It can be difficult for a Dungeon Master, particularly a new DM, to differentiate the early game humanoids from each other in a way that is going to come across to the players. I found this particularly true my first time out with Goblins and Hobgoblins. You can't blame people from thinking that the hobgoblin is just a tall goblin who managed to find a shield based on the name and a short boxed text description. And maybe you actually do want to let your players think that for a moment before the hobgoblin proves themselves to be, not just a bigger version of the cowardly, undisciplined chaos gremlins that are goblins, but the DnD monster equivalent of a Roman Legionnaire.
Hobgoblins are going to employ military tactics, and they're going to make good use of their defining feature: Martial Advantage. This is essentially sneak attack, and can really pump up their damage output. Keep in mind it is any weapon and any ally. So a troop of hobgoblins might send out it's front line of goblin pawns to engage the party, and fire their longbows with martial advantage. Hell, they may even have the goblins just swarm and distract the party, taking the help action and giving the hobgoblins advantage on their ranged attacks. Now if one of them crits that's 4d6 + 2d8 +1, for an average of 23 damage, pretty nuts for cr ½ baddies.
And when that first wave of goblins inevitably breaks ranks and runs away screaming like that Kermit gif after a few of them fall, the hobgoblins move into melee themselves with military precision. It's a great contrast: the goblins running all over the place, maybe going one on one with the party's front liners, then the hobgoblins coming in lockstep formation, (keeping that martial advantage in play,) maybe even surrounding soft targets if they can reach them. An orc might run up to the biggest baddest looking enemy they can find like the drunk at the bar trying to prove something, but the Hobgoblins are tacticians, and will go for the glass cannon if they can because it's the smart play.
They're also smart enough to know when they're beat, and they will retreat tactically, disengaging to avoid opportunity attacks, perhaps providing each other with cover. Or taking the dodge action, which with their high AC makes them very hard to hit, especially at low levels. It's easy to default to every enemy attacking until they are dead but realistically a lot of things that the party comes across probably wouldn't. This idea lets the DM throw a little more at the players since they don't have to get their targets to zero, only half or maybe down to 25% HP, but keep an eye on the action economy. One side making more attacks is a distinct advantage in a DnD fight.
Having enemies cut and run sometimes is also a great way to have a recurring villain, who could have even has leveled up the next time the party meets them. That hobgoblin you crossed swords with at level 2 is now a Captain at the head of his own band, and if he survives that encounter maybe he comes back as a Warlord leading an army. That's the good stuff right there.
If you want to spice things up a little more, or a lot more, Volo's has a ton of lore and a stat block for a nasty hobgoblin wizard and, even cooler, hobgoblin magic ninja monks called Iron Shadows which could easily fuel a few sessions or a whole campaign.
As you can probably tell I think hobgoblins are great and very useful monsters for a DM to utilize. They can lord it over their smaller goblin cousins, but you may also find them in charge even when the big bad Bugbear is around. Next up we're talking about that iconic boogeyman of DnD.
