The way we operate has changed dramatically in the last three years. Working styles became more fluid, with many employees preferring and asking for a blended, flexible approach. Priorities have shifted for both businesses and employees, propelling flexible and hybrid work to the forefront. As employers and employees increasingly begin to reimagine their workplace structure, Owl Labs, the leader in collaborative video conferencing and classroom technology, released its 6th annual State of Remote Work Report, in collaboration with leading remote work consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics. In July 2022 the report shared data compiled from over 2,300 full-time U.S. workers ages 21+, at companies with 10 or more employees covering a variety of industries to learn their preferences, requirements, concerns, and more – when it comes to all-things work: in-office, remote, and hybrid.
This blog is aimed at helping management and leadership teams better understand their employees’ expectations and requirements, discovering the challenges that employees and workplaces have successfully overcome and the opportunities that this new way of work has unveiled and what pandemic habits have become permanent now that hybrid work is the new standard.
According to the statistics, we can summarize the following findings:
- The number of workers choosing to work remotely in 2022 increased dramatically since 2021. And those choosing hybrid work went up as well. Interest in in-office work, however, dropped by third since 2021.
- Almost 1 in 3 (29%) workers changed jobs within the past year, with an additional 9% actively looking for their next role.
- If the ability to work from home was taken away, two-thirds (66%) of workers would immediately start looking for a job that offered flexibility, and 39% would simply quit.
- 41% of small companies (10-50 employees) are requiring employees to return to the office compared to 27% of enterprises (10k+ employees).
- Only one-third (36%) of employers have upgraded their video meeting technology since the start of the pandemic.
- 62% of workers feel more productive when working remotely.
- Almost half (45%) of workers say their level of work-related stress has increased somewhat or substantially in the past year.
- 1 in 2 workers (49%) feel managers view those in the office as harder working and more trustworthy than their remote counterparts.
- Hybrid workers save $19.11 each day when working from home rather than at the office.
Changing employee demands
Employee preferences have evolved – with the main preference being working style. This year, the number of workers choosing to work remotely went up 24% and hybrid work went up 16%, while those choosing to work from the office dropped by 24%.
If workers were no longer allowed to work remote or hybrid:
What are today’s most popular workplace policies? Here’s what companies are offering versus what employees are looking for:
Flexible workplace policies can differ by company. For remote and hybrid workers, here’s what their employer’s policies offer:
Smaller companies are requiring employees to return to the office more so than their larger counterparts
As we see from the numbers above, remote and hybrid work environment is here to stay, and employers need to embrace this fact and be ready for the next steps. Creating and implementing an effective flexible policy is just the beginning. Companies need to be intentional about redefining their physical office space, and determining which tasks are best suited for in-person collaboration. This requires careful consideration of the spaces you create, the technology you implement, and the ongoing expectations of your employees. Flexible and hybrid work is not by happenstance and companies will be required to create intentional hybrid spaces and define what in-office work really means.
That said, with 37% of employers closing or decreasing their office space and another 21% making no changes, it’s safe to say that some companies have made decisions, while others are still in a holding pattern, waiting to make major investments until they are more certain about what the future holds. However, flexibility is here for the long haul, so employers would be remiss to delay investing in the necessary spaces and smart technology they need to ensure employees thrive in the hybrid world.
Physical office spaces have evolved since the pandemic began. Here’s how:
There has also been a shift in how offices operate (policies, tech, meeting spaces, etc.):
More larger companies (5,001-10k employees) have updated their video meeting technology, whereas smaller companies (10-50 employees) have done so to a lesser extent..
To date, 1 in 2 (50%) employers have trained managers on how to manage remote and hybrid teams, and 54% have taught workers on how to hold effective and inclusive hybrid meetings. 48% have provided education on how to use mixed real-time and asynchronous methods of communication to better engage with team members across time zones.
What else have employers done to evolve their working environments?
Productivity in the workplace
With more and more employees preferring a hybrid working style, some employers are starting to lose sight of just how productive (and perhaps stressed) their employees are on a day-to-day basis. In fact, 60% of managers are still concerned that workers are less productive when working remotely. That may be why over a third (37%) of employers have added or increased the use of employee activity tracking software in the past year.
The reality is two-thirds (62%) of workers feel more productive when working remotely, while just 11% feel less productive. Millennials feel the most productive while working from home (66%), and Boomers feel the least (46%).
Where are hybrid workers the most productive?
Hybrid workers experience both in-office and remote work on a weekly basis. Here’s where hybrid workers say they are the most productive:
When it comes to meeting deadlines, the breakdowns are pretty much equal
Which generation cares about flexibility the most?
Working from home – at least some of the time – would make employees:
Employees are serious about workplace flexibility and are willing to sacrifice their compensation to achieve it. 1 in 2 (52%) workers said they would take a pay cut of 5% or more of their annual salary to have the freedom to choose where they work – with 2% saying they would sacrifice more than 20% of their salary.
What’s next in workplace flexibility? Employees are most interested in:
In closing – flexibility is the future and the future is here
From this study, flexibility is clearly the top trend for employees, leaving many employers still trying to figure out how exactly to navigate it. Flexible work – remote, in-office, and hybrid – is proving to be the leading way to recruit, retain, and invite diverse talent into the workplace. It’s time to rethink the office and encourage employees to work in locations that are most productive for them based on the type of work they are looking to accomplish. Today, many employees simply require a computer and internet connection to do their job and do it well.
Businesses have become more agile since the pandemic, but there is still plenty of room to learn, improve, and iterate. Companies that listen to their employees, and build policies based on their needs and expectations, are more likely to succeed – in both business productivity and employee happiness. In a competitive hiring landscape, employee-driven companies will find better talent and improve retention, too.
The summary of the findings shows: talk to your employees, learn about their needs and where (and how) they do their best work, update your policies with these insights, and watch your business transform.
Here is a quote from our Remote Interpreting Coordinator at Bromberg & Associates Veronica Riazzo, “Before COVID-19, interpreters were mainly working onsite, and it was more challenging to find people interested in VRI [Video Remote Interpreting] and Telephonic on-demand. When the pandemic hit, everyone switched to remote and discovered the benefits and the flexibility it brings.”
Bromberg & Associates covers the entire linguistic and cultural spectrum and works in over 200 spoken and signed languages, with clients in a variety of industries in the US and globally. Our services and vast experience include Telephonic, Video Remote interpreting, Document Translation and Desktop Publishing, Subtitling, Dubbing, Captioning and Voice Over, Language Training, Multilingual Marketing & Website Localization, Cultural Awareness Training and Federal Language Access Compliance Consulting.
To review the full report and detailed findings, please visit https://owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2022