In a recent article published by HBR, One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work. Here’s What They Found, Trip.com’s study on hybrid work schedules was presented as "groundbreaking," with data on productivity and retention singing the praises of a three-day in-office model. According to the article, the company saved millions in attrition costs and saw no drop in productivity by offering two work-from-home days each week.
Hybrid work is a lot like the spork—a simple, practical tool combining the best of two worlds. Just as the spork has made life easier by blending a fork and a spoon, hybrid work blends the structure of office life with the flexibility of remote work. Like the humble spork, it’s a commonsense blend of the best parts of two worlds—and it just works. So why are we still acting like it’s a radical new invention?
“Trip.com has been highly data-driven in its decision-making to avoid jumping to incorrect conclusions about productivity of hybrid work model.”
So, we’re hailing Trip.com for this hybrid setup like it’s some miracle cure. But let’s not kid ourselves. Companies of all sizes have been embracing flexibility for years. Many of them didn’t need to A/B test their employees like lab rats to discover what was already obvious: trust people, give them room to balance work and life, and they’ll do just fine.
At Same Team, we believe teams thrive when they’re allowed to communicate, collaborate, and connect in a way that suits them—without the need to turn every adjustment into an experiment. Sometimes we act like we’re solving a mystery when the answer has been right in front of us: treat people well, offer flexibility, and they’ll stick around.
“Before the experiment, managers estimated hybrid would reduce productivity by 2.6%. After the six-month experiment they estimated it increased productivity by 1%.”
These results show what so many employees have known all along—hybrid work isn’t revolutionary, it’s just common sense. When people have the flexibility to manage both their work and life, they’re happier, more engaged, and ready to give their best—no A/B test needed.
Why should being able to work from home for part of the week be celebrated like Silicon Valley’s latest disruptive technology? If anything, the fact that hybrid work is still considered a "hot topic" reflects how slowly we adapt to the reality that employees need the flexibility to thrive. Offering remote flexibility should be standard.
We work with teams daily to help them adopt healthier ways of working together, starting with aligning on communication, collaboration, and culture. Our Teamangle diagnostic and workshops are built to create these foundations—and we didn’t need an A/B test to confirm that respect and flexibility are key.
“Amazon’s recent call for employees to return to the office (RTO) five days a week is the latest example of high-profile companies pulling back from their remote-work policies.”
Amazon and others still cling to the belief that in-person time is necessary for "real" productivity. Meanwhile, Trip.com’s study—and countless others—have shown that a flexible approach works just fine. How long are we going to keep pretending this debate is about productivity? It’s become increasingly clear that the push to return to the office is less about teamwork or collaboration and more about control. RTO mandates feel like a move back to the industrial age, when where you sat (or stood) mattered more than what you contributed. Isn’t it time to acknowledge that effective collaboration isn’t chained to a desk?
Companies keep searching for silver-bullet solutions to retain top talent, and here’s the irony: sometimes, just treating people with decency and flexibility does the trick. Trip.com’s study found that hybrid work reduced attrition by over a third. Instead of spending resources proving that people are productive at home, companies could simply trust their employees to get the job done, wherever they are. The future of work doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need a baseline of respect and understanding.
