SAN DIEGO — Employers trying to recreate the 2019 workplace are missing the mark, according to Allyns Melendez, CEO and founder of HR Transformed. Speaking at SHRM 2025 on June 30, Melendez argued that the post-pandemic workplace has fundamentally changed, and leaders must adapt with intentional strategies for today’s blended workforce.

“Why do we keep trying to copy and paste 2019 into 2025 all of the time?” Melendez asked during her session. “The rules have changed in the workplace.”

COVID-19 altered how employees interact with the office in much the same way desktop computers once revolutionized work. Now, companies must manage in-person, fully remote, and hybrid employees—all with different needs and expectations.

“Return to office doesn’t equal rewind,” she emphasized.

To support this new dynamic, Melendez offered practical tips:

• Be intentional with in-office days by creating designated collaboration times to give hybrid workers a reason to show up.
• Coordinate schedules to avoid hybrid employees coming in only to spend the day on virtual meetings.
• Match perks for remote employees. “Instead of just providing bagels to office workers,” she said, “consider a food delivery gift card for those working from home.”

Melendez also stressed relationship-building in virtual settings. Leaders should keep their hands visible on camera to show they’re actively listening—a suggestion born from a colleague assuming she wasn’t paying attention because her hands were always on her keyboard.

Requiring cameras on during meetings was another key recommendation. “I don’t care if you have makeup on. I don’t care if you have acne,” Melendez said. “I want to collaborate with you.”

Finally, she encouraged HR professionals to regularly evaluate what is—and isn’t—working.

“We have to think about what’s really working, and what’s really working may look a little bit different for your organization now, in the summer, in the fall, in the winter or the day after a big check-in with the CEO on how things are financially,” she said.

Melendez’s message resonated in a conference year marked by continued debate over hybrid policies and employee engagement. As leaders struggle to balance flexibility with productivity, her call to “be intentional” stands out as a pragmatic way to meet the moment.

Experts note that forcing outdated in-office models may drive disengagement, while thoughtful, inclusive hybrid policies are more likely to build culture and retention.

Her talk is a reminder that successful organizations won’t just drag old office models into 2025—they’ll evolve them. As Melendez put it: “The future of work is not one-size-fits-all. It’s custom-built—on purpose.”

Origianlly reported by Ginger Christ in Construction Dive.