Hybrid work has become more popular in the 21st century and has several benefits. Teams can continue in-person collaboration, while employees can save money on travel and endure less time commuting. However, putting the right systems in place is crucial to succeeding in the long run.

Many people worldwide use Google Calendar to manage their workday, and you’ve got plenty of options when setting it up for hybrid work. This article will show you how to operate more efficiently across multiple locations.

1. Sharing Working Location and Hours

Working Hours in Google Calendar Screenshot

One of the easiest ways to collaborate for hybrid work via Google Calendar is by sharing your work location and hours. When you and your team have done that, you’ll find it easier to arrange meetings, understand why people haven’t responded, and more.

If you want to share the working hours you’re online for, you can simply add a note on your Google card. Here, you can also add your time zone. You can also share your working hours by going to your Settings and sharing > Working Hours. Tick the Enable working hours box, and customize your working hours for each day.

Another way to share your time zone in Google Calendar is by selecting the calendar you and your team work on. Go to Settings and sharing before picking where you’re based under the Time zone section.

2. Using Focus Time in Google Calendar

If you use an iPhone, you’re probably familiar with Focus Modes. In short, you can use these to limit notifications and other things that might cause you to slip up on your work. Hybrid work can result in a lot of people trying to contact you when you should be focusing intensely on a task, and Google Calendar has a tool to help you tackle this problem.

The focus time feature in Google Calendar lets you carve time for your work, and you can also choose whether you want to automatically say no to meetings that other people invite you to. Note that only some plans will allow access to the focus time feature. You can check by creating a new event and seeing if you notice an option allowing you to do so.

3. Keep Track of Everybody’s Calendars

Have you ever had someone invite you to an important event, only for you to already have something else on your calendar? If so, you’ll know how annoying that can be. The good news is that, with Google Calendar, you can limit this problem when working on a hybrid model.

One way to stop meeting time clashes is by knowing when everyone’s available. When creating a new event, go to the Meet with… option on the left-hand side and enter the names of the people you’d like to invite.

You should be able to see the people’s calendars that you invite. However, some users might not have shared theirs—and if this is the case, you should try to ensure that they change that (you might also need to upgrade their Google Workspace subscription plans).

4. Use Third-Party Integrations

Third Party Integration Google Calendar Screenshot

When your team adopts a hybrid work model, you should remove as many barriers to collaboration as possible. The good news is that Google Calendar has multiple third-party integrations, and these can help you use more of your favorite apps together. With Google, you can integrate communication tools like Zoom and other handy apps—such as Appointment Reminder.

To integrate third-party apps with Google Calendar, go to the + icon on the right-hand side of your screen. Then, search for or select the apps you’d like to use. You can then pick Admin Install or Individual Install, whichever suits your needs.

5. Keep Other Countries’ Public Holidays in Mind

Photo of numerous countries' flags

As part of your hybrid model, you might have team members working in different countries. And if you’re operating across various borders, it’s important to remember that the entire world doesn’t run on the same schedule.

If you’re trying to arrange meetings, make sure that these events don’t clash with other holidays. For example, while the UK doesn’t take July 4th off, the US does. You can ask your team members, but you’ll also find plenty of places online; type “[country] public holidays [year]”, and you should be able to find a list.

6. Limit the Number of Meetings You Have

If you’ve ever had a 9-5 job for an extended period, you’ll likely know how pointless many meetings are. And if you don’t go in with a proper plan, you can quickly fall into a trap where your team is having discussions about the last meeting.

Before you schedule a meeting, ask whether it’s necessary to hold one. Most of the time, you can send a message via Slack or drop your team members an email instead. If you need to hold a meeting, have a clear list of talking points and keep it as short as possible.

7. Use the Task Feature in Google Calendar for Deadlines

Google Calendar Deadlines Screenshot

Not constantly being in the same room as your colleagues can be a blessing. For example, you can often focus on completing tasks that require significant cognitive effort—without worrying about others distracting you. However, it can also cause problems.

One issue is that you might forget important deadlines. You can, however, use Google Calendar to mitigate that issue. Keeping track of deadlines is easy; you can go to Create > Task and enter whatever you need to complete. After doing that, choose the date it’s due by.

In addition to Google Calendar, you can use tools like Todoist and Microsoft To Do for similar purposes.

8. Block the Time That You’re Going to Work on Important Tasks

One of the benefits of hybrid work is that you’ve got more flexibility over your schedule. The concept of “Deep Work” is from Cal Newport’s book on the topic, and one of the core components involves working on difficult tasks for periods each day—without distractions.

Deep work isn’t something that you can expect to do for an eight-hour day, but scheduling pockets for intensive tasks is a good idea. You can go to Create > Task to set aside time for completing your projects, and you can also decide whether you want to set up repetitive tasks.

Time-blocking is difficult in the beginning, and we recommend checking out our top time-blocking tips to help you out.

Google Calendar: A Handy Companion for Your Hybrid Work Endeavors

Hybrid work can benefit employers and employees alike. When done correctly, you can foster an environment of team members that can collaborate and innovate—while giving people more freedom. By having more control over their schedule, you might notice that team members are more productive.

Google Calendar can solve many issues arising from hybrid work models, such as limited transparency and communication. Try these tips and see if they work for you.