When Presence ≠ Performance
Plus, save your spot for i4cp's Next Practices Now conference!
👋 Happy Tuesday! According to Pew Research, 46% of employed adults who can work from home say they would be unlikely to stay in their current role if their employer forced them back to the office. This finding comes as major companies like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Amazon implement five-day in-office mandates.
In this week’s edition:
🏢 Is RTO Relevant?
📊 Glassdoor Ratings by Flexibility Model
🎟️ i4cp's Next Practices Now Conference
Current Subscribers: 8,210
Please forward to colleagues and friends! Link to subscribe.
THIS WEEK’S FLEX FOCUS 🔍
Why RTO Doesn’t Necessarily Equate to Business Success
New McKinsey research spanning 8,000 U.S. employees reveals that regardless of where people work, companies are failing to deliver on the very outcomes RTO policies aim to achieve – collaboration, innovation, and mentorship.
The evidence is stark: MyPerfectResume's survey shows 80% of employees feel disconnected from their work, citing issues that transcend location like poor compensation and management. Meanwhile, Citigroup offers a contrasting approach under CEO Jane Fraser, treating workplace flexibility as a competitive advantage rather than a liability, and investing $1.2 billion in reimagining their U.K. headquarters to organically enhance collaboration and culture.
The path forward requires shifting focus from where employees work to how they work. The real challenge isn't getting employees back to their desks – it's creating an environment where they can thrive, regardless of location.
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 👇
Fast Company: Leadership's push for RTO policies stumbles without mutual trust and transparency, as executives fail to address employee concerns and lead by example.
Entrepreneur: Young workers resist RTO mandates through 'task masking,' a viral TikTok trend where employees performatively act busy in-office without increasing actual productivity.
Fortune: Fintech giant Revolut bucks Wall Street's RTO trend by doubling down on hybrid work policy, telling 10,000 employees they can work remotely.
HBR: Corporate leaders should resist RTO bandwagon, as research shows remote and hybrid policies boost productivity when aligned with strategic business goals rather than blanket mandates.
STAT OF THE WEEK 📈
Glassdoor Ratings by Flexibility Model
This time last year, we looked at average Glassdoor Ratings by Flexibility Model with Boston Consulting Group. Unsurprisingly, Fully Flexible companies outperformed Structured Hybrid and Full Time In Office companies on Work-Life Balance. What may be surprising is that flexible companies rated their company more highly on Culture & Values, despite many C-Suite executives believing that culture could only be built in the office.
When it came to Compensation and Benefits, prior research found that employees viewed the ability to work remotely like an 8% pay increase. Glassdoor ratings supported that finding; flexible employers significantly outperformed on perception of compensation & benefits.
FLEXPERT INSIGHTS 🧠
Building Tomorrow’s Workplace Today
Join Brian Elliott at i4cp's Next Practices Now Conference as he reveals how human-centric leadership drives superior outcomes in today's complex work environment.
Speaking alongside Annie Dean (Atlassian) and Kimberly Cockrell (Toyota North America CHRO), Brian will share the latest research and case studies on how leading organizations are turning workplace flexibility into competitive advantage, harmonizing human potential with AI, and creating collaborative environments that span five generations.
Learn how forward-thinking leaders are building new ways of working that enable teams and unlock potential—delivering better business results than top-down mandates.
FLEX PERSPECTIVES 🎙️
ICYMI: A Futurist’s Predictions for 2024 — AI, Jobs, & the Workplace | Daniel Burrus
In this episode of Flex Perspectives, Rob Sadow sat down with six-time entrepreneur, best-selling author, and futurist Daniel Burrus. With accurate predictions dating back to the early 1980s, Daniel has established a global reputation for foreseeing the future of technology-driven change and its impact on the business world.
Check out the full episode to learn:
The transformative impact of AI on industries and tasks.
The challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in the evolving job market.
Practical strategies for thriving in an AI-focused world.
The changing dynamics of the workspace and the blending of remote and in-office work.
Also available on Apple Podcasts.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ✨
Signify is the global leader in providing smart and connected LED lighting systems, products, software, and services across consumer and professional markets. The company's mission is to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world, aiming for greater energy efficiency, productivity, and sustainability through cutting-edge illumination technology.
ONE MORE THING 1️⃣
Add your company to Flex Index
Learn about Office Benchmarks
Share this newsletter with friends and colleagues
FLEX INDEX | OFFICE BENCHMARKS
Office Benchmarks offers powerful insights into your office footprint, space design, and usage compared to peers with similar policies. Maximize your workplace potential and make confident, informed investments.