Hybrid Workplace Trends

Just out in Harvard Business Review, summary of the Hybrid Experiment results and lessons on how to make hybrid succeed. Experiment: randomize 1600 graduate employees in marketing, finance, accounting and engineering at Trip.com into 5-days a week in office, or 3-days a week in office and 2-days a week WFH. Analyzed 2 years of data. Two key results A) Hybrid and fully-in-office showed no differences in productivity, performance review grade, promotion, learning or innovation. B) Hybrid had a higher satisfaction rate, and 35% lower attrition. Quit-rate reductions were largest for female employees. Four managerial lessons 1) Hybrid needs a strong performance management system so managers don’t need to hover over employees at their desks to check their progress. Trip.com had an extensive performance review process every six months. 2) Coordinate in-office days at the team or company level. Schedule clarity prevents the frustration of coming to an empty office only to participate in Zoom calls. Trip.com coordinated WFH on Wednesday and Friday. 3) Having leadership buy-in is critical (as with most management practices). Trip.com’s CEO and C-suite all support the hybrid policy. 4) A/B test new policies (as well as products) if possible. Often new policies turn out to be unexpectedly profitable. Trip.com made millions of dollars more profits from hybrid by cutting expensive turnover.

All is not well in fully-remote OR fully in-office work. While new Gallup research reveals that fully remote workers are more engaged than even hybrid workers (and fully on-site workers are the least engaged - a slap in the face of RTO), they aren't thriving the most - hybrid workers are. It's perhaps no surprise (to all but some CEO's and managers) that fully on-site workers are thriving the least. Interestingly, hybrid workers experience the most stress (just a hair more than fully remote), and disturbingly, fully remote workers are more likely to experience anger, sadness, and loneliness - by a decent margin. Gallup believes that physical distance can create mental distance and that work becomes "just work" without deeper connections with coworkers that can be more easily formed from spending time together in person. They also think that it's the autonomy that comes with remote work which can create stress and lead to the negative emotions mentioned above. I think these are very interesting findings, and I would like to believe that most companies would take the time to reflect on them and take appropriate action. Here's what I think companies can do: 1. Address the emotional well-being of remote workers with regular check-ins, mental health resources, and virtual social activities to combat isolation. 2. Optimize hybrid work environments by creating create clear boundaries between work and home life, help their workers manage workloads effectively, and ensure hybrid workers aren't overcompensating with longer hours. 3. Explore the advantages of remote work, seek to understand what drives the higher engagement and apply these lessons across all work arrangements. 4. Given that each work arrangement faces different challenges, develop tailored well-being strategies for each work type. A one-size-fits-all approach isn't the way to go. 5. Ensure that remote workers have career development opportunities, opportunities to develop meaningful social connections, and achieve work-life balance to close the thriving gap. 6. For companies that are (or are considering moving to) fully in-office work, reconsider hybrid and/or remote work for the clear benefits. I know - wishful thinking, especially for #6. Here's the full Gallup report: https://lnkd.in/ezQB4K5q #WellBeing #EmployeeEngagement #WorkLifeBalance #FutureOfWork #RTO

Where's #hybrid work headed in 2025? Andy Jassy started the latest #RTO push. Elon's driving for the same in the Federal workforce, saying the quiet part out loud: get people to quit. That return-to-past attitude (kudos Francis Saele) creates opportunity for other organizations. In 2025, we'll see growing gaps between firms who've invested in #flexible ways of working versus those who are trying to solve complex business challenges through simplistic policy pronouncements. Leaders have already shifted from where to how we work -- is your organization keeping up? Five key trends that will drive success (or failure) of flexible work in 2025: 1️⃣ Talent Advantage: Investors in flexible work will be quiet magnets happily plucking talent from the loud voices who are braying that employees “aren’t really working.” 2️⃣ Outcomes not Attendance: More firms are (finally) investing in outcomes-driven management, resulting in a more level playing field and improved business results. 3️⃣ Time-Based Advantage. Time matters more than place; core hours for distributed teams and focus time for everyone unlocks productivity and quality. 4️⃣ Co-located vs Distributed. There's no one-size-fits-all; leaders understand and support the differences between teams who are co-located vs spread out. 5️⃣ Flex Winners become Gen AI Leaders. Adapting to new ways of working requires experimentation, guidelines, support, focus on outcomes ... and trust. What's your take? Will #hybrid work continue to take the lead? What's going to drive success in workplace #flexibility in 2025? 👉 Read on, my latest MIT Sloan Management Review column linked in comments. Thanks to Leslie Brokaw, Laurianne McLaughlin and Abbie Lundberg! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HybridWork #RemoteWork #Productivity #GenAI #Engagement #Talent

In 2022, I predicted that by 2025, 60% of enterprises would actively foster socialization to combat chronic loneliness and social isolation exacerbated by digital technology. How has loneliness progressed? 🔍 Here's a snapshot according to Gallup's Global Workplace 2024 Report : 🌐 Globally, 1 in 5 employees report experiencing loneliness frequently, with those under 35 and fully remote workers most impacted. 😔 62% of employees are not engaged, while 15% are actively disengaged. 🆘 58% of employees feel they are struggling in life, with only 34% considering themselves thriving. ⚠️ 41% experience "a lot of daily stress." Loneliness and disconnection are silent problems — they often manifest as apathy, disengagement, or learned helplessness at work. So, what can we do to help? 💡 Steps to Consider: -Create a Support Network: Identify your team’s needs and implement channels to address them, such as employee assistance programs, financial planning tools, family assistance, buddy systems, communities, and ERGs. -Rethink the Work Environment: Co-design spaces for deeper relationships by mapping the employee experience and identifying changes in physical spaces, inclusive technology, and management practices. -Redesign Teams: Foster interdependence with collaboration platforms like fusion teams, cross-functional mentoring, and shadowing for problem-solving. - Recognize and Incentivize Goodwill: Acknowledge efforts with peer recognition/gratitude programs, making support visible to all. Implement an Inclusion Index: Measure fair treatment, collaboration, psychological safety, trust, belonging, diversity, and integration of differences through various feedback methods. - Train Managers: Provide managers with guidelines on the expected level of involvement in employee well-being. Train them in handling sensitive conversations, building personal connections, and evaluating mental health on a spectrum. Managers account for 70% of the variance in team employee engagement. Let's address these silent issues head-on and create a more connected and supportive workplace! 💪✨ #WorkplaceWellness #EmployeeEngagement #Inclusion #MentalHealth #FutureOfWork #Leadership #TeamBuilding For data see: Gallup's State of the Global Workforce Report https://lnkd.in/ecj8KUuw

🔍 Excited to share my latest Fortune column on building successful hybrid organizations where humans and AI work as true colleagues. Our research reveals that while technology enables AI coworkers, the real competitive advantage lies in how organizations manage this new hybrid workforce. Here are the critical areas leaders must focus on: - Building mutual trust through systematic validation of AI outputs and empowering teams to effectively challenge or verify AI-driven decisions - Maximizing "augmented collective intelligence" by strategically matching human and AI capabilities - recognizing that their strengths are complementary, not competitive - Designing scalable operations where AI agents can ramp up/down on demand, with careful attention to human-AI interfaces - Redefining cultural "fit" to include interaction capabilities with AI coworkers, while maintaining team diversity for enhanced problem-solving In my opinion, the future belongs to those who are building the corporate muscle to experiment and thrive with AI coworkers. https://lnkd.in/enNYmCDy Always a pleasure to have collaborated with Theodoros Evgeniou (INSEAD), Leonid Zhukov, Ph.D (BCG), Meenal Pore (BCG), and Amartya Das (BCG) on this analysis of tomorrow's workplace. #FutureOfWork #AI #Leadership #OrganizationalStrategy #DigitalTransformation #Seven2

“Becoming a digital first organization doesn't block your ability to have a functioning hybrid organization, it enhances it. It will help people get the most out of work, whether they're in the office or not.” - “JJ” Jessica Reeder, a workplace innovation and culture transformation leader. In my latest podcast episode, JJ shares wide-ranging practical insights about effective distributed work strategies and tactics, including from her intentional choices to learn from and contribute to pioneering fully-remote companies. “Having standard operating procedures and behavioral standards clearly documented and consistently applied throughout the organization is crucial in remote work.” JJ discusses core principles from her time at GitLab and Upwork starting with becoming digital-first. “All of the things that you need to have a highly functioning team can be empowered by really embracing the digital-first mentality.” She hones in on self-management (watch this clip) that she finds GitLab excelled at early, enabling decentralization of work without overloading managers. JJ elaborates on the critical practices of understanding time (the red flag is having too many meetings!), communicating digitally, and systematizing collaboration. “Collaboration is really just about trading work back and forth and doing it in a very effective way.” She is clear about purposeful work design, methods, and habits. "You need to have specific ways that things are done throughout the organization.” “It is absolutely a deal breaker if you don't have people understanding how they are supposed to work.” JJ has practiced, studied, taught, and refined how distributed work is enabled effectively for companies with hybrid, remote-first, and fully-remote policies. If your team, managers, and organization’s leaders could benefit from JJ’s illuminating experiences and learnings, watching or listening to my interview with her is a must. Use the links in the comments below 👇 ____________________________________ Don't forget to subscribe below to my Work In Progress Report newsletter to get weekly wide-ranging insights and intelligence to accelerate your adaptation to distributed modern work.

The other day, the Company Zoom dropped their latest global survey, shedding light on how work evolves. The survey cements how hybrid work is becoming the preferred choice worldwide, with western europe with highest adoption rate (75%). 🤯 Zoom does make an eye-opening debunking of the long-held belief that full-time, in-office work is best for fostering strong organizational connections: * Hybrid work has emerged as the dominant model, with 83% of employees reporting higher productivity in hybrid or remote environments than in-office settings. 👀The real eye-opener: * 82% of hybrid workers feel more connected to their teams and managers. For real estate executives, these shifts raise critical questions. With the majority of leaders focusing on boosting productivity, and 83% of employees claiming they get more done in a hybrid setup, the demand for traditional office space may continue to decline. Additionally, 75% of employees believe that current remote work tools need improvement, and 72% call for new technologies, highlighting the importance of adaptable, tech-enabled work environments. Generative AI is also playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of work. Already in use by 94% of leaders, AI is seen as a significant driver of productivity and job efficiency. A previous analysis made by McKinsey & Company revealed that some industries will be more impacted by AI than others, with for example Law Firms topping the list. Still, most companies work synchronously. I predict that the next big frontier is focus on learning to work more asynchronously. This shift will help eliminate the inefficiency of back-to-back hybrid meetings, allowing employees to reclaim valuable time and focus on meaningful work. Making Hybrid work… work.

“You live in Kenya. You work for a German firm. You’re paid in euros. So why is the Kenya Revenue Authority asking for your PIN?” Because in 2024, “remote” doesn’t mean invisible — at least not to the taxman. Kenya is now home to over 100,000 expatriates — many of whom are paid abroad, work online, and live in Nairobi, Naivasha, or Nakuru. But here’s the thing: If you spend 183+ days in Kenya, you’re considered a tax resident. If you're working for a Kenyan company (even while abroad), you need a KRA PIN. And if you're hiring remote Kenyan talent from overseas, you could trigger corporate tax liabilities without realising it. This isn’t just about income. It’s about compliance, cost, and consequences. We just released a sharp, simplified guide: 👉🏾 “Am I Being Taxed Twice?” – The Expat & Remote Worker Survival Kit for Kenya. The newsletter is attached and can be shared. It unpacks: ✅ How double taxation actually works ✅ Whether you're protected under a DTA ✅ What “permanent establishment” means for remote employers ✅ Why failing to register for a KRA PIN could block your salary, your lease—or worse This is for expats, global employers, and anyone who’s ever wondered: “How can I work in one country… and get taxed in two?” 💬 Questions after reading? We’re helping clients across the globe navigate this new reality. Because in the age of digital work, compliance is no longer a location—it's a strategy. #DoubleTaxation #RemoteWork #ExpatriatesInKenya #KRA #TaxCompliance #MMWAdvocates #CrossBorderLaw #TaxStrategy #LegalWithPerspective

Hybrid Meetings ≠ Inclusive Meetings. I’ve lived it - and here’s 5 practical tips to ensure everyone has a voice, regardless of location. I spent more than 10,000 hours in hybrid meetings while as a remote leader for The Clorox Company. I was often the 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 remote attendee - while the rest of the group sat together in a conference room at HQ. Here’s what I learned the hard way: 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲... ...by showing who gets heard, who feels seen, and who gets left out. If you're leading a distributed or hybrid team, how you structure your meetings sends a loud message about what (and who) matters. 𝟱 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 – who will actively combat distance bias and invite input from all meeting members 2️⃣ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 – to monitor the chat and the raised hands, to launch polls and to free up the facilitator to focus on the flow 3️⃣ 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝗻 - so that there is equal access to the chat, polls, and reactions 4️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 – pair remote team members with in-room allies to help make space in the conversation and ensure they can see and hear everything 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 – be ready with a Plan B for audio, video, or connectivity issues in the room 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. If even one person is remote, have everyone log in from their own device from their own workspace to create a level playing field. 🔗 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 for creating location-inclusive distributed teams in this Nano Tool I wrote for Wharton Executive Education: https://lnkd.in/eUKdrDVn #LIPostingDayApril

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 ! 📈 Employees whose productivity has improved since the 2020 pandemic are 2× more likely to view their workplace as highly supportive compared to those whose productivity has declined. 🤝 Most employees come into the office to collaborate with their teams — yet the experience isn’t the same for everyone. 📉 Middle managers are over 3× more likely to say their productivity has dropped compared to senior management. 🔄 Among employees facing productivity decline, 53% want more personalized and flexible workplace experiences. 🤖 Today, 74% of senior management use AI & automation to get work done — compared to just 40% of junior staff, according to a new interesting research published by SBS-Global - Enabling Business Transformation in partnership with WORKTECH Academy using data from a survey of 570 workers spanning seven countries - the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan – and eight industries. Researchers found that difficulty focusing ranks as the top frustration with current office setups — followed closely by these other challenges: ❌ Limited flexibility in office attendance ❌Time wasted finding the right people or resources ❌Lack of available meeting rooms/collaboration space 5 ❌ Difficulty accessing technology & support ❌ Poor collaboration tools ☝️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: Technology, flexible work design, and organisational culture aren’t just “nice to have” — they are decisive performance enablers. The data makes it clear: when employees feel supported, equipped with the right tools, and trusted with flexibility, productivity soars. When those elements are missing, even the smartest tech can’t fill the gap. My recommendations:🌟 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: ➡️ Invest in thoughtful workplace design ➡️ Pair digital and AI tools with the training, policies, and culture ➡️ Preserve a hybrid work environment to give employees the flexibility they need to focus and collaborate effectively 🌟 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: ➡️ Model active, confident use of AI and automation to inspire adoption ➡️ Build a culture of trust ➡️ Create open channels for employees 🌟 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: ➡️ Highlight your organisation’s digital enablement and flexibility as key talent attractors ➡️ Seek candidates who are adaptable, tech‑curious, and comfortable with change 🙏Thank you SBS and WORKTECH Academy researchers team for sharing these insightful findings: Philip Ross Kursty Groves Markus Albers Kate Lister Elizabeth Leath 🔑 What does a truly “supportive workplace” look like to you, and how would you know you’ve found it? #ProductivityMatters #HighPerformanceCulture #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeExperience