Whitepapers

TASA ID: 22108

Despite the many CEOs throwing tantrums over return to office mandates, and the numerous headlines about large companies like JP Morgan Chase demanding full-time office work, the data doesn’t lie. And the data shows that we’ve seen a growth in remote work in recent weeks, according to the latest edition of LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index, which surveyed 5,860 U.S. professionals.

TASA ID: 22108

Many employees are asking "do we really need to go to the office," in the face of the leadership at major companies like Amazon, Apple, Disney, Starbucks, and JP Morgan mandating three or more days a week of office-based work. Employees are adamant that they are doing their jobs effectively at home, and data supports the improved productivity of remote work. But many leaders feel concerned about a range of issues, from problematic communication and coordination to cybersecurity, which they feel remote work undermines.

However, with the advent of generative AI like ChatGPT, we are on the cusp of realizing the full potential of remote and hybrid work by reducing - while not eliminating - the benefits of office visits. AI is not just a futuristic buzzword; it's a transformative force that's reshaping the workplace and redefining the meaning of work itself.

I talk to five-ten leaders each week about hybrid and remote work, and in recent months, our conversations have centered on how generative AI can help us unlock the full power of remote and hybrid workforces. That includes enabling more effective information sharing, enhancing communication and collaboration, improving productivity and efficiency, supporting knowledge management and skill development, and ensuring security and privacy.

TASA ID: 22108

With 74% of US companies transitioning to a permanent hybrid work model, leaders are turning their attention to measuring the success of their hybrid work model. That’s because there’s a single traditional office-centric model of M-F 9-5 in the office, but many ways to do hybrid work. Moreover, what works well for one company’s culture and working style may not work well elsewhere, even within the same industry. So how should a leader evaluate whether the model they adopted is optimal for their company’s needs, or whether it needs refinement?

TASA ID: 22108

Many organizations adopt a broad-brush approach to hybrid work that fails to differentiate between various departments and roles. For example, Comcast told every employee to come to the office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and work remotely Monday and Friday. Apple asked all of its employees to come in on Tuesday, Thursday, and one more day that each department gets to pick.

Such indiscriminate treatment generally indicates the leadership of a company did not adopt hybrid work willingly. Instead, their hand was forced by employees threatening to leave without at least some flexibility. Indeed, both Apple and Comcast employees explicitly threatened to quit over the heavy-handed return-to-office plans, and some did so: for instance, the head of Apple’s AI team resigned due to Apple’s lack of flexibility.

TASA ID: 22108

As a manager, leading a reshuffled hybrid team after layoffs can be a challenging task. The team dynamic has changed, and employees may be feeling uncertain, anxious or even resentful about the changes. This can affect their motivation and productivity, which can lead to decreased morale, lower job satisfaction and eventually, high turnover. It can be even more difficult when the layoffs happened in a less-than-empathetic manner, such as many prominent tech companies - Google, Twitter, Amazon, Meta, and others - recently laying off their employees by email.

But with the right approach, managers can navigate this difficult situation and keep their teams motivated and productive. As an expert in hybrid workforce strategy, I helped team managers navigate through this stressful period, so as to minimize the natural decline of productivity, morale, and engagement that accompanies any layoff and team reshuffling.