How GroWrk supports hybrid work models seamlessly?

The hybrid work model isn’t a passing trend — it has become the standard. From startups to global enterprises, companies are adopting a hybrid approach that combines in-office and remote work to enhance flexibility, attract top talent, and boost employee satisfaction.

But with flexibility comes complexity. According to a 2025 industry report, 53% of IT leaders say their environments are more complex than two years ago, and 40% cite remote and hybrid work as the top reason. For IT teams, this shift introduces new challenges around provisioning, retrieval, tracking, and compliance—all at a global scale.

GroWrk is the infrastructure that helps teams manage that complexity. Whether employees are in the office, at home, or anywhere in between, GroWrk ensures your hybrid workforce has the equipment they need — securely, efficiently, and without the usual headaches.

Key takeaways

• Hybrid work increases IT complexity. Over half of IT leaders report greater operational complexity, primarily driven by the demands of managing hybrid and remote teams.

• Traditional provisioning models don’t scale. Without the right systems in place, hybrid teams face delays in onboarding, equipment recovery, and support.

• IT teams need global, automated solutions. Managing device delivery, tracking, and retrieval across time zones requires centralized visibility and logistics infrastructure.

What is the hybrid work model?

The hybrid work model is a flexible approach that combines remote work and in-office presence, enabling employees to divide their time between working from home and collaborating face-to-face at the physical office.

This model helps to better work-life balance by addressing employees’ personal life needs while preserving the benefits of in-person interactions and team building.

Types of hybrid work models

Different companies adopt various hybrid structures tailored to their size, culture, and team needs. Here are the four most common hybrid work models:

• Fixed Hybrid Model: Employees follow a set schedule—such as working from the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays and remotely the rest of the week.
  Benefits: Predictable collaboration, easier planning, balanced structure.

• Flexible Hybrid Model: Employees choose when and where they work based on their tasks or preferences.
  Benefits: Empowers individual autonomy, adapts to daily priorities.

• Remote-First Model: The organization operates primarily remotely, with office space available for periodic collaboration.
  Benefits: Wide talent pool, lower real estate costs, supports distributed teams.

• Office-First Model: In-office work is the default, but employees can work remotely as needed.
  Benefits: Maintains company culture, accommodates occasional flexibility.

Each model shapes how IT teams support device provisioning, access, and security, making it critical to align your infrastructure with your hybrid structure.

Overview of Hybrid Work Schedules

Hybrid work schedules vary widely depending on the model and company policies. Here are some common schedule types:

A well-defined hybrid schedule reduces confusion, helps IT provision devices more effectively, and ensures smoother team collaboration, whether in person or virtual.

Why hybrid work strains IT operations?

On the surface, hybrid work appears to be the best of both worlds. However, for IT teams, it introduces a complex web of logistical and technical challenges, primarily when employees are spread across different time zones, countries, and contract types.

Here’s where the strain shows up most:

• Uneven support delivery: In-office employees can walk up to IT for help. Remote workers, however, often wait days for resolutions, which slows productivity and erodes trust.

• Provisioning delays: Shipping devices to hybrid employees requires coordination across borders and vendors. Without localized infrastructure, deliveries are slow and costly.

• Poor asset visibility: Without centralized tracking, IT loses sight of who has what equipment, leading to inventory gaps, missed updates, and security blind spots.

• Inconsistent retrieval workflows: Collecting devices after offboarding or during upgrades can take weeks, especially for remote workers, leaving sensitive data at risk.

And the pressure is real: 74% of IT leaders say hybrid work makes managing hardware more complex (source: 2025 Trends in Hybrid Work Report). That’s a clear signal that the old IT playbook no longer works.

What IT teams need to support hybrid work effectively

To keep a hybrid workforce productive, IT teams need more than just strong internet and collaboration apps. They need infrastructure that scales with people, policies, and locations.

Here’s what makes the difference:

Real-worldsSuccess: Upwork’s hybrid IT transformation

The Problem

Upwork’s fully hybrid workforce spans 90+ countries but has central offices in San Francisco and Chicago. However, with a lean IT team, global provisioning and device retrieval quickly became a logistical challenge.

Manual coordination with regional vendors created long lead times and inconsistent handoffs. Offboarding delays meant unreturned devices, lingering data risks, and growing compliance concerns.

The Solution

Upwork partnered with GroWrk to automate and streamline their device lifecycle management across every region.

• Devices were pre-imaged and shipped locally through GroWrk’s global warehouse network

• Offboarding was automated: retrievals were triggered through HR systems and handled within days

• A centralized dashboard provided full asset visibility—from delivery to return, including audit trails

The Outcome

GroWrk helped Upwork eliminate complexity and scale their hybrid IT operations globally:

• 75% faster retrievals — offboarding time dropped from weeks to a few business days

• Global onboarding — new hires in 90+ countries received devices quickly and consistently

• Reduced compliance risk — secure retrieval and certified data erasure for every asset

• Fewer IT tickets — automation and visibility reduced support burden on the IT team

• Improved experience — smoother onboarding and offboarding led to better employee satisfaction

How GroWrk makes hybrid IT logistics easy

GroWrk simplifies hybrid IT, so your teams can focus on employee engagement, not equipment tracking. Here’s how GroWrk supports every stage of the hybrid IT journey:

• Global provisioning at scale
  Provision laptops and IT equipment for employees in over 150 countries, with pre-configured devices shipped locally to eliminate customs delays and support hybrid work from day one.

• Automated workflows from onboarding to offboarding
  Trigger device provisioning or retrieval automatically via your HRIS or ITSM tools. No manual follow-ups—just seamless, consistent processes for every employee, regardless of location.

• Real-time asset tracking and visibility
  Monitor devices from deployment through recovery in a centralized dashboard. Gain full visibility into device status, ownership, and location—critical for hybrid teams.

• Smart warehousing and local fulfillment
  Use GroWrk’s distributed warehouse network to store and ship devices regionally, reducing lead times and eliminating high international shipping costs.

• Secure, compliant offboarding
  Automate device returns and data wiping. GroWrk coordinates pickups, verifies chain of custody, and provides disposal certificates to meet compliance requirements like SOC 2 and ISO 27001.

• Support for growth and change
  Whether you’re scaling up in a new region or downsizing a department, GroWrk adapts instantly—without the operational drag.

Ready to make hybrid IT work without the chaos? Book a demo to see how GroWrk helps you provision, track, and recover devices anywhere in the world.

Frequently asked questions

What is a hybrid work model?

A hybrid work model combines remote and in-office work. Employees split their time between home and a physical workspace, based on fixed schedules or flexible arrangements.

Why is hybrid work more complex for IT teams?

Hybrid setups require IT to manage device provisioning, support, tracking, and retrieval across multiple locations and time zones. Without the right systems, this creates delays, visibility gaps, and security risks.

What are the biggest IT challenges in hybrid work?

• Shipping delays and inconsistent provisioning

• Incomplete asset tracking

• Difficulty retrieving old devices

• Uneven support between remote and in-office staff

• Compliance risks with offboarding

How does GroWrk simplify hybrid IT logistics?

GroWrk handles global provisioning, real-time tracking, local recovery, automated workflows, and compliance reporting — all from one platform. It integrates with your HRIS and IT systems to remove friction and reduce manual work.

Can GroWrk support large global teams?

Yes. GroWrk supports hybrid and remote teams in 150+ countries with smart warehousing, local fulfillment, and end-to-end logistics coordination.

What kind of devices can GroWrk provision or recover?

Laptops, monitors, accessories, phones — anything your team needs to stay productive, GroWrk can ship, track, retrieve, and wipe securely.

Does GroWrk handle secure data erasure?

Yes. GroWrk partners with certified providers to ensure all returned devices undergo NIST-compliant data erasure and proper disposal or refurbishment.