8 hybrid work tools to support your remote and in-office teams

TL;DR

Hybrid work makes it harder to share updates, manage projects, and keep everyone aligned, especially when reviewing content. This guide walks through eight hybrid work tools for communication, ideation, project management, storage, scheduling, HR, and well-being, and shows how Filestage helps hybrid teams centralize feedback, manage versions, and get faster approvals on their work.

Why hybrid teams need the right tools

Hybrid work has become the norm for many businesses, with 68% of people saying flexible or hybrid work is key to their wellbeing. But while this way of working offers many benefits, such as increased productivity and a better work-life balance, it’s not without its challenges.

The hybrid work model supports a flexible work environment by enabling employees to split their time between remote and in-office work. This approach requires tools that facilitate seamless communication, schedule management, and employee engagement, ensuring that teams stay connected and productive regardless of location.

Today, I’m going to help you iron out the kinks in your hybrid work processes. After reading this article, you’ll have a better idea of where your hybrid team needs support and the best tools to overcome any hurdle. 

Here’s an overview of the best hybrid work tools that make life easier for you and your team: 

1. Filestage
2. Slack
3. FigJam
4. Asana
5. iDrive
6. Calandly
7. Connecteam
8. Headspace for Work

Let’s get stuck in! 

1. Filestage – best hybrid work tool for faster approvals 

When you create a new version of a design or piece of video content, you need to share it with your teammates or clients for review. But too often, teams lose valuable time giving feedback on projects before reaching final approval, all because they don’t have a single shared space to discuss work. 

Teams can get caught up in lengthy email chains with clients or stall projects altogether until everyone’s in the office to give feedback. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to get started with an intuitive review and approval platform like Filestage. 

Key benefits of Filestage for hybrid teams

Filestage has been designed to take the hassle out of your day-to-day project review and approval process by streamlining the way your teams share, review, and approve content. 

Here are just some of the ways it can help you give and gather feedback: 

• Review a wide range of different file formats (designs, documents, videos, PDFs, etc.) with one secure platform to create an effective approval workflow
• Invite unlimited collaborators to review and leave comments by sending them a link or automated email invite 
• Turn comments into to-do lists for more accurate, actionable feedback and faster turnarounds
• Compare versions and feedback to track the progress of your projects
• Give files the green light by marking them approved with a single click  

Pricing

Free plan ($0/month) for small teams, plus Starter ($199/month on a yearly plan), Business ($329/month on a yearly plan), and custom-priced Enterprise plans, all with unlimited reviewers and a free trial on paid tiers.

2. Slack – best hybrid work tool for effective communication

Communication gaps are one of the most common challenges people face in a hybrid work environment. 

When working remotely, teams often have to deal with information delays, misunderstandings, and missed memos. This can lead to poor productivity, feelings of isolation, and lower levels of job satisfaction. Yikes!

The good news is that organizations can tackle these challenges by keeping lines of communication open with the help of an online communication platform like Slack. 

Key benefits of Slack for hybrid teams

Slack is one of the most popular pieces of business communication software for remote, hybrid, and in-office teams alike. The instant messaging platform makes it easy to communicate with teammates whether they’re in the same room or halfway across the world. 

But DMs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to supporting effective communication in a hybrid workspace. Slack also allows teams to: 

• Create channels for different projects, topics, or departments to keep conversations organized and accessible for relevant members of the team 
• Share files, documents, and multimedia in Slack channels and direct messages 
• Start voice and video calls to brainstorm with remote team members using Huddles 
• Search for past messages, files, and conversations in any channel to avoid missed information for stronger collaboration 
• Add custom emojis for more engaging, personalized communications across the business 

Pricing

Pro is about $7.92 per person/month billed yearly ($9.69 when billed monthly). Business+ is about $17.61 per person/month billed yearly ($21.13 when billed monthly). Enterprise+ includes additional enterprise features, with pricing available on request from sales.

3. FigJam – best hybrid work tool for real-time ideation

Effective communication is a must for any hybrid team, but virtually putting your heads together to create quality work is what makes a successful hybrid business. The problem is, getting everyone to collaborate seamlessly can be a challenge when they’re not in the same space physically. 

Too much messing around with instant messages and screen sharing doesn’t do much for the creative flow. We need to be able to share and build on ideas in the moment, with minimal interruptions. Which is why a lot of hybrid teams use a simple remote collaboration tool like FigJam. 

Key benefits of FigJam for hybrid teams

FigJam is essentially an online whiteboard that lets multiple team members make suggestions, share ideas, and map out projects simultaneously in real time, regardless of their location. 

This kind of dynamic collaboration makes it easier to bounce ideas off one another while you’re in the zone to make the whole creative process faster and more enjoyable. 

Here are some of the ways that Figma makes real-time ideation easier for hybrid teams: 

• You can work on Figma from the comfort of your own browser without needing to download or open the app 
• Create, move, and group sticky notes together to organize everyone’s thoughts in a clear way
• Enjoy bursts of deep focus time by setting a shared timer with concentration music
• Vote, react, and comment on different posts for a smoother creative workflow 
• Use FigJam’s own AI bot to generate prompts, summarize ideas, and more

Pricing

Figma’s Starter plan is free. On the Professional plan, Collab seats are $3/month, Dev seats are $12/month, and Full seats are $16/month. The Organization plan (billed annually) costs $5/month for Collab seats, $25/month for Dev seats, and $55/month for Full seats, while the Enterprise plan (also billed annually) is $5/month for Collab seats, $35/month for Dev seats, and $90/month for Full seats. Figma is free for students and educators, and all plans include free view-and-comment-only seats.

4. Asana – best hybrid work tool for managing multiple projects

Source: asana.com

Chances are, you and your team have more than one project on the go at any given time. And to make sure everything gets done on time with minimal headaches, you need to know what’s what so you can plan ahead. 

Project management is easier said than done, whether you’re working remotely or not. But it’s absolutely essential for internal teams and clients alike, as everyone needs to be kept in the loop on project tracking and progress. This is where a project management tool like Asana becomes invaluable. 

Key benefits of Asana for hybrid teams

Asana is one of those project management tools that makes it easier for your remote team to stay on top of their to-do lists at all times. 

Here are some of the biggest benefits of using Asana’s project management software: 

• Remote teammates and clients can request work easily, so you can keep everything centralized and organized for clear project progress tracking
• Asana integrates with all other popular collaboration tools, so teams can keep projects moving from one stage to the next with ease
• With Asana, you can automate tedious manual tasks to help simplify workflows, reduce the room for error, and save time to focus on making the best work  
• Create subtasks for each member of the team to tick off as the project moves along the pipeline 
• Plan out your week by assigning different projects to different days as needed 

Pricing

Asana’s Personal plan is free forever for up to two users. Starter costs $10.99 per user per month billed annually ($13.49 billed monthly), and Advanced is $24.99 per user per month billed annually ($30.49 billed monthly). Enterprise and Enterprise+ come with additional security and admin controls, with pricing available on request from sales.

5. iDrive – best hybrid work tool for sharing and storing files 

Source: idrive.com

These days, we’re creating more content than ever before. And with so much of that content being created and shared remotely, your company’s storage space can start to fill up pretty fast. 

What’s more, the nature of hybrid working means teammates need to be able to access their files at any time and from anywhere. And these files should be backed up so that nothing gets lost or deleted. So, while a single hard drive might have done the trick back in the day, remote and hybrid working calls for a more capable storage solution.

Cloud-based storage platforms and file-sharing sites are a popular choice because they offer an affordable way to save and back up files for easy access. If this all sounds like music to your ears, then you’re sure to love iDrive. 

Key benefits of iDrive for hybrid teams

iDrive has earned its stripes as a reliable cloud storage software that gives businesses some serious bang for their buck. 

Here are some of the reasons why iDrive is so popular for remote workers:

• iDrive gives users 10 GB of free storage space with extra discounts for new customers who need more 
• You can sync files to your account so they’re accessible on any of your chosen devices 
• Use the ‘Offline View’ option from your mobile device to view files even when you don’t have internet access
• Enjoy full control over your files by setting and changing access rights to each file whenever you need
• Protect your data and keep files secure with advanced end-to-end encryption 

Pricing

iDrive Personal cloud backup starts at $99.50 per year, with a discounted $69.65 for the first year. Cloud application backup add-ons for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Box cost $20 per seat per year with a 7-day free trial.

6. Calendly – best hybrid work tool for scheduling meetings and events

Source: calendly.com

When you’ve got remote employees working from different places with different schedules, it makes coordinating your time together that bit trickier. 

Whether you want to organize a company-wide meeting or find out if there will be a desk available in the office tomorrow, knowing your team’s availability is key to a streamlined hybrid workflow. Sure, you can always send an email or drop a message into your team channel, but this takes up too much precious time and effort on everyone’s part. 

Thankfully, scheduling tools like Calendly provide a centralized platform where team members can see each other’s availability and schedule meetings without the back-and-forth communication.

Key benefits of Calendly for hybrid teams

Calendly is a scheduling software that takes the hassle out of organizing meetings, events, and appointments. This can be a game-changer for remote teams working across different projects, schedules, and time zones. 

Here are some of the ways that Calendly can streamline your hybrid work processes: 

• Calendly automates time-consuming tasks like appointment booking and rescheduling, so you can get on with everything else
• Connect up with digital calendars like Google Calendar and Outlook to cross-check your appointments and prevent any clashes or conflicts 
• Get automated reminders and cancellation or rescheduling notifications to stay in the loop at all times 
• Say “bon voyage” to time zone confusion, because Calendly syncs up with everyone’s individual time zones when scheduling virtual meetings
• Calendly integrates with video conferencing platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex, so you can join every meeting with a single click

And if you’ve got too many meetings for even Calendly to help, check out our five tips to reduce meetings.

Pricing

Calendy is free for life for personal plans. Standard plans start at $10 per seat per month for professionals and small teams. The Teams plan for growing businesses is $16 per seat per month, while the Enterprise plan starts at $15k per year.

7. Connecteam – best hybrid work tool for HR management 

Source: connecteam.com

Effective HR management is crucial for creating a happy hybrid work environment. Without a proper workforce management system in place, you’ll run into problems with project coordination, onboarding, employee satisfaction, and overall business performance. 

Workforce management tools like Connecteam let you look after your teams, no matter where in the world they are. The tool works by giving you a single space to train, collect feedback, and communicate with everyone in the business. No matter the size of your business, Connecteam can make it much, much easier to manage. 

Key benefits of Connecteam for hybrid teams

Connecteam is a powerful workforce management tool that supports a transparent and productive hybrid work environment for everyone involved.

Sound like something your business could use? Let’s look at some of Connecteam’s key features:

• Set automated reminders for deadlines and important events to help everyone stay on track
• Create casual community chat groups to support communication between teammates and managers 
• Connecteam has a range of employee engagement tools, like employee milestones and digital rewards
• The HR platform is easy to use with an intuitive mobile app for hybrid workers
• Teams can keep learning and growing their skills with mobile training and courses

Pricing

A Small Business Plan is available for companies with 10 or fewer employees, and is free for life. Paid plans for operations, communications, and HR & Skills start at $29 per month for the basic plans.

8. Headspace for Work – best hybrid work tool for employee well-being

Source: headspace.com

While some people thrive in a remote work environment, it can be a challenging adjustment for others. From social isolation to struggles with setting boundaries, there are lots of factors that can impact your hybrid team’s well-being. That’s why it’s important to support their mental health wherever you can.

Using the best collaboration tools and promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment play a big role when it comes to employee satisfaction and overall well-being. But there are other tools designed to help your team look after themselves. Headspace for Work is a popular app that gives teams access to different resources for mindfulness and meditation in the workplace. 

Key benefits of Headspace for Work for hybrid teams

Headspace for Work uses science-backed meditation and mindfulness techniques to ease stress and improve productivity. 

Here’s how Headspace for Work could support your hybrid team: 

• By incorporating mindfulness techniques into their daily routines, team members find it easier to concentrate and stay focused on tasks
• In-app team challenges help teammates lift each other up and grow a more open and supportive hybrid work environment 
• More space for mindfulness in day-to-day work can reduce employee burnout and sick days
• By promoting relaxation and mental clarity, Headspace for Work can boost creativity and innovative thinking within teams 
• Your team can use Headspace on the go whenever they need to take a moment to reset and recharge 

Pricing

Contact the Headspace for Work team to request a demo and discuss pricing.

How the right hybrid work software improves productivity and culture

Hybrid work can feel messy at times. People work different hours, from multiple locations, and often in different ways. The right mix of hybrid working tools helps you cut through that chaos so everyone can do their best work and still feel part of the same team. These are practical tools to optimize productivity in hybrid work environment setups, not just “nice to have” apps.

Here are some of the biggest wins you can expect.

Get projects moving faster

Hybrid work tools make it easier to keep projects on track from start to finish.

• Your communication tools help you share quick updates without waiting for meetings
• Your project management tools give everyone a clear view of tasks, owners, and deadlines
• Review and approval software, such as Filestage, centralizes feedback so you can move from first draft to final version without delays

Instead of hunting through email threads or chasing people for replies, your team always knows what needs to happen next. That’s how tools to manage hybrid work productivity deliver real value day to day.

Give people more focus time

When your essential tools work in harmony, your team spends less time context switching and more time in the zone.

• Async communication lets people respond when it suits their schedule
• Shared task lists reduce the need for constant check-ins
• A clear approval process in your review platform cuts down on review meetings and back-and-forth

This adds up to more uninterrupted time for deep work, which is especially important for creative and strategic roles.

Support a healthier hybrid culture

Culture is not just about team events. It also shows up in how easy it is to get work done and how people feel day to day.

Hybrid work tools can support culture by making work feel more transparent and fair, and help everyone stay in the loop, not just the people in the office.

When you layer a transparent review process on top, for example, by using Filestage to manage content feedback, expectations become even clearer. People know where to share work, how feedback will be given, and what needs to happen before something is approved. That kind of clarity is a big boost for morale.

Make hybrid work feel intentional, not improvised

The most significant difference between a struggling hybrid team and a successful one is usually intention.

Successful teams choose tools for hybrid work challenges that match how they want to work.

• A home for quick questions and announcements
• A source of truth for tasks and deadlines
• A secure place to store and back up files
• A dedicated space for reviewing and approving content

When each tool has a clear job, your hybrid setup stops feeling like a patchwork of apps and starts to feel like a well-designed system.

How to choose the right hybrid work tools for your team

There are many hybrid work tools available. New ones seem to launch every week. Instead of trying to test everything, you can work through a simple process to find the best fit for your team. It’s essential to consider each tool’s learning curve and aim to avoid a steep one, so your team can adopt new solutions quickly and with minimal training.

Remember that some platforms offer free hybrid work tools or generous trials, which makes it easier to experiment before committing.

Start with your team’s biggest pain points

Before you add anything new to your tech stack, take a moment to understand what is not working today.

You can ask questions like:

• Where do projects usually get stuck?
• Where do we lose information or context?
• Which tasks feel repetitive or manual?
• Where do people feel the most frustrated?

Common pain points include slow approvals, unclear priorities, double work, and too many meetings. If feedback and sign-off are a recurring problem, that is a strong sign you may need a dedicated review and approval tool such as Filestage.

Map out your ideal hybrid workflow

Next, think through the journey your work takes, from idea to completed project.

For example, a typical workflow might look like this:

• Brainstorming and planning
• Assigning tasks and setting deadlines
• Creating content or running the project
• Reviewing and approving work
• Delivering the final result and learning from it

Once you have this flow mapped out, you can connect each stage to a specific tool type.

• Planning and tasks can live in your project management platform
• Daily communication can run through your chat or messaging tool
• File storage can sit in your chosen cloud storage solution
• Reviews and approvals can happen in Filestage

This helps you see where you already have good coverage and where the gaps are.

Check integrations and ease of use

Hybrid tools should make work feel easier, not more complicated. Integration is a big part of that. It’s essential to choose workplace tools that can be managed through a centralized system, allowing your team to stay organized and streamline workflows.

Look for tools that:

• Connect with the apps you already use every day
• Make it simple to sign in and manage access
• Offer notifications in the places your team checks most often

For example, Filestage can slot into your existing stack by sending updates to your communication and project management tools like Slack or Asana. That way, people do not need to remember yet another place to check. They can keep working where they already are.

Ease of use is just as important. A tool that looks powerful on paper will not help you if people avoid it.

Ask yourself:

• Can someone new understand the basic workflow in a few minutes?
• Does the tool feel simple enough for non-technical teammates and clients?
• Are there clear guides or onboarding resources?

If the answer is no, it may not be the right choice for a hybrid team.

Think about scalability and cost

Finally, you want tools for hybrid work that will grow with your team.

It can help to consider:

• How many people need access today and in the future
• Whether you need external reviewers or clients to use the tool
• How pricing changes as you add more users or projects

A platform such as Filestage can be especially useful here because you can invite as many reviewers as needed to provide feedback on content. That makes it easier to manage growth, client projects, or cross-functional work, without constantly worrying about seat limits.

How hybrid work tools help overcome challenges

Every hybrid team is different, but many run into similar hurdles. The good news is that the tools in your stack can make these challenges much easier to handle if you use them intentionally. Hybrid work collaboration tools also help manage resources efficiently by optimizing workspace usage, tracking budgets, and monitoring employee satisfaction in real time.

Here are some common problems and how your hybrid toolkit can help.

Challenge 1 – Feedback is scattered and approvals are slow

You share a file in one channel. Someone comments on another. A client replies in an email days later. Before you know it, you are trying to reconcile several conflicting versions of the truth.

Hybrid work tools can bring order back to the process.

• Use project management software to assign owners and due dates for every piece of work
• Move all content reviews into a single platform, such as Filestage so feedback lives on the file, not around it
• Turn comments into clear to-do lists so creators know exactly what to change

This gives everyone a single source of truth for each project and helps you move from draft to approved without losing time or context.

Challenge 2 – Communication feels fragmented across channels

It is easy for hybrid teams to fall into a trap where some conversations happen in person, others in chat, and others in private messages. People start to miss important updates and feel left out of the loop.

Communication and collaboration tools can reduce this friction. Integrating with the tools can help unify communication channels for hybrid teams, making it easier to keep everyone informed and engaged.

• Use shared channels for transparent, topic-based discussions that everyone can follow
• Run workshops and brainstorming sessions in an online whiteboard so ideas are captured in one shared space
• Share updates and decisions from meetings back into your main channels so people who were not there still stay informed

Challenge 3 – Too many meetings and not enough focus time

Hybrid teams often default to meetings for everything. Status updates. Quick questions. Simple approvals. It all becomes another slot in the calendar.

Your tools can help you replace some of these meetings with more efficient workflows.

• Use project management software for async status updates and task tracking
• Use scheduling tools to set up essential meetings without a long back-and-forth
• Move detailed feedback on content into your review platform so reviewers can comment in their own time instead of gathering for every review

The result is fewer interruptions and more space to do meaningful work.

Challenge 4 – Keep a clear picture of progress across many projects

In a hybrid environment, leaders cannot just walk the floor to see what is happening. Without the right tools, it is hard to know which projects are on track and where support is needed.

Your hybrid toolkit can give you that visibility.

• Use your project management tools to see timelines, workloads, and potential bottlenecks across projects
• Store files in your chosen cloud storage solution so your team can access the latest assets whenever they need them
• Track review status somewhere like Filestage to see which files are waiting for feedback, which are approved, and where discussions are still ongoing

This makes it much easier to spot risks early, support your team, and keep stakeholders updated without constant check-ins.

Final thoughts 

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the different remote work software to support your hybrid workplace. 

Hybrid work can certainly present some challenges. But with the right tools and proper processes, you and your team can reap all the benefits of hybrid working, without needing to worry about things like broken communication or slow, sluggish approvals. To see how Filestage can help your hybrid team create and approve their best work, start your free trial today.

FAQ