A shift to post COVID remote workplace is coming.

October 8, 2021

For many workplaces, many of their employees will permanently switch to remote working.

Many headlines had predicted the office would go away as workers embraced working from home exclusively, or so the news in early 2021 was predicting. Research is now showing a more nuanced approach - a hybrid solution - to foster solutions for developing teams, networking, and the personal need "to not feel left out". Polling from the G-7 countries provides, the majority of people do expect to spend time back in the office, but this expectation is conditional on working a minimum of 1-2 days per week remotely.

This hybrid solution means business leaders need to consider what policies are right for each individual, each team, and the organization as a whole. This is important as research suggests that an ability to adopt a successful hybrid solution versus a full-time requirement of a return to the office will lead to more employee engagement and increased productivity.

In the early stages of the pandemic, most business leaders did not contemplate a hybrid strategy; however, the length of the pandemic has forced changes across companies in all sectors and has made clear the ability and willingness of the workforce to adapt due to technological advancements over the past decade. From April 2020 to October 2020, there has been a 38% uptick in leaders around the world stating they expect more flexible solutions to meet employee demands of where, when, and how they work. In excess of 87% of business leaders are expecting the new norm to be a hybrid solution and expect employees to have more choice and control of work from home or elsewhere.

Such as shift leads to a dual positive effect: increased employee satisfaction and reduction of commute time; and arguably more important, the ability to help with the reduction of greenhouse gases and contribution to the slow-down of global warming.

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