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The Fluidity of the Future of Work

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on

For well over a decade, the “Future of Work” phrase has elicited both excitement and confusion. There is an inherent joy associated with the pathways of progression around the concepts of “work,” yet, complexities remain from defining exactly what is the “future state” of how we work. As the phrase, and its subsequent movement, caught fire in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while the rules of work changed, the “Future of Work” became a foundational piece of business lexicon and we bore witness to an ever-evolving landscape of revolution, innovation, and technology.

Four years ago at this time, many of us (well, let’s be honest: all of us) were focused on the most critical of all Future of Work accelerants: remote and hybrid work. Who could know back then that this would open the floodgates into new and exciting ways of structuring workplace environments?

The Future of Work Exchange has oft-discussed this concept of “acceleration” in that pandemic-era restrictions, and, by consequence, the forced changes of how we work, pushed enterprises across the globe into a new era of work optimization.

With our backs against the proverbial wall, we responded by innovating. And by innovating, we continued to transform how we work, when we work, and where we work.

With nearly a quarter of 2024 in the books (time flies, doesn’t it?), the landscape of Future of Work-led shifts within the workplace (and how we work) represents the true fluidity of this movement; as technology continues to progress and as businesses seek to innovate around the areas of proficiency, efficiency, and productivity, we can anticipate a continuous evolution in the workplace dynamics, such as:

  • The much-vaunted four-day workweek. The Exchange’s John Yuva wrote about this strategy in 2023, finding that four-day workweeks “lead to lower stress levels as well as a happier and more loyal workforce,” as well as a major increase in productivity. The issue keeping the strategy from adoption, though? The vertical-to-vertical adherence to four days instead of five means that there’s a gap in customer- and client-facing servicing, leaving managers to struggle over another staffing issue in an era when the labor market is already volatile.
  • “Chronoworking” as a potential workplace disruptor. Chronoworking is innovative as it aligns work schedules with individuals’ peak productivity times, optimizing performance and creativity. However, its adoption can be challenging due to the need for a shift in traditional work paradigms, potential resistance from established routines, and the necessity for effective communication and coordination among team members following varied schedules
  • The convergence of new workforce generations and the importance of workplace culture. With Boomers mostly out of the workforce and Gen Xers approaching the last decade or so of their careers, it means that millennials and Gen Z workers represent the majority of today’s talent. Although this shift has been happening in some capacity over the past few years, the newer blend of workers means that there’s the utmost pressure on leaders to shore up workplace culture and ensure that the “work experience” meets the evolving requirements and desires of the younger generation.
  • The impact of AI on the workplace. Artificial intelligence is the next great level of innovation, with generative AI as its calling card. Generative AI is poised to revolutionize the future workplace by automating complex tasks, fostering creativity, and enhancing overall efficiency. Through its ability to autonomously generate content, solutions, and insights, generative AI will free up human resources to focus on higher-level decision-making and innovation. This transformative technology holds the potential to reshape workflows, streamline processes, and create a more dynamic and adaptive work environment, ultimately driving increased productivity and competitiveness in the evolving landscape of the modern workplace.

 

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When a Return to the Office and Workplace Culture Collide

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Although it’s hard to believe, it’s been four years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in that time, several key Future of Work “accelerants” took the business arena by storm. The extended workforce, long a viable source of talent, saw a remarkable increase in utilization as businesses sought true workforce scalability in the face of uncertain times.

Direct sourcing began to take off as a means of nurturing talent communities and developing a near-self-sustaining source of on-demand expertise. Skills-based hiring emerged as a way to look “beyond” costs and pay rates to revolutionize how enterprises innovative and leverage next-generation skillsets.

Empathy-led leadership and emotional intelligence became crucial endeavors to separate the successful leaders from those that would eventually lose their staff to the Great Resignation. And, of course, the most famous Future of Work accelerant of all, remote and hybrid work, drew most of the spotlight and headlines.

In the wake of social distancing and quarantines and general fear of spreading a once-in-a-lifetime virus, many businesses (that could do so) quickly transitioned to a remote-first infrastructure. This, of course, raised numerous challenges, from issues with trust to concerns over worker productivity. As we know by now, the move to a hybrid workplace resulted in more benefits than drawbacks: in addition to staff having more control over their schedules, they also found that work-life integration vastly improved, as did overall wellness and satisfaction with their leadership, teams, and general everyday business lives. (And, of course, we covered all things remote work here on the Future of Work Exchange.)

While there were very early opponents of the remote work model (hi, Elon) and others that continued to rebel against the thought of workers being at their home offices (James Gorman, we see you), there was a clear and resounding outcome: remote and hybrid work would forever be a foundational element of the world of work.

Four years now removed from the beginning of the pandemic and three years since the arrival of highly-effective vaccines (not to mention two-plus years since the first inklings of “normalcy”), businesses have spent the past 18 or so months dabbling in “return-to-office” mandates that have essentially divided enterprise leaders, with some calling for extreme, pre-pandemic office structures and others sticking to pandemic-era hybrid formats.

While the benefits of both remote and hybrid workplaces are proven and abundantly clear at this stage, the hard truth is that, at some point, companies were bound to slowly increase the number of required days in office, regardless of their stance on RTO mandates.

The business arena of 2024 is the closest we know that resembles pre-pandemic life, and, as such, represents an opportunity for enterprise executives to harken back to those days when offices were bustling and proximity collaboration was an everyday occurrence. However, as stated here on the Exchange in the past, there’s no shoving that genie back into the bottle; workers and professionals not only desire the benefits of remote work, but have also learned the best ways to balance work-life integrational attributes within this model over the past few years.

Today, business leaders are engaged in a tug-of-war with their staff over RTO mandates and the best possible means of balancing “required in-office days” with ensuring workers want to come back to the office. And there’s a major aspect here that is critical to the future of in-office and traditional workplace structures: culture.

“Why would people abandon the comfort of their routine for a commute to the office? Culture is the answer. It’s the way they are treated upon arrival, the atmosphere of the building, and the motivation they feel from leaders and their fellow team members. Culture is empowering and dictates success, fueled by the everyday people who create it,” says Jim Love, Director, Strategic Client Solutions at Talent Solutions TAPFIN.

The very essence of an organization’s identity, values, and camaraderie is intricately tied to its culture, and this moment in time, when RTO mandates are becoming a norm, demands a deliberate and strategic approach. A thriving workplace culture is not merely a byproduct but a catalyst for productivity, innovation, and employee well-being. As employees transition back to shared physical spaces and traditional workplace environments, the culture sets the tone for collaboration, engagement, and a sense of purpose.

As RTO mandates become a part of the fabric of 2024, workplace culture will be the key to convincing workers to come back to the office.

“Culture isn’t one thing. It’s all the small things. And it doesn’t start at the top down. It starts when you smile at the front desk associate. Or when you thank the maintenance staff for the great work they do. Those compounding and small-but-mighty actions are what make people want to feel part of something bigger. Give them a reason to come back – make it ingrained in who you are as an organization,” says Love.

Neglecting the critical role of workplace culture in return-to-office mandates risks creating a sterile environment void of inspiration, hindering the potential for collective achievement and sustained success. In this pivotal juncture, organizations must not only welcome employees back to their desks but reinvigorate them with a vibrant, inclusive, and empowering culture that fuels the journey ahead.

Adds Love, “Don’t just acknowledge and appreciate culture…create and sustain it. Preach your culture, and when necessary, use words. It is the foundation we build to bring people together. When it’s created and sustained, people will come back. Authenticity is what matters…and your culture should shout that!”

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The Next Great Era of the Hybrid Workplace

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on

“We’re not putting that genie back in the bottle” is a phrase I’ve used at least two or three dozen times over the past few months whenever I’m asked about the realm of remote and hybrid work and how return-to-office (RTO) mandates are impacting these attributes. No matter how the economy shifts and no matter how far the pendulum swings back in favor of the employer, the phrase will always be true.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a watershed moment for humanity. And it was also a turning point in the business world.

There was much talk about “The Great Recession” and the veritable “talent revolution” happening within the workforce; the idea that workers (finally) would have more control over not only their workstyles but also their destinies sparked an innovative movement, buoyed by Future of Work accelerants like empathy-led leadership, more inclusive workplaces, and, yes, flexibility.

The Great Recession wasn’t going to last forever, though, especially as the economy tumbled and life in general began to revert back to pre-pandemic ways. It was inevitable that many of the strategic gains of the pandemic, specifically the power shifting to the worker, would fade as the world emerged from the emergency phase of the pandemic. This is, of course, all part of a “Great Resettling” as organizations around the globe configure the future of workforce and workplace operations in a post-pandemic landscape.

But back to the genie and its bottle…

RTO mandates are part of the enterprise fabric of 2023, an unfortunate parallel to uncertain economic times and a corporate universe that sadly eschews culture for profits (something seen in some organizations, not all). However, as much as we read about brand-name CEOs and executives demanding that workers return to the confines of the office, there is still a harsh reality at hand for the leaders that want to turn back the clock:

The hybrid workplace wasn’t meant to be temporary solution…it was designed to be the very future of how we work.

It makes sense, no matter how we slice it, that the large-scale remote work “experiments” are over. That’s one thing that I’m sure we can all agree on; the idea of “fully-remote” is still a crucial element to many businesses but not a foundational layer (anymore) of the workplace for others. This is where the acceptance and embrace of flexibility, even in a changing business world, forms the next great era of the hybrid workplace.

Tell someone that they can no longer walk their children to the bus stop two or three mornings per week. Tell someone that early evening baseball games will have to be missed because of long commutes from the city. Tell someone that doctor’s appointments can no longer be prioritized ahead of work commitments. Tell someone that the flexibility that finally became an accepted aspect of the workplace is suddenly going to vanish.

Discuss these concepts with a highly-skilled worker who epitomizes Best-in-Class expertise, and you’ll observe a swift decline in talent retention—all in pursuit of regaining a semblance of control. The evolution of the hybrid workplace extends beyond physical location; it involves acknowledging that the workforce has integrated flexibility and autonomy into how they work, transforming these into non-negotiable expectations.

What does the next great era of the hybrid workplace entail? It’s so simple: infuse flexibility into how workers style their work preference and communicate the importance of “balance” within in-office vs. remote structures. It shouldn’t be an all-or-nothing approach, as this will not only alienate valued members of the workforce but also leave the enterprise with a negative workplace culture that will taint talent acquisition and candidate engagement efforts. While not a perfect example, companies like Penguin Random House seemed to have adopted this approach, with the company’s CEO, Nihar Malaviya, recently stating, “The needs of the various departments around the company are distinct, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Therefore, each division and department will discuss how we will work together; different managers may make different decisions for their teams based on their job functions and business priorities.”

Again, not perfect, but not so hard-line that workers and potential candidates will be disengaged from the organization. Expect to see more and more enterprises, especially in the Fortune 1000, “resettle” into a mode of working that balances both traditional and new ways of thinking. Flexibility became non-negotiable for the workforce, given just how much it allowed professionals to achieve a better work-life integration. For the sake of both talent retention and talent acquisition, businesses must develop a model that works for the company brand, its culture, its workforce, and its workplace.

As we navigate the post-pandemic landscape, businesses that grasp and adapt to this new reality, where flexibility is a bedrock of the workforce, will flourish. The genie may not return to its bottle, but this doesn’t signify chaos; instead, it heralds the emergence of a more adaptable, empowered, and productive era in the world of work.

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What Happens When Return-to-Office Mandates Impact Recruitment, Talent Retention, and the Employee Experience?

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on

As I’ve said dozens of times on video, on the Future of Work Exchange Podcast, and during numerous webinars: there is/was no silver lining to a global health crisis that killed millions of people and permanently disabled millions more. Many of us were sick ourselves, and many of us lost people close to use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was a dark time in our lifetimes, a period in which everyday routines were altered as lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing became a frustrating (and frightening) norm. While we are three-and-a-half years removed from those scary early days of the pandemic, the ramifications will always be apparent…especially in the business arena. In fact, Future of Work acceleration is now perceived as one aspect that was a positive result of the incredible change brought about by the crisis.

Remote and hybrid work models became the calling cards of the pandemic’s impact on corporate culture, as many organizations swapped to fully-remote infrastructures (in the earliest days of the pandemic) and to more hybrid-oriented workplaces when vaccines became omnipresent. Less than two years after the pandemic began, many threads of “normalcy” were apparent in both personal and business life.

And, of course, when the word “normalcy” came back into rotation, it meant one significant thing for some business leaders: getting workers back to the office. These corporate executives craved one major attribute in the face of The Great Resignation and many months of uncertainty, particularly control, better visibility, and, of course, more regulation around worker productivity.

But, there was no putting the “genie” back into the bottle, so to speak. The pandemic was an opportunity for workers (both traditional and contingent) to broadly and loudly speak for their rights; they craved flexibility, better working conditions, clearer career paths, and, perhaps most importantly, purpose. The pandemic took an emotional, “human” tool on the professional world; workers desired fulfillment beyond their salaries.

So, today, we sit in an interesting position. The economy could be heading for a “soft” recession, or, it may not. The labor market remains volatile. Unemployment remains historically low. Life, for the most part, is as back to “normal” as it could possibly be.

However, the lessons learned from the pandemic, which, by now, should be standard practice moving forward (see: empathy, agility, flexibility, etc.) aren’t sticking for many business leaders, some of which expect their workers to now flock back to the office as if remote and hybrid work were just a fad. This sense of, essentially, “flipping a switch” and return to the bustling office days is not only ignorant, it flies in the face of the many progressions we’ve made since the pandemic began.

Last week, Yahoo published an eye-opening article that detailed survey results from three separate studies on remote work, hybrid workplaces, talent retention, and recruitment. What did they all have in common? Take a guess.

“Unispace found that nearly half (42%) of companies with return-to-office mandates witnessed a higher level of employee attrition than they had anticipated. And almost a third (29%) of companies enforcing office returns are struggling with recruitment. In other words, employers knew the mandates would cause some attrition, but they weren’t ready for the serious problems that would result.

Meanwhile, a staggering 76% of employees stand ready to jump ship if their companies decide to pull the plug on flexible work schedules, according to the Greenhouse report. Moreover, employees from historically underrepresented groups are 22% more likely to consider other options if flexibility comes to an end.

In the SHED survey, the gravity of this situation becomes more evident. The survey equates the displeasure of shifting from a flexible work model to a traditional one to that of experiencing a 2-3% pay cut.”

In 2021 and 2022, remote work was not just a workforce model, but rather a representation of the real flexibility that professionals desired in the wake of the pandemic’s overarching impact. The new world of work dictates that businesses optimize their innerworkings based on the principles of agility, a concept that cascades down into how they find talent, how they align that talent with work, and, of course, how that work is done.

In 2023, remote work should not be considered a “perk” or a “nice to have,” but rather an accepted, hardline work model that promotes the talent experience, improves morale, enhances worker satisfaction, and contributes to greater productivity. Abolishing remote and hybrid work policies for an archaic modicum of control is a foolhardy exercise in how to lose talent and demolish recruitment. Yes, folks, there is still a “war for talent” raging, no matter the economic conditions around us. The businesses that adapt, that have adapted, are the ones that understand the proper balance between flexibility and traditional modes of working.

Talent is an enterprise’s top competitive differentiator, today and always. Retention was a problem even before the pandemic and The Great Resignation; in 2023, losing even a handful of highly-skilled workers can be a death knell for a business that struggles to compete in a globalized market. Remote and hybrid work models aren’t just means of organizational flexibility, but rather:

  • An effective way to enhance the worker experience through flexible schedules and the “freedom” to make their days more dynamic.
  • A robust means to improve mental health and worker wellness.
  • A way of expanding talent pools and talent pipelines to include highly-skilled candidates that reside in other regions.
  • A powerful workforce productivity concept that promotes quiet spaces, personalized methods of getting work done, etc., and;
  • The best possible way for keeping and retaining top talent while boosting morale, improving culture, and enhancing overall employee engagement.

The workforce revolution is still happening today, even in post-pandemic times. Remote and hybrid work stand as Future of Work cornerstones, seamlessly blending flexibility and innovation to sculpt a dynamic and interconnected global workforce.

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Technology Adoption an Accelerant for Future of Work

Direct SourcingGeneral InsightsHRSolution ProvidersTalentTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

Within the last few months, coverage of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality have heated up. With apps such as ChatGTP, anyone can test the AI waters and its relevancy to workplace efficiencies. Recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research indicated the adoption of new workforce technology and solutions is an enterprise imperative for 68% of survey respondents.

One of the defining characteristics of the Future of Work is digitization. Enterprises are now operating with more remote and hybrid workplaces. Thus, technology is imperative to a cohesive and efficient workforce. What this means for the individual employee is more daily immersion in various technological platforms and solutions. Upskilling will be a critical aspect for workers as they harness more advanced technologies to communicate, collaborate, and execute their roles.

Digital employee experience (DEX) is a term that describes how effective workers are in using digital tools. DEX is a growing area of interest as companies adopt a plethora of digital tools to augment their dispersed workforces. Companies want to ensure the tools they have integrated into the workplace are intuitive and enhance worker productivity.

Tom Haak, director at the HR Trend Institute, says, “Technology offers enormous opportunities to improve the life of people in and around organizations. In HR, the focus is still too much on control and process improvement, not enough on really improving the employee experience.”

Today, with remote and in-person workers, enterprises must bridge those two environments and focus on technologies that both attract and retain workers regardless of where they work. Technology that supports the Future of Work comes in a variety of forms. Often, artificial intelligence (AI) permeates many digital solutions, providing automated processes and data outputs for better workforce decision-making.

Throughout the remainder of the year, the Future of Work Exchange will be highlighting several technologies from blockchain to e-wallets, and how they impact Future of Work strategies. However, the following are technologies that business leaders and employees are using now and, in the future, to enhance the DEX and drive workplace efficiency and community.

Communication and Collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic put communication and collaboration to the ultimate test. Enterprises and employees experienced first-hand the potential of digital communication as they grew accustomed to using Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. These platforms proved that remote work could, in fact, be accomplished with the same productive and strategic outcomes as in-person work models. It is one of the major reasons why remote and hybrid workforce options were embraced by enterprises post-pandemic.

There are several communication and collaborative tools to serve the enterprise and its remote and in-person workforce. Basecamp provides both a communication and collaborative platform to keep projects on schedule and lines of communication open. Trello also makes project management run smoothly regardless of where an employee is based.

Beyond these more common collaborative solutions, companies are utilizing chatbots for internal use for collaborative purposes and employee support. ServiceNOW, for example, offers its Virtual Agent solution to bring people to the same collaborative workspace or provide answers to employee questions.

Another evolving collaborative offering is the virtual whiteboard for use during company and team meetings. Companies such as Miro, MURAL, and Stormboard provide effective tools for diagramming and presenting in real time.

Big Data (Predictive and People Analytics)

Volumes of data flood enterprises from a variety of sources. For HR and other business leaders, big data is crucial to their Future of Work strategies, generating analytics across the talent acquisition and talent management landscape. Predictive analytics, for example, will grow as a key component of direct sourcing initiatives to curate a pipeline of potential job candidates.

According to a post on the Future of Work Exchange (FOWX), “While predictive analytics are not commonplace today, soon, a majority of enterprises will look to scenario-building as a way to enhance overall talent intelligence. Predictive analytics, in this realm, will augment the organization’s overall knowledge of its in-house skills as well as the expertise available externally (across all talent communities, including talent pools).”

Where predictive analytics will help prepare the enterprise for its future talent needs, people analytics are necessary to understand how employees are embracing digital tools and applications. Are shared applications being utilized by the workforce? Is there participation in virtual workspaces? What are employee sentiments around an enterprise’s digital transformation? People analytics help answer these questions and provide key insights into employee productivity, well-being, and digital adoption.

Virtual Reality

In a previous post, FOWX explored the possibilities of the metaverse. Virtual reality will stretch the limits of employee interaction and community. Virtual workspaces where employee avatars can converse and strategize are likely to come to fruition in the coming years. It levels the playing field for remote and in-person employees by creating a setting for everyone regardless of location.

Artificial intelligence is also a major piece of the virtual reality offering. Currently, employees can create an avatar to complete repetitive tasks using AI or communicate with customers to answer product questions. As technology advances, the potential influence of virtual reality on the Future of Work will only increase. Today’s chatbots are just the beginning of how enterprises can leverage the virtual world and bridge humans with AI.

Just as the Future of Work evolves, so too will the technologies that support it. There are dozens of software applications on the horizon to benefit business leaders and their employees. Explore the options and how they align with your workforce strategy.

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The “FOWX Live” Executive Roundtable Is Back…Join Us In Boston on June 13

Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Last year, the Ardent Partners team hosted the inaugural Future of Work Exchange LIVE (“FOWX Live”) executive roundtable event, which saw executives from around the globe connect, converse, and network around topics such as the extended workforce, remote and hybrid work, the evolution of talent acquisition, services procurement, etc.

The second annual edition of our exclusive executive roundtable series returns on June 13 in Boston at the historic Harvard Club venue. Join us for an engaging and exciting event in the heart of Boston as we discuss the topics that are driving change in the world of work and talent.

This event will bring together thought leaders and industry experts to explore key topics such as the impact of technology, the changing nature of work, and strategies for attracting and retaining top talent. Whether you’re looking to optimize your procurement processes, revamp your talent acquisition strategy, or improve your HR practices, this event is for you.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network with like-minded professionals and gain valuable insights that will help you drive success in your organization. Register now to secure your spot at the Future of Work Exchange LIVE executive roundtable event in Boston on June 13. We look forward to seeing you there!

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The Power of Digital Workspaces in 2023

Business LeadershipTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Digital workspaces are increasingly becoming powerful additions to the realm of remote and hybrid work. In the simplest of terms, these digital spaces allow employees to work remotely or from anywhere with an internet connection, rather than being tied to a specific physical location.

In recent years, the adoption of digital workspaces has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many companies to adopt remote work policies. However, even before the pandemic, the trend towards digital workspaces was already on the rise, driven by factors such as the increasing availability of advanced communication and collaboration technologies, the rising costs of real estate, and the desire for greater flexibility and work-life balance.

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research in 2023 finds that nearly 80% of businesses across the globe experienced a greater number of remote and hybrid workers in 2022, a stat that represents something deeper about this type of work model: it’s now permanent, no matter how many executives believe they can ignore the spectrum of flexibility that has become synonymous with post-pandemic working.

The adoption of digital workspaces has not been without its challenges, however. One of the biggest challenges has been the need to adapt to new technologies and ways of working, especially as many executive leaders continue to push for return-to-office initiatives. For many workers, the transition to remote work has required a significant learning curve, as they have had to figure out how to stay connected and collaborate with their colleagues without the benefit of face-to-face interactions.

Another challenge has been the need to balance the demands of work with the demands of home life, as many people have had to set up makeshift offices in their homes. This can be especially difficult for those with children or other family responsibilities, who may struggle to find the time and space to focus on their work. Thus, the elements of work-life integration will continue to be a critical issue for enterprises that enable a flexible working environment for their talent.

Despite these issues, there are many benefits to digital workspaces. One of the most obvious advantages is the ability to work from anywhere, which can be especially appealing to people who live in high-cost cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, etc. Digital workspaces also offer greater flexibility and autonomy, as employees are not tied to a specific schedule or location. This can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction (two factors that play vital roles in talent retention efforts), as employees are able to customize their work environments to fit their needs and preferences.

And, with innovation at play, digital workspaces can offer so much more than a flexible, automated, and collaborative environment for remote and hybrid employees. As seen with Vista Equity Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital’s acquisition of digital workspace leader Citrix last year, the convergence of virtual desktop technology and advanced, real-time intelligence (as well as other forms of automation) can provide business users with an additional layer of value. The Citrix deal proved that (with TIBCO (a Vista portfolio company)), digital workspaces can be seamlessly integrated with various applications and data across the enterprise technology infrastructure of the contemporary enterprise…meaning that businesses have the ability to shift a true office environment onto a remote infrastructure without losing control over intellectual property and data whilst giving flexible workers the same strength of access to enterprise systems that they would have in the office.

Overall, it is clear that digital workspaces are here to stay. As more and more companies adopt remote work policies, it is important for employees and employers to find ways to adapt to this new way of working. This may require a rethinking of traditional work practices and the use of new technologies, but the benefits of digital workspaces – including greater flexibility, cost savings, and, with a push from next generation automation, frictionless integration of applications and intelligence – prove that their power is critical for success in 2023.

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Remote Work and Employee Engagement Are Inherently Linked

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

It seems that everywhere we turn, there are new return-to-office (RTO) mandates making headlines. Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, recently mandated employees return to the office three days a week beginning in the spring. The same day of the mandate, over 14,000 employees joined a newly-created Slack channel to voice their displeasure with the ruling.

Disney’s executives followed a similar path, only much earlier in January, and, with four mandated days-in-office rather than the three dictated by Amazon. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff mandated three days in office in the midst of the company sunsetting its Future Forum consortium, which, SOMETHING enough, found that flexible working environment were incredibly conducive to productivity and employee engagement.

And, yeah, we all know Elon Musk’s feelings on remote work during his tumultuous time thus far at Twitter. There’s also this nugget from a recent Fortune article:

“But the latest data suggests that partially empty office towers — a feature of city-centers with the rise of remote work — may remain that way. Data from security firm Kastle Systems show that office occupancy in major US cities is only about half of the pre-Covid level.”

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research has discovered that 82% of businesses relied more on remote and hybrid workplace models in 2022 than they did in 2021, a statistic that proves flexibility is a continued pandemic-era accelerant that has become a permanent fixture of the world of work.

So, in the face of more intrusive RTO mandates, where does this leave the most critical component of the modern enterprise, it workforce?

Well, it’s a complicated quandary, for sure. As the tail end of 2022 swayed more and more towards a likely economic downturn, workers became more focused on keeping their jobs in lieu of the continual quest for flexibility and other benefits. However, that specific focus has seemed to settled a bit; while layoffs are regular news across most industries, the backlash to household CEOs’ RTO mandates proves one major thing: remote work and employee engagement are inherently linked, and more importantly, shouldn’t be separated.

The modicum of control here, the very level of pervasive oversight…it’s all archaic. While it is easily understood that every executive leader desires some semblance of authority over their workforce (which leader wouldn’t?), there is a major difference between control-for-the-sake-of-control and a balance between control and trust. If anything at all, the past three years have proved that remote and hybrid work models are effective in maintaining (and boosting!) productivity,

There is an ongoing war for talent and there will always be a war for talent, no matter the economic, social, or political background of any business era. Simply put: a company’s talent is what propels it into innovation and success. So, then, doesn’t it make sense that every business leader do all that they can to actively engage their workers and ensure a positive, consistent workforce experience?

“When it comes to our talent acquisition strategy, we’re not completely opening the doors for every request from every candidate,” one SVP of Talent Acquisition told me last week. She added, “However, our executive team realizes that we’re not going to compete without the right talent across our many global locations, so, we do what we can to prioritize the candidate experience and ensure that flexibility is embedded into as many roles as possible. We value interoffice collaboration and understand that it’s vital to who we are as an organization…it’s just that we know how much the world has changed and how critical attributes like remote work are for the engagement of our workforce.”

Many leaders and professionals alike typically equate “employee engagement” with growth opportunities and enhanced communication; while these are indeed cornerstones of the overall worker experience, in a talent-driven world as such we live in today, businesses have traverse beyond these aspects to attract and maintain high-quality talent. Workers crave autonomy and flexibility, two pillars of the remote or hybrid workplace model. Professionals want to be trusted in their environments to be productive and to have the flexibility required for better work-life integration. These two attributes together? They are, in essence, the foundation of worker happiness.

And, as we know, happy workers are the ones that are satisfied with their roles and careers and feel much more engaged with their leaders, peers, colleagues, and organization. The link between remote/hybrid work and employee engagement is one that cannot, and will not, be broken.

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An Ode to the Future of Work

Business LeadershipHRTalentTechnology and Innovation by Andrew Bartolini on

The Future of Work is a topic that has been discussed for by Ardent Partners for many years, particularly with technology rapidly evolving and transforming industries. Today, we offer a poem that takes a creative and fun approach to imagining what the future of how we work might look like.

With rhyming couplets and vivid imagery, we’ve tried to paint a picture of a world where AI machines take on mundane tasks, leaving more time for worker creativity and exploration. The idea of virtual offices and collaboration without borders adds a sense of excitement and wonder to the future of work as we envision a world where the limitations of physical space and language barriers no longer exist. Ultimately, the poem encourages us to embrace the future with open arms, as it holds endless possibilities for growth and innovation.

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Workplace Optimization Through Hybrid Work Models

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsHR by John Yuva on

Many employees have now settled into their remote and hybrid work structures as enterprises adopt a more flexible workplace. However, the Future of Work is about work optimization, and there are several hybrid work models to offer employees. Depending on the organization, its workforce makeup, and the nature of the roles, various hybrid models can benefit different scenarios.

What enterprises can’t lose sight of is the Future of Work progress over the previous three years. Much has been gleaned from an enterprise and employee perspective about what drives productivity, wellness, and retention. Unfortunately, some enterprises are reverting to full or near-full in-person guidelines. Disney CEO Bob Iger is the latest high-profile executive to require workers to return to the office four days per week, citing more effective collaboration and creative output.

However, some organizations are shifting their stance for other reasons.

The Gray Area of Hybrid Work

Enterprises place trust in their employees that when working away from the office, they’re focused on projects and available to their team members and managers. It is not much to ask when given the privilege to achieve work/life balance and mental well-being. However, there are several reported incidents where workers have abused the benefit of hybrid work.

Even during the first two years of the pandemic, employees were being terminated for working more than one full-time job. With less oversight and employees scattered around the world, some couldn’t resist the opportunity to increase their income at the expense of their employers. There are few details offered about how these schemes came to light, but it’s likely the virtual water cooler played a role.

There is also the story of a woman who worked remotely four days per week, with a mandatory Monday in-person check-in. While appearing every Monday for on-site collaborative meetings and face-to-face dialogue, she took pride in the ability to jet off one week per month to places unknown. During that week, she made an appearance on Monday before catching her flight that evening to a new destination. While work was on the agenda, it was also a mini vacation to make the most of her week abroad. Apparently, there were no sudden requests to appear in the office beyond the mandatory Monday, nor communication issues with her employer.

It’s fair to say (and I hope so) that these examples are few and far between. They do not represent typical remote and hybrid employees.

Optimize Your Hybrid Work Model

This brings us back to the work optimization issue, however. When considering or evaluating the effectiveness of a hybrid work model, there are a few things to consider. Steve Todd, AVP, Global Head of Workplace for Nasdaq, provides insights into various hybrid model options — all with the goal of maintaining workflow and scheduling consistency.

At-will hybrid model. This model could be the most flexible for employees because it empowers them and puts trust in their decision-making. Essentially, workers decide when they want to come into the office. Depending on their preferences, some employees may work on-site when all-staff or team meetings are held. Others may commit to one or two days per week to maintain face-to-face interaction.

This model assumes that a physical office exists, and that appropriate space is available for most employees. Organizations could risk space issues for days when nearly all employees are on-site. Overall, however, the at-will model caters to the employee and what schedule works best for the individual. It emphasizes building morale and enhancing productivity.

Office-first hybrid model. Todd says that like the at-will model, the office-first approach places much of the on-site scheduling on the employee, but with requirements to work in-person a certain number of days per week.

Todd writes, “The office-first model works best for organizations whose productivity is dependent on collaboration. It allows teams to get their jobs done while also allowing some room for flexibility and individual work.”

This model becomes problematic for employees that live far away from the office. Commuting to work once or twice per week affects productivity. And any organization where collaboration is critical will not benefit from an office-first model — or a hybrid model in general.

Split-week hybrid model. This hybrid approach offers room for experimentation depending on the outcome. An enterprise assigns teams to work on-site for half the week. Often, it is teams that routinely collaborate that are assigned the same on-site/remote schedule. Todd says two major benefits of this hybrid model are team dynamics and effective face-to-face meetings. Teams can discuss project milestones and challenges in person, then work on the finer individual details remotely.

However, a major drawback to the split week is a lack of inter-team collaboration. If a team outside the core group is needed for a project, there is a scheduling misalignment. One of the outcomes of the pandemic is the increase in cross-functional collaboration. Teams that did not frequently interact contributed to virtual meetings for informational and strategic purposes and to increase transparency.

There is room for experimentation with the split-week model. Team dynamics or a project focus may shift requiring an adjustment in scheduling. Seek feedback from employees about the effectiveness of their schedules and areas for improvement.

Week-to-week hybrid model. Organizations considering downsizing to a smaller office could benefit from a week-to-week hybrid approach.  According to Todd, “This type of hybrid work model is most advantageous for companies with a large number of employees. With this setup, you can drastically reduce the office space necessary for your operations and cut down on overhead costs.”

Conversely, a smaller space to accommodate fewer people can be problematic for large-scale in-person events or meetings. The overhead cost savings are attractive but be cautious of staffing constraints it can impose.

Hybrid work models are evolving as enterprises increase their flexibility and focus on work optimization rather than antiquated staffing protocols. Involving employees in the organization’s work model decision-making promotes morale and trust. The Future of Work is about options and experimentation for the betterment of the workforce.

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