Hybrid Work is a Game Changer. But Only If You Play It Strategically

Welcome to Own Your Ambition, the weekly newsletter designed to give professional women the tools they need to be successful. As a former CEO who made it to the C Suite from an entry level, I know first hand what it takes for women to realize their ambition and reach their career goals.

I was fortunate that for most of my career I had the flexibility of hybrid work. Working from home some days was a huge benefit for me as a single woman juggling work and two children.

However, while once viewed as a god-send for professional women, remote/hybrid work is now considered great for an increase in flexibility but a challenge for anyone who wants to gain influence and advancement.

This newsletter explores how women can leverage hybrid work without falling into the visibility trap, using recent data and actionable guidance to stay seen, heard, and promoted in today’s evolving workplace.

When hybrid work became widespread during the pandemic, many professional women breathed a sigh of relief. The newfound flexibility brought by remote and hybrid options offered breathing room in ways that the traditional 9-to-5 never could. For high-achieving women juggling demanding careers, caregiving responsibilities, and a culture that often demands perfection, hybrid work seemed like a long-overdue correction.

It allowed for better work-life integration, protected time for deep thinking, and even helped reduce burnout. But several years in, we now see a more complicated picture: yes, hybrid work offers more control over your schedule, but it can also come at a cost particularly for women striving for influence, advancement, and leadership.

You can absolutely thrive in hybrid work environments, but only if you approach it with strategic intention.

The Promise of Hybrid Work for Women

There’s no question that hybrid work has real upsides for women and the data backs this up.

A McKinsey & Company 2023 report found that 90% of women prefer hybrid or remote work, citing improvements in productivity, mental health, and flexibility. For women with caregiving responsibilities, hybrid models offer the kind of work-life balance that traditional office environments rarely accommodate.

A 2024 FlexJobs survey showed that 70% of women ranked flexibility as the top reason they stayed in a job, with hybrid work beating fully remote in terms of long-term satisfaction. Women report that hybrid work lets them better manage stress, concentrate without distractions, and gain more control over their time.

Even more striking: a LeanIn.org analysis revealed that women with access to hybrid work were 30% less likely to leave their employer compared to those with no flexibility. It’s clear that hybrid work can be a powerful tool to prevent burnout and stem the tide of women opting out of the workforce entirely.

That said, there’s a caveat.

The Risk: Out of Sight, Out of Promotion

While hybrid models are keeping women in the workforce, they may also be holding them back from moving up.

Research from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey found that women working remotely or hybrid are promoted at lower rates than their in-office peers despite equal or better performance. The culprit? Visibility, or lack thereof.

A 2023 study by Catalyst confirmed that proximity bias remains a problem. Managers tend to favor employees they see in person, assuming they’re more committed and capable. This creates an uneven playing field, especially when women—more than men choose hybrid arrangements due to caregiving or health-related responsibilities.

This lack of visibility is compounded by another troubling finding: only 1 in 10 hybrid-working women report receiving consistent, high-quality feedback, compared to 1 in 4 men who work primarily on-site. Without feedback and face time, women can easily be passed over for high-profile projects, stretch assignments, and leadership development.

What This Means for Ambitious Women

If you’re a woman aiming for senior leadership, strategic influence, or industry authority, hybrid work can feel like a double-edged sword. Yes, you gain flexibility and focus, but potentially at the expense of recognition, influence, and sponsorship.

In environments that still reward “face time,” ambition alone isn’t enough. You need a plan to stay visible and connected.

This doesn’t mean you need to be in the office every day, but it does mean being intentional about when and how you show up, and how you manage your visibility when working remotely.

Seven Strategies to Stay Visible and Thrive in Hybrid Work

1. Be strategic about scheduling your in office days.
Think of your in-office time as a visibility opportunity. Schedule in-person 1:1s with key stakeholders and colleagues. Be seen at high-value meetings. Ask to present. Show initiative in conversations. It’s not about just being in the building, it’s about being top of mind. Be mindful of creating visibility when you’re present.

2. Communicate your accomplishments.
Don’t assume your boss knows what you’re accomplishing. Send short, impactful updates about your progress, especially on critical projects. I coach my clients to send a weekly status report that highlights what you’ve accomplished during the week as well as where you would like their input. This report can serve as the agenda for your weekly meeting. It also becomes written documentation of your success and can be referred to when seeking a raise or performance review time. When communicating your progress, tie your work to team or company goals whenever possible. And most importantly, tell people what you want and need next in terms of support and/or new projects you’d like to work on.

3. Make yourself easy to recommend
People advocate for who they remember. Continue to nurture key relationships. Make sure colleagues know your expertise, what you’re working on, and your goals. When opportunities come up, you want your name to be the first one on their lips.

4. Participate in meetings strategically
During live or virtual meetings, contribute to strategy, or influence decision-making. Always raise your hand. Make your voice count and ask thoughtful questions, summarize key insights, and propose next steps. Try to get a copy of the agenda before the meeting so you can do your homework and prepare your comments, questions, etc.

5. Don’t wait for annual reviews.
Proactively ask your manager and peers for feedback on recent work. Ask about your leadership presence. Show that you’re growing, invested in your work, and serious about your career.

6. Create boundaries and leadership presence
Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’re always “on call.” Be clear about when you’re offline, and protect time for focused work. But also be visible online: participate in Slack, show up on camera, and speak up in Zoom calls with executive presence.

7. Build an internal network that advocates for you
Sponsorship doesn’t happen by accident. Connect regularly with mentors, sponsors, and cross-functional leaders who can champion your work. Visibility isn’t just upward, it’s across and diagonal too.

Scheduling one on one time doesn’t need to be limited to your office day. Set up virtual coffees with colleagues to build and nurture relationships.

Does Hybrid Work Stop Women From Opting Out?

The evidence suggests that yes, when implemented well, hybrid work reduces attrition among women. But this doesn’t mean it’s automatically a path to advancement. It may keep women in the game, but without support, visibility, and leadership opportunities, it won’t help them advance.

A 2023 Deloitte report pointed out that while many women stay in hybrid jobs longer, they are not progressing as quickly. If companies want to retain top female talent and move them into leadership, they must do more than offer flexibility. They must redesign performance evaluation to account for new ways of working.

This includes:

• Training managers to overcome proximity bias

• Tracking promotion and pay equity data by work mode

• Creating intentional leadership opportunities for hybrid employees

Until then, ambitious women must navigate these gaps themselves with clarity, strategy, and unapologetic ambition.

Flexibility Is Power If You Use It Strategically

Hybrid work is here to stay. For women who want fulfilling careers and personal lives, it offers real possibility. But possibility doesn’t equal promotion.

To rise in this new world, women must own their ambition, communicate it clearly, and build networks that lift them up even when they’re not in the room.

Because success in the hybrid era isn’t about being always-on, it’s about being always-strategic.