  Background. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a widespread transition to hybrid
work models (combinations of co-located and remote work) as software
professionals' demanded more flexibility and improved work-life balance.
However, hybrid work models reduce the spontaneous, informal face-to-face
interactions that promote group maturation, cohesion, and resilience. Little is
known about how software companies can successfully transition to a hybrid
workforce or the factors that influence the resilience of hybrid software
development teams. Goal. The purpose of this study is to explore the
relationship between hybrid work and team resilience in the context of software
development. Method. Constructivist Grounded Theory was used, based on
interviews of 26 software professionals. This sample included professionals of
different genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and levels of experience.
Interviewees came from eight different companies, 22 different projects, and
four different countries. Consistent with grounded theory methodology, data
collection, and analysis were conducted iteratively, in waves, using
theoretical sampling, constant comparison, and initial, focused, and
theoretical coding. Results. Software Team Resilience is the ability of a group
of software professionals to continue working together effectively under
adverse conditions. Resilience depends on the group's maturity. The
configuration of a hybrid team (who works where and when) can promote or hinder
group maturity depending on the level of intra-group interaction it supports.
Conclusion. This paper presents the first study on the resilience of hybrid
software teams. Software teams need resilience to maintain their performance in
the face of disruptions and crises. Software professionals strongly value
hybrid work; therefore, team resilience is a key factor to be considered in the
software industry.
