Remote work report: Leaders need wake-up call
Hybrid work is not business as usual. It will require the rethinking of long-held assumptions. Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call. These are conclusions in Microsoft´s first annual Work Trend Index titled “The Next Great Disruption is Hybrid Work- Are We Ready?” The study comprises study more than 31 000 people in 31 countries.
- Collaboration trends in Microsoft Teams and Outlook suggest networks have contracted but hybrid work will revive them.
- Time spent in meetings has more than doubled globally, and over 40 billion more emails were delivered in February compared with last.
- Nearly 40% say they feel more comfortable bringing their full selves to work than before the pandemic, and one in six have cried with a colleague this past year.
- 73% of workers surveyed want flexible remote work options to continue.
- Remote postings on LinkedIn increased more than five times during the pandemic.
Over 40% of the global workforce is considering leaving their employer this year and 46% are planning to move now that they can work remotely.
“The choices you make today will impact your organization for years to come. It’s a moment that requires clear vision and a growth mindset,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president in a statement.
“These decisions will impact everything from how you shape culture, to how you attract and retain talent, to how you can better foster collaboration and innovation.”
The findings suggest that this past year has fundamentally changed the nature of work:
In short, addressing flexible work will impact who stays, who goes and who joins a company.
The report says the following seven trends every business leader needs to know of:
- Flexible work is here to stay.
- Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call.
- High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce.
- Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized.
- Shrinking networks are endangering innovation.
- Authenticity will spur productivity and well-being.
- Talent is everywhere in a hybrid work world.
Business leaders need the follow according to the report:
- Create a plan to empower people for extreme flexibility.
- Invest in space and technology to bridge the physical and digital worlds.
- Combat digital exhaustion from the top.
- Prioritize rebuilding social capital and culture.
- Rethink the employee experience to compete for the best and most diverse talent.
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