feel connected to the culture, clear about expectations, and confident that they belong. That combination is what sustains retention long after the first week is over.

Alysha M. Campbell, Founder and CEO, CultureShift HR

Structured Digital Onboarding Boosts Engagement

At WiserBrand, we’ve learned that attracting and integrating top talent in a hybrid model requires equal attention to skills and culture. During recruitment, we include culture-fit interviews and peer conversations so candidates get a sense of our approach before day one.

Once hired, employees move through a structured digital onboarding program. It combines a detailed handbook (mission, values, compliance basics like taxes and time tracking) with a 90-day plan, live sessions with HR and managers, and a buddy system to ease the transition. We also run thematic chats and Town Halls that keep people connected and celebrate achievements.

The result has been faster integration, higher engagement in the first six months, and lower attrition. Most importantly, even in a hybrid setup, new hires feel connected, supported, and clear on how to succeed from the very start.

Oksana Klymova, Head of HR and Recruiting Department, WiserBrand

Set Clear Expectations for Remote Professionalism

One proven practice I’ve adopted in recruiting and onboarding for a hybrid model is setting clear expectations upfront during the interview process regarding “How You Show Up.” Candidates need to understand precisely what hybrid means in our culture, not just the days spent in the office, but also how remote work is managed.

I emphasize that when working remotely, how they present themselves and their environment must mirror the professionalism of the office:

• Camera on, always: Engagement amplifies when we see and connect.

• Private space: Video calls must be taken in a distraction-free area with a door that closes to protect confidentiality.

• Professional background: Clean, uncluttered, and representative of the company’s brand.

• Dress code: Business casual attire is acceptable, but it should still reflect a professional setting. No hoodies, t-shirts, tank tops, sunglasses, baseball caps, or hats.

This approach accomplishes two things:

1. It attracts talent who are aligned with our culture and expectations before they join.
2. It integrates new hires smoothly, since the “rules of engagement” are already built into onboarding.

Hybrid work thrives on trust, clarity, and consistency. By treating the remote environment as an extension of the office, we preserve culture, strengthen connections, and stay compliant.

Thomas Powner, Executive Career Management Coach, Recruiter, Resume Writer, Career Keynote Speaker, Career Thinker Inc.

About Humane HR Perspectives

Our round-up series “Humane HR Perspectives” examines the fundamentals of humanising human resources (HR) from the perspectives of top authorities within and relevant to the industry. Q&A sessions with founders, CEOs, HR professionals, business leaders, and other significant players who are influencing the direction of HR are included in every edition.

Throughout the employee life cycle, we address a wide range of subjects in this series, including recruitment and selection, onboarding, training and development, performance management, employee engagement, pay and benefits, and more. We also go over important topics like compliance, change management in the workplace, morale and welfare, workplace communications, and diversity and inclusion.

The “Humane HR Perspectives” series offers insightful advice and practical examples to help develop a more encouraging, productive, and successful workplace—whether you’re an HR professional, a business leader, or just someone who is enthusiastic about creating a great work environment. Join us as we explore the approaches, difficulties, and triumphs that characterise HR humanisation and acquire unique access to the knowledge and experiences of individuals spearheading the movement.

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