What is the future of work? Will it be remote or hybrid?What is the future of work? Will it be remote or hybrid?

Being flexible is a necessity for both businesses and their employees.
The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of working from home for many employees around the world, and now that the worst is over, companies must decide how to proceed. For some organizations, this may mean transitioning back to traditional office settings, while others might consider making more permanent changes to their workplace culture or employee schedules.
Some companies are still debating whether to allow their employees to work remotely or mandate that they return to the office full-time. For example, while tech companies such as Meta and Dropbox now pledge permanent remote work for their employees, others like Goldman Sachs have called all workers back into the traditional office setting. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings called not being able to meet in person a “pure negative.”
Looking to the future of remote work, it seems that a hybrid model is favored by companies from many industries. For or against remote work, strong opinions make headlines. However, the hybrid approach has been found more practical for companies such as Google, Apple, British Petroleum and JP Morgan.
The way we work from home is evolving rapidly, so much so that last year’s predictions look very different from reality. Worldwide ERC research on remote work in year 2021 found that senior HR leaders believed 96 per cent of their workforce would be somewhat remote. However, this year’s data shows a radically different story: Senior HR leaders now believe between 50 and 54 per cent of their workforce will be somewhat remote.
In a recent study of 500 CHROs and senior HR leaders, it was found that 45% of respondents said that their workforce was working hybrid, with the most common arrangement is working from the office 2 days every week and working from home 3 days per week. Thirty-nine per cent of workers come into the office every day, and just 5% of respondents’ workforce are working entirely remotely.
What do employees think about the hybrid model? According to a Gallup report, 60% of workers who can complete their job remotely prefer the hybrid model. 34% preferred full-time remote work and 6% working from the office.
Gallup’s reports state that there are negative consequences when employees are not granted their favored work model. Employees in these situations are much less engaged and are more likely to burnout. They also express a stronger desire to quit their jobs because they feel as though “they simply do not feel well-positioned to do their best work or live their best life.”
Turnover also becomes more probable. Of employees who were usually remote or hybrid workers, 89% said they would hunt for jobs at different companies if their employer wouldn’t offer them the versatility of working remotely either part-time or full-time long term.
A flexible work schedule has become a key element for successful workplace culture. In addition, the ability to have a flexible work schedule is one of the most significant advantages of hybrid working, which is extremely appealing to prospective employees as well as helpful in retaining current staff.
In a recent study, “greater pay or more hours” and “more career opportunities” were not the only things that motivated people to find new jobs. In fact, 87% of respondents said they would choose a flexible working environment over anything else. Approximately 25,000 workers across demographics, industries, and locations took advantage of the opportunity to work flexibly in the report.
By finding a balance between in-person and remote work, as well as offering flexible scheduling, companies can maintain a strong work culture even with the hybrid model. Additionally, workers’ productivity levels are largely unaffected by working remotely. Finally, flexible Scheduling is an excellent way to keep employees without spending extra money on things like commercial real estate.
Although we cannot measure the complete effect of remote work just yet, hybrid work schedules are permanent. From today’s perspective, a hybrid work model is an attractive offer for companies hoping to hire and keep good employees while also ensuring that their current staff stays satisfied with their position and company culture.