Remote work, hybrid working or back to the office – the debate continues

The impact of COVID – when the disruption took hold

Pre-COVID, the argument for remote working was beginning to gather pace, albeit slowly. COVID as we know quickly forced businesses to remove unnecessary barriers, invest in the right technology and have more use for home working capability than just for Business Continuity purposes. COVID was an accelerant. It was a catalyst for change. A change that was divisive. Welcomed by many, enabled by many, but always with an undercurrent of a return to the pre-COVID way. 

The post-COVID landscape

The concept of remote working has now evolved from that temporary necessity to a viable long-term option for many businesses, but the debate as to what is right continues to rage. It’s like Brexit all over again!

Even the research around the subject can be unhelpfully biased and in reality, conflates an already tinderbox argument. Many organisations are still divided internally, do not have a clear remote working strategy, or if they do, they have a wide range of perspectives internally that are not aligned to the strategy they have chosen. Should businesses continue to embrace remote working, push for a return to the office, or find a middle ground through hybrid models?

Arguments for returning to the office

Supporters of returning to the office argue:

• In-person work fosters better collaboration and innovation. 
• Face-to-face interactions are essential for building strong team dynamics and fostering creativity (according to a study by the Harvard Business Review). 
• The office environment provides a clear separation between work and home life, which can improve mental health and productivity.
• Being in the office has a perceived positive impact on company culture. 
  a shared physical space is crucial for maintaining a cohesive company culture.
• Employees feel more connected to the organisation's mission and values. 
• It helps support local economies, particularly businesses that rely on office workers, such as restaurants, cafes, and retail stores located in and around organisations.
• Homeworking creates a sense of isolation and disconnect from the company culture. 
• Remote working has the potential for reduced mentorship and career development opportunities, particularly for younger employees who benefit from in-person guidance. 
• Not all employees may have conducive home environments or the necessary resources to work effectively from home.

Arguments for continuing remote work

On the flip side, supporters of remote work highlight:

• The benefits of flexibility and work-life balance. 
• Increased productivity while working from home (said 65% of respondents in a survey by FlexJobs.) 
• People (80%) experience less stress when working at home. 
• Remote working allows employees to tailor their work environment to their needs, potentially leading to higher job satisfaction and reduced turnover. 
• Reduced need for commuting, leading to decreased carbon emissions and a smaller environmental footprint
• A widening talent pool for businesses, allowing them to hire from a broader geographic area and access a more diverse range of skills and perspectives.
• The ability to arrange their lives more effectively. Being available for deliveries, or to do the school run.
• Higher productivity. 
• Less distractions. 
• Time efficiency, that being in the same vicinity creates. 

Employer versus employee

So, the main battleground appears to be between employees and employers. Employees (in the main) leading the challenge against return to office mandates, and employers and governments leading a growing revolt against the continued practice of remote or hybrid working. Companies like Google and Apple have faced backlash in the media from employees who argue that mandatory office days disrupt work-life balance and reduce morale. In some cases, this push-back has led to employee attrition, with workers seeking more flexible opportunities elsewhere.

With governments and tech entrepreneurs wading into the debate, we are seeing growing toxicity, around a subject that didn’t even really exist as a concept 20 odd years ago. It’s compounded when a return to the office is stated as an “order”, that must be “complied” with. In the case of some high-profile cases, an order that has become impossible to “enforce,” as the working space no longer exists, as companies reduce their footprints. Huge organisations like Amazon, Asda, BT and even newer “more modern” set-ups like Starling bank have been in the news and are reported as “hauling their staff back to work.” Surely there’s a compromise…

The hybrid model: a balanced approach

The hybrid model, which combines elements of both in-office and remote work, is a popular compromise. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, 52% of workers prefer a hybrid model, and companies that adopt it can benefit from increased employee satisfaction and retention. Yet, that means 48% don’t! I told you it felt a lot like Brexit, right? Divisive! 

For many, hybrid feels like a compromise. Many employees don’t want to return to the office. Many employers don’t want their employees to continue to work from home. There are many ways to implement hybrid models, but this, of course, just leads to new battlegrounds! Some employees for instance feel that hybrid arrangements can create a "two-tier" system, where those who spend more time in the office are perceived as more committed or are given preferential treatment. This can lead to disparities in career advancement and workplace dynamics, potentially causing friction among staff.

Hybrid is as divisive and controversial as remote or back to the office. In an ideal world, we’re not looking for compromise, we’re looking for a win-win. In an even more ideal world, we aren’t looking for conflict… we’re just looking for a utopia.

Workplace Utopia – a strategy for the ages

To determine the best approach, businesses must consider several factors… which we’re excited to discuss in our Roundtable on the 18th March: 

Location: Aon Offices in London’s iconic Leadenhall Building, EC3V 4AB
Time: Tuesday 18th March, 12pm – 2pm
Lunch: Included

Please note, this event has now taken place. 

Here are a few pieces of advice:

1. If you haven’t done it already – understand your mood music - Conduct surveys and gather feedback from employees to understand their preferences and needs. 
2. Be clear in the context you are operating in. What is possible? What is preferable? Are you all aligned? What will help you achieve what you need to achieve as a business? Will it have an impact on your ability to be scalable, sustainable, commercially effective?
3. How well do you communicate what you do and why it’s important? How often do you analyse what your customers want? What is the combined CX (client experience) and the EX (employee experience) like? You can measure this and we can tell you how!
4. Consider how agile your approach is and how good you are at measuring impact.
5. Think like an employee. Can you answer the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) question?
6. How aligned are your managers. They’re employees too and will be to some extent led by their own preferences. 
7. Get your employees to think like business leaders. What would they do?
8. Use less divisive language. Don’t haul people back to the office or demand a return to the office. Reduce the noise and the hype and think about how you can do this right and in a human way. How can you make people want to come back into the office?
9. Consider the hidden reasons for people’s preferences and try to get these to the surface, as well as the blatant reasons that people are happy to share. 
10. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

Closing thoughts

The debate over remote working, returning to the office, and hybrid models is complex and multifaceted. Each approach really does have its own advantages and challenges, and its own supporters and detractors. One thing for certain is that the world of work is divided. There is a battleground that remains, between employer and employee, post-COVID, which is leading to conflict. We know that a lot of research typically can’t be trusted, that there are hidden reasons for people’s stated preferences and that context is key.

Businesses must carefully evaluate their own unique circumstances to determine the best path forward. You can do this by considering your employees’ preferences, business objectives, technological infrastructure, financial implications, and clear policies, etc. This way, companies can strategically navigate the future of work and create an environment that fosters productivity, satisfaction, and success.

Join us for our people and talent roundtables

If you’re a senior HR leader in your organisation, and want to understand more about how to make this work effectively in your organisation, to know what messages to listen to, and what messages to ignore, let’s talk and we will do our best to help you navigate this divisive topic. 

Future events scheduled for later this year, which also open for registration:

• 22nd May – From pressure to progress: Building resilience into your people strategy
• 3rd July – Reinvention of middle management
• 2nd October – Unlocking transferable skills