Globally, workers have fallen in love with remote work, but according to reports, about 64% of executives believe it’s time to return to the office. It’s hard to be sure of what the future of work will look like. But there’s one thing we can do, and that’s to look at trends.
Let’s take a closer look at some trending contrasting opinions and realities of remote work as we head into 2024.
CEOs Say Remote Work Will End Soon
According to experts, global executives believe that the time of remote work is almost up. As stated in the
KPMG Global CEO Outlook, 64% of global executives believe 2026 will be the year the world will return to full in-office work. CEOs further say they are exploring incentives and perks to make on-site work more attractive than remote work.
This greatly clashes with what employees want. Unsurprisingly, workers who have been fully remote over the past three years don’t want to return to the office. Less commuting, no more strict
work outfits, personalized workspaces, flexible work hours, and enhanced work-life balance are just a few obvious benefits of working remotely.
In
a study by Gallup, 90% of workers say they don’t want to return to entirely on-site work. In fact, many employees are willing to let go of their jobs that don’t offer them the flexibility they want.
Since the great resignation began in early 2021, employers have been worried about losing their biggest talents because of flexibility issues. However, with industries finding their balance and new talents aggressively developing, power seems to be shifting back to employers. It’s interesting to see how the next few years will play out.
One of the most vocal CEOs about his dislike for remote work is Elon Musk. Not only did the Tesla CEO send a notorious email to workers last year necessitating a minimum of 40 hours per week, but the recent 2023
Q3 Tesla Earnings Call featured Musk labeling remote workers as “detached from reality.”
Musk has a long history of disdain for remote work, but in recent times, several other CEOs have queued behind his narrative of ending remote work. In August 2023, in an ironic move, Zoom reversed its fully remote work culture to mandate employees within 50 miles of the company back to the office.
It doesn’t end there. Meta (formerly Facebook) also recently initiated a 3-day office workday policy. These hybrid setups have proven to be a feasible compromise between employers wanting to maximize work hours and employees who love the taste of remote work.
Are All Companies Against Remote Work?
The short answer is ‘No.” There are global companies that remain supportive and invested in remote work. For instance, Gumroad has a fully remote work culture, with “no meetings” being one the company is known for.
Drew Houston, the CEO of Dropbox, gives a contrasting view of the future of remote work. According to the CEO, “If you trust people and treat them like adults, they will behave like adults.” With his company’s 90/10 rule — 90% of the year for remote work and 10% for off-site events — Houston demonstrates trust in people staying productive irrespective of location.
And he’s not the only one. More global companies are encouraging employees to work on schedules and systems that are flexible and convenient for them.
Who Are Big Remote Work Advocates?
Remote work and hybrid arrangements are excellent for companies that are all about employees getting their jobs done and not when such employees log on. Expectedly, different companies have slightly varying ways of handling this need for flexibility.
Adobe
One of the established computer software companies that continue to support the remote work parade is Adobe. In the words of Gloria Chen, Adobe’s Chief People Officer, “While we believe in the value of in-person interaction, we know that in some cases, a remote work arrangement makes sense for Adobe…”
The company created a smart digital campus app called Adobe Life to make
remote work more inclusive for employees. Thanks to the app, workers can keep up to date with company developments while also encouraging interpersonal relationships and communication.
Airbnb
For a company that helps users find short lets around the world, it isn’t unprecedented to have its employees living and working from anywhere in the world. The company affirmed its work-from-anywhere policy in 2022 and hasn’t looked back since.
Atlassian
In a
blog post, Atlassian confirmed that about 300 of its 8000+ employees have moved to a new country since its fully remote work policy came into play. In the same vein, the company claims that more than 10% of its US-based workers relocated to a new state after the company established this policy. So far, Atlassian’s “Team Anywhere” initiative has enjoyed marked success, and the company continues to ship products that improve remote work efficiency for the world.
HubSpot
Having a client list of 170,000 businesses relying on software created by the company hasn’t prevented it from sticking to its remote work resolve. The company has three work arrangements: working entirely remotely, going to the office twice a week, and going to the office three times a week.
What Does the Future Hold for Remote Work?
There is more than one opinion on the future of work. With the remote work concept experiencing different realities in varying industries and diverse results, it posits not to be a one-size-fits-all model.
However, trends like the rapid adoption of new tech tools, focus on employee well-being, hybrid work models, ease of remote onboarding and integration, emphasis on cybersecurity, and more are bolstering the development of a new culture. Even if remote work is not an option, companies can transfer its principles and benefits to the office environment. Business executives should embrace and adopt this work setup, which is vital to unlocking sustained productivity.
