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Is Remote Work Really Coming to an End?

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Is Remote Work Really Coming to an End?

Is Remote Work Really Coming to an End?

Recent headlines have called for an end to work-from-home options for employees. The employees beg to differ.

According to Gartner, the pace of employee turnover is forecasted to be 50–75% higher than companies have experienced previously. This issue is compounded by it taking 18% longer to fill roles than pre-pandemic.

Now’s the time for us to increase flexibility in the workplace and develop better ways to connect with remote and hybrid workers.

Instead of calling an end to work from home, we need to do the opposite. Now’s the time for us to increase flexibility in the workplace and develop better ways to connect with remote and hybrid workers. Rigid attendance policies and reduced worker flexibility will only make recruitment harder for companies in the coming years.

The belief that workers need to be physically present in an office to be productive and “part of the team” is false. 

It’s part of a dying paradigm. Employees don’t need to be monitored and controlled to be productive.The Command and Control paradigm emerged from the industrial age, when workers created widgets on an assembly line.

Our work has evolved. Workplaces need to evolve as well. 

Research by Gartner has found that 62% of employees in knowledge-based professions become high performers when given significant work flexibility, compared to only 27% of employees in similar roles with little flexibility.

Corporate CEOs, Baby Boomers, and those who are accustomed to an in-person workplace may be ready to call it quits with remote work. However, the vast majority of employees are not. In fact, a recent survey by Gartner found that only 4% of respondents said they would go back to the office full time. 

“Only 4% of respondents said they would go back to the office full time.”

Critics of working from home say that employees aren’t making the necessary connections to experience the culture of the workplace. These critics even blame remote work, in part, for the Great Resignation of 2022. 

I would argue that other factors are primary drivers for the Great Resignation, including the propensity for employers to create dead-end jobs that don’t foster employee growth and development, and rigid soul-sucking corporate cultures driven by profit over purpose. These types of environments don’t create the conditions for employees to thrive personally or professionally. As workers evaluate their lives post-pandemic, more and more are unwilling to settle for such a workplace. 

One recent click-bait headline from CNBC reads, “Millennials and Gen Z – your days of remote work could be numbered.” In the story, author Steve Cadigan is cited. He’s a Baby Boomer and LinkedIn’s first chief HR officer and author of a new book, Workquake. 

Steve says, “20 to 35, particularly the 20 to 29, 30-year-old age is really frustrated. Their sense of commitment to an organization where they haven’t met people in person, they haven’t been around, is much less than the people who are spending time together as we were before.”

Remote work policies, he goes on to say, “have also resulted in a disconnect between employees and their teams, fueling phenomena such as the Great Resignation. That, in turn, has led to greater fluidity in the labor market, which, while fine in good times, could be risky ahead of a potential recession.”

While there is some truth to his point about the disconnect more likely with fully remote work, Gartner’s solution is that “younger workers may need to return to the workplace — whether voluntarily or otherwise — to nurture those all-important relationships with both teammates and superiors.”

That’s easy for him to say. His solution will only increase turnover, and the phrase “voluntarily or otherwise” shows the Command and Control form of leadership that so many employees are sick of.

Emotional proximity is created when employees “feel seen and valued.”

This statement also ignores all the other ways employees can create connection with one another. Physical proximity — working in the same location is just one. What is actually more impactful, is creating emotional proximity with employees. Emotional proximity is created when employees “feel seen and valued.” This is a worthwhile area for growth for most managers and organizations, especially those leading remote or hybrid teams.

The fact is, there’s no going back for many workers today, including me. The unwillingness to report to an office was a major impetus to me launching my own business several years ago. If a job requires going into an office from 8-5, five days a week, I’ll pass, thank you very much. If a company is that rigid and inflexible, they’re not very innovative and I’ll go elsewhere. I know many others who feel the same.

55% of employees say their ability to work flexibly will impact whether or not they stay with their employer.

According to the recent Gartner survey of more than 4,000 employees:

  • 39% of employees are likely to leave if you insist on a “hard return” — a wholesale return to a fully on-site experience. 
  • 55% of employees say their ability to work flexibly will impact whether or not they stay with their employer.
  • Among employees who are currently working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement:
    • 75% say their expectations for working flexibly have increased. 
    • Only 4% say they would prefer to go work on-site full time. 

One case study that’s often referenced in this argument is that of Yahoo!. In 2013, Amy Mayer, then CEO of Yahoo! called for an end to remote work as part of her attempt to turn the struggling search engine around. 

The proclamation went over like a lead balloon with employees and shareholders. According to a 2014 piece in the New York Times, more than a third of Yahoo’s staff left that year. One shareholder was so upset by the decision that he sent a 99-page presentation to the board giving reasons for her removal. 

At the time, Richard Branson Tweeted, “Perplexed by Yahoo! stopping remote working. Give people the freedom of where to work & they will excel.”

“Give people the freedom of where to work & they will excel.” 

~ Richard Branson

Yahoo! Ended up joining AOL and Amy Mayer’s role with the company ended. AOL, owned by Verizon, has a company Oath for employees. What is one of the benefits of that oath? You got it, working from home. 

Employer-Controlled Workspaces Don’t Have to Determine Productivity or Engagement

During the pandemic, we learned that employer-controlled workspaces don’t have to determine productivity or engagement. Many employees are actually happier and more productive in their home environments. There are other benefits too, including less commute time, and more quality time with their friends and family, creating a more well-balanced human being.

Other countries are seeing the benefits of workplace flexibility. In fact, the Netherlands implemented a Flexible Work Act in 2016 and is now moving toward making remote work a legal right. And, the Dutch parliament approved legislation that forces employers to consider employee requests to work from home if their profession allows it. 

Companies that Adopt Flexible Work Policies Have a Competitive Advantage

Instead of requiring full-time in-person attendance, there are other ways companies can create a connection to their employees and create a cohesive corporate culture. Companies leading for the future have developed flexible work policies, which include hybrid models that allow a combination of working from home with some time spent in the office .

Flexible work policies:

  • Can increase employee engagement: Creating a human-centric organization that supports employees increases engagement. 
  • Make more talent accessible: The need for more work-life balance drive employees. Companies with flexible work policies tap into this need and are able to hire and retain talented, creative, and high-value employees.

    Remote work options also allow companies to recruit outside of their geographic area, greatly increasing the number of potential applicants.
  • Focus more on outcomes and less on activity: Companies will no longer achieve the best outcomes by requiring employees to punch a timeclock. They must optimize human capital. That means supporting the development of employees, engaging with them, and helping them to reach their full potential in alignment with company goals and initiatives. This is the secret to growth and innovation in the future. 
  • Increase diversity and Inclusion: Flexible work policies create a more inclusive workplace, which allows for more perspectives, ideas, and solutions resulting in a competitive advantage for companies.
  • Create more environmental sustainability: Employees are more driven than ever by social and environmental causes. Having smaller physical office spaces creates environmental benefits, including lower energy usage.

Creating flexible workplace policies requires better leaders.

Leading with the old paradigm of Command and Control is less effective. Flexible workplace policies require leaders to take a more authentic, human, and empathetic approach to overseeing their people. While that is threatening for some, it’s the change that needs to happen. Leaders must evolve to remain competitive. 

Remote work isn’t coming to an end. This is just the beginning.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

About the Author
Monica Bourgeau, MS, is a business strategist, futurist, and award-winning author. She is the founder and CEO of New Phase Partners, a consulting firm that helps innovative organizations create thriving workplaces that will help them lead into the future. Monica is a business strategist, futurist, and award-winning author. She is the founder and CEO of New Phase Partners, a consulting firm that helps innovative leaders create thriving workplaces, transform their workplace culture and emerge as industry leaders.

What is a Futurist and Why did I Become One?

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When I tell people that I’m a certified Futurist — I get some confused looks. Even when talking about applying these concepts to my organizational and workplace strategy projects, I often leave people scratching their heads. Today, I thought it might be helpful to talk about what a Futurist is and what we do, along with why I felt it was so important to move my career and business in this direction.

This past year, I completed several training programs toward becoming a Futurist. I loved studying these new ways of thinking with the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, Future i/o from Germany, and MIT.  I took intensive courses on Applied Strategic Foresight, Moonshot Thinking, and Leading from an Emerging Future. I also learned to apply these techniques to business and how to help innovative leaders prepare for the future as a futurist. So, what does this all mean?

First, Let’s talk about what a futurist is not. 

Futurists are not fortune tellers and we don’t necessarily try to predict the future. 

A Futurist is someone who looks at emerging trends in specific areas and then applies critical thinking tools such as Applied Strategic Foresight and scenario planning.

Futuristic thinking expands people’s view of what’s possible in the future. This allows us to develop strategies to reduce risks. It also helps us clarify desired future outcomes and the necessary steps to move in that direction. 

Futuristic thinking is less about prediction and more about preparation. 

In fact, one of my instructors pointed out that when you try to predict the future, you’re very likely to be wrong. This relieves a lot of pressure.

Although the goal isn’t to accurately predict the future, the process of looking at likely and potential scenarios greatly benefits individuals and organizations. It teaches our brains to think more creatively, consider new ideas and perspectives, and helps prepare us for any challenge that may come our way.

Thinking like a futurist has been shown to increase one’s empathy toward oneself and others and it improves resiliency. This is because the process allows us to imagine life from different perspectives, a skill we may not always practice. It also helps us cope with challenges because we think through different scenarios. This helps us identify things we can control and areas for action, even if the current challenge is different from the one we’ve imagined. 

Unfortunately, most people rarely think about the future other than setting a few new year’s resolutions. 

Some might say that thinking about the future is daydreaming or a waste of time, especially when there’s so many other things on the to-do list. However, it is exactly this type of thinking that allows us to come up with innovative ideas and solutions that rarely come from rational and deductive thought.

In a Boston Consulting Group poll, 79% of leaders rated innovation as a top priority. However, 94% of executives expressed disappointment with their organization’s innovative performance. Leaders know innovation is important, they just don’t know how to innovate. They need tools to expand their perspectives, see missed opportunities, and imagine a better future state.

As a business strategist, coach, and consultant, I work with organizational leaders. I became a Futurist because I believe that thinking like a futurist is a critical skill for leaders today and will be necessary for us to navigate the world’s increasingly complex challenges.

Organizations rarely have a plan or vision beyond one to three years. However, creating a 10-year vision is what allows for real transformation to take place. 

I’m also naturally inclined toward futuristic thinking. My top five strengths (according to the Gallup Strengths Finder) are Futuristic, Strategic, Activator, Maximizer, and Achiever. These strengths help me to coach, advise, and mentor bold leaders who want to create change and transformation within their organizations and industries.

As a leader, do you know how to think like a futurist? 

I can help. The world and our workplace demands are rapidly changing. Antiquated leadership practices are no longer enough to move your organization forward. But there is a better way.

I provide leadership coaching, training, and consulting in this area with a specific emphasis on healthcare and the new future of work. Contact me now for a no-cost initial consultation to see how your organization could benefit from these powerful tools.

Why Most Leaders Are Failing at Vision and 3 Things You Can Do Today

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Why Most Leaders Are Failing at Vision

You’re an entrepreneur, CEO, or executive in an organization. You’d like to think you have a vision for where you’re taking the organization. But the reality is that most leaders either don’t have a clear vision, or they’re only looking ahead 1-3 years (a short-term vision).

If you’re in one of those categories, it’s not entirely your fault. Today’s business culture puts more value on “executing” than on “visioning”, even though a bold, powerful vision is the only way to create real transformation, avoid becoming obsolete, inspire and engage the hearts of employees and customers, and create a long-term competitive advantage in the marketplace. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s the only way to create positive impact in the world.

Creating a big, bold vision takes time, often the kind of down time that allows you to relax, think, and reflect. However, according to a Harvard Business Review study, the average CEO spends more than 72% of their time in meetings. It’s hard to be a visionary when you’re going from one Zoom call to the next.

The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner went on to find that only about 3% of a typical leader’s time is spent thinking about the future. 

Most corporate strategic plans only look forward one to three years at the most, hardly an inspiring vision for the future. The vision simply isn’t big enough and the organization only creates an incrementally bigger impact, instead of what is possible.

Often, it’s the Tyranny of the Urgent that creates a focus on business issues that are urgent right now. The problem is that it simply takes time to make the transformational change required to stay relevant in today’s fast-moving world. And, knowing which direction to steer requires a bold vision that looks ahead 10 or even 20 years.

I’ve had clients that push back and say, “How do I know what’s going to happen in the world or our industry in 20 years?”

I get it, you’re not a fortune teller. 

The work of a visionary leader isn’t about trying to predict the future, it’s about creating it. 

Visionary leaders start with a blank sheet of paper. They imagine what’s possible and really stretch beyond the ordinary. 

When Steve Jobs led the development of the iPod at Apple, it wasn’t just another music device. He envisioned a new way of storing and delivering music. Apple began licensing songs from record companies and eventually became the largest vendor of recorded music in the world. 

Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”

 While Jobs may not have seen the connections to his actions while they were happening, he was following a set of deliberative processes. He looked at the realm of possibilities, created a bold vision, then designed a roadmap to take Apple toward that vision.

So how do you know if your vision isn’t big enough:

1. You’re only looking out one to three years into the future. Large-scale change, disruption, and transformation in an industry takes time.

What you can do: Create a vision that looks into the future at least 5 to 10 years, or even longer. Employ future-back thinking to connect your bold vision with your annual, quarterly, and monthly goals, as well as your daily habits and routines.

2. You know all the steps to reach your vision.  If you have a clear, step-by-step plan to reach your vision, it’s not big enough. A truly bold vision is one that requires you to create a plan that can be adjusted as you learn more, make progress, and begin to move in that direction.

What you can do: Create a vision that’s so bold that it scares you a little and that you don’t know exactly how you’ll reach it. When you start with this type of business and work backward to create your business plan, you can create so much more than if you follow a beaten path.

3. Your vision isn’t inspiring. If you aren’t excited to work toward your vision, it isn’t big enough. You may also feel some fear and that’s normal, but the thought of achieving your vision should be inspiring to you and your team.

What you can do: Spend time getting clear on what you’re passionate about, where your strengths and passions are, and how you’re here to serve the world. When you create a vision from that kind of alignment, your vision will pull you forward, create excitement, and feel meaningful.

Now It’s Your Turn

What are your thoughts? Do you work with visionary leaders or do you see a need for improvement?