Written by: Heidi Dulebohn, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You've dreamt of it, and for right now, imagine you're in charge of your company—you're calling the shots. The burning question is whether you will let knowledge workers work remotely, require butts in seats back in the office, or employ a hybrid model?
We have the technology. The pandemic forced us to pivot on a dime to WFH, and surprisingly, we made the transition quickly. The vast majority of employers, 83%, say their shift to working remotely was a success. Technology made this massive pivot possible and has helped expedite other technology that was already in the works. Virtual platforms like Zoom saw tremendous growth. Participation skyrocketed from 10 million daily users in December 2019 to over 200 million by March 2020 to over 300 million users today. But now we have Zoom fatigue instead of happy hours with our coworkers.
There's no place like home. During the pandemic, working parents with children at home were able to mind their children, work from home, and add teacher to their resumes. Kitchen tables became offices, schools, and restaurants. We exhausted our Netflix queues and flourished in our new flexible work hours. Some of us got a little too comfortable. A Harvard study revealed that one of every three of us over drank, gained more than 10 pounds, and 75% of us binge-watched something during the pandemic.
It wasn't exactly a piece of cake, even for the fortunate, but, for the most part, people liked working from home. Commutes were cut to zero; money was saved from gas and lunches at home. We spent the money we saved on home improvement projects, mainly because we finally had the time. According to National Geographic, even the environment got a momentary boost, but the jury is out for the future.
Good for you, not so much for me. Like many illnesses, one diagnosis can lead to examinations that expose other maladies. For many, working from home during the pandemic was a Godsend, and for others, tragically, a nightmare. "United Nations Women" reports that violence against women and girls increased during the pandemic while they were locked down at home, without an escape. Many in poor or rural areas lacked sufficient broadband to work or learn from home—a preexisting condition exposed during the pandemic and clamoring for a remedy. A Stanford study revealed that 1/3 of the survey responders had inadequate internet connectivity for video calls, an obvious obstacle to learning or WFH.
I'm working, really. One positive thing the pandemic has given us is the realization that remote workers are productive workers. A study done by Mercer, an HR Consulting firm, found that remote work was equal to or more productive than work done in the office. A Stanford study showed a 13% increase in productivity. This makes sense because, without a daily commute and all the trappings that go with it, you gain precious time that you can use to buckle down and get the job done—even if you throw in a load of laundry or jump on your Peloton.
This isn't all new. Tsedal Neeley, a Harvard professor who has been studying and consulting with remote work for over two decades, points out in her new book, Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere, that remote work works. Professor Neeley gives many examples of successful remote work environments. For instance, she lists Cisco as starting one of the first remote work programs in 1993, saving the company $195 million in 2003, and increased employee production. Other firms cite similar savings from things like physical office and travel expenses.
Don't mess with happiness. Knowledge workers whose jobs allow them to be able to work remotely are not only more productive, but they are also happier, and happy employees can become your best recruiters. Microsoft Surface and YouGov research of 4,000 UK office workers report that 56% are happier when working from home, 79% can better balance work and life responsibilities, and 70% have more time to invest in their well-being.
A Morning Consult study found that 39% of remote workers would quit their job rather than go back to the office full time. Interesting to note that nearly half, 49% of those who would rather quit than commute, are millennials and Gen Z. A study by software company iCIMS and reported by the Society for Human Resources Management found that 98% of graduates of the Class of 2021 want to work in a hybrid model. In comparison, only 2% of the Class of 2021 want to work remotely, full-time, citing the attractiveness of socialization and building relationships.
We are missing you. Remember those people at work who drove you bonkers? Well, we miss them, we miss all of them, and new graduates want to meet them. A study showed that during the pandemic, what 65% of remote workers missed most about work was socialization. Human connection is hardwired in us. We can feel physical pain from a lack of social contact. While we like working from home, many of us became very lonely, detrimental to our health and productivity. So, it seems we crave a hybrid model.
A little bit here, a little bit there. The obvious solution to keep organizations healthy, productive, and profitable is, when appropriate, to allow for a hybrid work environment.
We have learned that we can work well remotely, yet we can feel isolated when only WFH. A Harvard study showed that 81% don't want to go back to the office full time and prefer a hybrid model. The same survey showed 61% would like to go back to the office 2-3 days per week, while only 18% want to go back full time.
Some want to work in the office, some from home, and now we are seeing a rise in working from a "third place," a term first coined by Ray Oldenburg. Third places aren't your home or office, but that third place where you feel comfortable, welcome, and have good internet service, such as your favorite coffee shop. We want the flexibility to choose the hours and places from which we work.
Nobody said it was going to be easy. Our global necessitated experiment with remote work has left us with renewed values, priorities, and demands for our work constructs during the most significant employment shortage in 15 years. Competition is fierce.
Industries where remote work can work have some tough decisions ahead. They will need to employ the right technology that does the job, is dynamic, and is easy to use, and reevaluate commitments to real estate to possibly consider repurposing current space, perhaps for daycare or employee wellness.
Knowledge workers seem to know what they want and are willing to quit their jobs to find it. Organizations face a difficult challenge to satisfy everyone while meeting or exceeding goals will not be easy. Ultimately, for many organizations, the best solution appears to be a hybrid work environment.
It will take an exaggerated mastery of social skill sets to communicate concisely, empathetically, and in just the proper intervals for engagement and inclusivity. Time spent in person needs to be worth it. Innovation and creativity will transcend us beyond merely trying to recreate an in-person experience online to develop something new. Trust is paramount.
At the same time, outcomes, productivity, and profitability will define success, not the number of hours in the office.
Retention will be in direct proportion to happiness.
Finding the sweet spot and creating the perfect work environment isn't going to be easy. Those who ultimately succeed will lead with kindness and an open mind.
Heidi Dulebohn, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
After traveling the world, breaking barriers and securing several "firsts" as an executive in the grain trading industry, Heidi turned her passion for etiquette into a series of helpful workshops, columns and crowd-pleasing speaking engagements. Fascinated by the cultural history behind traditional etiquette rules, Heidi has devoted her career to empowering leaders with a modern-day version of those same wonderful rules. A highly certified expert on modern etiquette for the digital age, she is dedicated to sharing all she knows to help others live their best personal and professional lives. Her mantra: Be kind. It's free.
