Here’s why RTO mandates aren’t enough to kill remote work.
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Tuesday: Return Driven Strategy |
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For those of you who are not yet familiar with this, RDS is a pyramid-shaped framework with 11 tenets and 3 foundations. When applied properly, these principles help businesses achieve high levels of performance. Let’s apply this framework in the context of work. Keep reading below to know why remote working continues to endure despite the widespread adoption of return-to-office (RTO) mandates.
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A California Victory for “Free Birds” Everywhere The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the way work is done. Prior to the health crisis, workers across the globe crowded office spaces throughout the whole workweek. However, all of that changed due to global lockdowns.
At the peak of the health crisis, almost every employee was working from home, using telecommuting applications. Even though some had doubts about remote work, the setup went relatively well… at least until companies started to ask employees to return to the office. Return to the Office… or Else In 2023, big companies asked their employees to spend more time in the office, with some firms requiring workers to spend at least 3 to 5 days in the office a week. Unsurprisingly, this led to disagreement between employers and employees. For instance: Workers believe they are more productive when working remotely because they don’t have to worry about problems such as long commutes. On the other hand, business leaders argue that workers are less productive and are missing out from much-needed mentoring when working remotely. This sentiment eventually led to some companies prohibiting new hires to work from home or to eliminate remote jobs entirely. Worse, some companies put in place measures such as tracking employee attendance through Internet activity and electronic badge swipes, and outright deny the promotions for workers who work remotely entirely. Unfortunately, even though these measures were received negatively, they continue to be in place today. Due to the measures mentioned above, some have assumed that remote working will fade as a trend in the jobs market. However, that may not be the case… and one could even argue that remote work might actually be here to stay after all. Remote Work is Here to Stay According to the latest findings from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Annual Time Survey, 35% of U.S.-based employees did some or all of their work at home in 2023, up from 34% in 2022. For those who might not know, the Annual Time Use survey measures exactly how Americans spend their time and includes leisure activities, household chores, and work tasks. The fact that work from home rates saw a slight increase indicates that it has stabilized despite the presence of return-to-office (RTO) mandates that require workers to report on-site full-time. In other words, workers are much more likely to work remotely in one form or another moving forward. Remote Work as Seen through the Lens of RDS According to Professor Joel Litman and Dr. Mark L. Frigo in the book, “Driven”: “Companies succeed when employees and other individuals are aligned To remain competitive in today’s complex jobs market where demand for top-tier talent is high, executives must take into account that professionals want flexibility in how they do their work. One of the biggest reasons why workers value the ability to work remotely so highly, to the point that some would even prefer it over a promotion, is that they are able to manage their own schedules and workload. This flexibility allows professionals to prioritize other aspects of their lives. That’s why it’s understandable why many of them do not want to give up the ability to work remotely, even if it means giving up promotions or higher pay. The bottom line? If organizations want to attract and retain top-tier talent, they need to accept this reality and enact measures that encourage and allow remote work. — If you’re looking to gain a better understanding of Return Driven Strategy and Career Driven Strategy, we highly recommend checking out “Driven” by Professor Litman and Dr. Frigo. Click here to get your copy and learn how this framework can help you in your business strategies and ultimately, in ethically maximizing wealth for your firm. Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. EXCITING NEWS AHEAD The world of work has shifted, and there’s no going back. The barriers to entry have never been lower for talented professionals to work independently, and today’s massive external workforce is hardly a pandemic-produced fad. Business owners can only survive in the new work landscape by partnering with this deep talent pool. With decades of experience in both small-business entrepreneurship and executive management at PwC, I truly believe that the future of work is independent. With that, I’m happy to share with you that my book, co-authored with Walter Scott Lamb, is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work & The Independent Mind This is an essential read for both independent professionals and corporate executives. Here, we provide educational and practical guides to unpack the ever-growing workforce and offer you crucial ways to become a client of choice. Click on the link above to pre-order your copy. Let this book help you future-proof your career and organization in the new world of work. Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s Return Driven Strategy! Once upon a time, human resource (HR) professionals were seen as mere pencil-pushers and paper-shufflers, condemned to a life of just filing forms and enforcing dress codes. Learn more about how this tech brand’s employees add value to its business in next week’s article! |
