Hybrid Work Isn't the Issue—Connection Is
Plus, the one slide test that reveals if your workplace silos are killing employee experience
👋 Happy Tuesday! Someone at Ford found a creative way to express their feelings about RTO mandates. Meeting room screens across Ford buildings were hacked to display CEO Jim Farley’s face with a red "no” symbol and an explicit anti-RTO message.
In this week’s edition:
🤝 Building Connections in a Hybrid World
📊 Top 5 Least Flexible Industries
🧱 Breaking Workplace Silos
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THIS WEEK’S FLEX FOCUS 🔍
Maybe Hybrid Work Isn’t The Issue. Connection Is.
Hybrid work’s real challenge isn’t the model itself—it’s the disappearing moments of human connection. While companies celebrate efficiency gains, they’re inadvertently squeezing out the side conversations and belonging signals that fuel both culture and performance.
The case for prioritizing connection isn’t soft management theory. Research shows connected teams are more innovative, make better decisions, and retain talent at higher rates.
The solution requires intentional design: reclaiming “moments that matter” through structured check-ins, upskilling managers in relational capabilities, and using engagement data to surface disconnects before they reach exit interviews. Companies that build connection into hybrid workflows see it as a competitive advantage, not feel-good perks.
FLEX WORK QUICK HITS 💥
Stay ahead of the curve with our curated roundup of the trending flexible work stories making waves right now. Here's what you need to know 👇
Fortune: A quarter of executives admit their RTO mandates were designed to make employees quit, and nearly 40% of managers believe their companies resorted to layoffs when not enough workers left voluntarily.
UC Today: Big Tech’s talent retention problem isn’t about getting people back in the office—it’s about designing hybrid workspaces that give employees autonomy, personalized environments, and meaningful collaboration.
Newsweek: Research from 38 countries shows couples who both work remotely at least one day per week have 0.2 more children on average—potentially adding 100,000 babies annually in the U.S. by making childcare logistics easier and saving commute time.
STAT OF THE WEEK 📈
Top 5 Least Flexible Industries
Government has exhibited the most significant shift: a 23% downturn in the number of entities providing flexibility at the Federal level, as well as some state and local agencies. A year ago, Government was at the average of all industries.
Transportation & Automotive also shifted away from flexibility (down 6%), as did Education (down 3%). Restaurants & Food Service, along with Hospitality, were nearly flat year on year.
FLEXPERT INSIGHTS 🧠
One Slide to Rule Them All
In his latest edition of The Workline, Phil Kirschner exposes why employee experience keeps failing: HR, IT, and Corporate Real Estate still don’t actually talk to each other. The result? New hires call IT three times in their first week, desk booking systems show “available” desks that are occupied, and retention problems get discussed without mentioning office setup failures.
His solution? All three departments should use the exact same first slide in every executive presentation. If they can’t align on one slide about employee experience, Phil argues, you’ve just discovered why your workplace strategy isn’t working—and which silos need breaking first.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ✨
Dave & Buster’s, established in 1982, is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Texas. The company provides a unique dining and entertainment experience with a full-service restaurant and a video arcade. Dave & Buster’s mission is to create a fun, appealing environment where guests can “Eat, Drink, Play, and Watch” all under one roof.