The evolution of work in the last few years has presented unprecedented challenges and opportunities for companies worldwide. Remote and hybrid work models, once seen as temporary adjustments, have become the norm. This shift allows employees to enjoy greater flexibility and control over their work and life. But, for organizations, it has raised a challenging concern: How to maintain a cohesive and resilient employer brand to a dispersed workforce?
In countries like India, the transformation to hybrid work is particularly nuanced. Cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi, known for their long commutes, have witnessed employees embrace the flexibility of hybrid models, but this shift also comes with its own set of challenges. India, with its vast regional and cultural diversity, places a high value on in-person interaction. Balancing this cultural need with the flexibility offered by hybrid work models has become a priority for organizations.
Different industries face unique challenges when it comes to hybrid work, and their approach to employer branding reflects these nuances. For example, the IT sector, which has largely adapted to remote work, may focus on digital collaboration tools and cybersecurity, while manufacturing companies may require more in-person engagement due to the nature of their work.
IT and Technology
In the tech sector, the transition to hybrid work has been relatively smooth. Companies like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro have long had global, dispersed teams, making digital collaboration an inherent part of their operations. For these companies, employer branding revolves around flexibility, innovation, and continuous learning, ensuring that employees remain motivated and engaged through upskilling and mentorship programs.
Retail and Consumer Goods
For retail companies like Hindustan Unilever, hybrid work presents unique challenges. Many employees in manufacturing plants or logistics cannot work remotely, while corporate and marketing teams may have the flexibility to do so. Maintaining a cohesive employer brand across these different work models requires a tailored approach that ensures inclusivity and equal engagement opportunities for all employees, regardless of their physical work environment.
Manufacturing and Infrastructure
In the manufacturing sector, companies like Mahindra & Mahindra have adopted hybrid models, but they’ve required more in-office time for certain roles. For these companies, the focus is on structured hybrid models that allow flexibility for office-based roles while ensuring that manufacturing operations continue smoothly. Employer branding in this sector often emphasizes team collaboration, safety, and operational excellence, with hybrid models carefully designed to reflect these values.
Let’s explore the common challenges and solutions for maintaining a strong employer brand in this hybrid era.
Before the pandemic, the workplace environment reinforced the company’s culture, and employees experienced the brand through daily interactions, events, and office design. In a hybrid world, these physical touchpoints have largely disappeared, leaving companies to rethink how they can maintain consistency in their employer branding across different work environments.
In response, forward-thinking organizations are developing virtual rituals and digital spaces that replicate the feeling of community and shared purpose. These rituals—whether virtual town halls, leadership Q&A sessions, or team-building exercises—are not mere substitutes for in-person interactions. They are carefully designed to ensure that employees, no matter where they work from, feel connected to the organization’s core values.
Infosys, one of India’s largest IT service providers, has embraced this hybrid reality by creating structured virtual engagement programs. These include weekly leadership town halls, where executives answer employee questions, discuss company values, and set the strategic direction. The company also organizes virtual team-building events across time zones, ensuring that employees working remotely or from co-working spaces remain aligned with the company’s culture. This engagement has been key to maintaining Infosys’ brand integrity across its global workforce.
In addition to regular virtual meetings, Infosys has built internal digital platforms that allow employees to access resources, ask questions, and stay up-to-date with company news in real-time. This approach reinforces the brand’s values, even in a virtual environment.
For CEOs and CHROs, the key insight here is that culture doesn’t happen by accident in hybrid models. It must be purposefully designed. Virtual rituals help bridge the gap between physical distance and emotional connection.
For Indian organizations, where regional differences in language and work culture often come into play, creating inclusive digital spaces is particularly important. These platforms should reflect the company’s core values and be adaptable enough to accommodate cultural differences.
Employee engagement has always been a top priority for organizations, but in a hybrid world, it has become increasingly challenging. In India, hybrid work offers a respite from gruelling commutes, particularly in metro areas where travel times can be up to several hours each day. However, this freedom also increases the risk of employee disengagement. Remote workers often feel isolated or disconnected from the larger organizational goals, leading to decreased productivity and job satisfaction.
To combat this disengagement, companies must adopt tailored engagement strategies that resonate with the needs of a hybrid workforce. This includes creating personalized recognition programs, setting up virtual mentorship systems, and offering dynamic feedback loops to keep employees engaged, motivated, and aligned with the company’s mission.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of the largest IT services firms globally, has been a trailblazer in the hybrid work model with their Secure Borderless Workspaces (SBWS) initiative. This model prioritizes remote engagement and security, ensuring that employees can work productively from any location. TCS implemented virtual mentorship programs where junior employees are paired with senior mentors to provide ongoing support. These mentorship sessions occur weekly and allow employees to receive guidance, feedback, and professional development advice fostering a sense of connection despite the physical distance.
Additionally, TCS has built a robust feedback system that allows employees to submit their opinions and suggestions in real-time. This dynamic feedback loop gives employees a voice in shaping company policies and ensures they remain engaged with the organization’s mission.
Engagement in a hybrid work model cannot be passive. Organizations must create systems that actively involve remote employees in company-wide initiatives and decisions. In India, where hierarchical structures can make employees feel disconnected from leadership, virtual mentorship provides an essential bridge. By offering personalized attention, these programs create opportunities for employees to feel valued and engaged, leading to stronger loyalty and advocacy for the company.
Communication is one of the most significant challenges in maintaining a cohesive employer brand across a dispersed workforce. When employees worked from a central office, brand values were naturally reinforced through in-person interactions, the office environment, and face-to-face communication with leadership. In a hybrid world, those organic interactions have diminished, making it more difficult for companies to ensure that their values are communicated effectively.
Organizations must now leverage technology not only for operational communication but also as a tool for reinforcing their brand values. Digital platforms can carry the weight of ensuring that employees receive the same consistent messaging, whether they’re in the office, working remotely, or travelling. These platforms can be used to host virtual meetings, provide training materials, share company updates, and encourage collaboration—all while embedding the company’s core values.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has been particularly successful in using technology to communicate its brand values. They ensure that all new employees go through an extensive virtual onboarding program that includes interactive modules designed to introduce the company’s mission, vision, and core values. The company has also developed an internal digital communication platform that regularly shares stories of how employees are living these values in their daily work.
By embedding brand values into day-to-day operations and communications, HUL ensures that employees across all locations, whether in the office or working remotely remain aligned with the company’s mission.
For CEOs and CHROs, the key insight is that technology should not just be seen as a tool for communication, it can also be a tool for shaping culture. Every email, meeting, or training module is an opportunity to reinforce the company’s values. In a geographically diverse country like India, where different regions may have varying communication styles and cultural expectations, organizations must ensure that their technology platforms promote inclusivity and alignment with brand values across all levels.
Hybrid work offers flexibility, but it must be carefully balanced with the cultural expectations of in-person engagement, especially in countries like India. Employees may appreciate the ability to work from home, but they also recognize the value of face-to-face meetings for building trust and fostering collaboration. In many Indian organizations, relationships are built through in-person interactions, making it essential for companies to maintain this balance.
Many organizations are adopting structured hybrid models where employees come into the office on designated days for high-collaboration activities such as brainstorming sessions, team-building exercises, or project kick-offs. These in-office days allow for face-to-face interactions that are critical for relationship-building, while remote days are reserved for focused individual work.
Mahindra & Mahindra has implemented a structured hybrid model where employees come into the office two or three days a week for collaborative activities. These office days are focused on teamwork and project development, while remote workdays are dedicated to tasks that can be completed independently. This balance allows employees to enjoy the flexibility of working from home while maintaining the benefits of in-person engagement when needed.
The key insight here is that hybrid work models need structure. They cannot rely solely on the flexibility of remote work but must instead strike a balance that ensures in-person collaboration for activities that benefit from it. For companies operating in India, this balance is crucial for maintaining strong professional relationships and ensuring that employees remain engaged, motivated, and productive.
India is a country of vast cultural diversity, and this diversity has a significant impact on how hybrid work is perceived and implemented. Regional differences in language, work culture, and communication styles play a large role in shaping the employee experience. For example, employees in cities like Bangalore, which has a strong IT culture, may be more accustomed to hybrid work than those in smaller towns or regions where in-person meetings are culturally significant.
For companies operating in India, it’s essential to tailor hybrid models to accommodate regional differences. This means understanding that employees from different parts of the country may have different expectations about communication, collaboration, and workplace flexibility. Companies must create inclusive policies that respect these differences while ensuring that the organization’s core values remain intact.
As we look to the future of hybrid work, new technologies and trends are emerging that will further shape how companies approach employer branding. Tools like virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced digital collaboration platforms are already being implemented to enhance remote work experiences.
VR platforms are enabling virtual meetings that feel more immersive, helping to recreate the feeling of being in the same room with colleagues. AI-powered tools are improving employee engagement, onboarding, and training, making it easier for companies to maintain consistent communication and brand values across a dispersed workforce. These tools are likely to become even more prominent in the future, further shaping how organizations build and sustain their employer brand in a hybrid world.
The key to success in this new way of work lies in adopting a multi-faceted approach that includes virtual rituals, tailored engagement strategies, consistent communication, and structured hybrid models.
In India, where cultural diversity and regional differences add a layer of complexity, companies must be especially attuned to the needs of their workforce. By embracing technology, offering personalized engagement programs, and balancing flexibility with in-person collaboration, organizations can build a future-ready, resilient employer brand that unites their dispersed workforce.
The organizations that recognize and embrace these challenges will be the ones that thrive, setting the standard for employer branding in the modern age.
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