Dave Cairns’ Post

We have all heard the saying that '𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻,' and something similar occurred when we transitioned to a complete Work From Home (WFH) setup at the beginning of the pandemic. Thanks to technology, it became possible to establish an environment where the entire team could work without compromising quality. However, as the pandemic subsided, certain companies began to backtrack on their WFH or Work From Office (WFO) policies. While it is true that certain sectors, such as the service sector, may not function optimally in a virtual setup, some organizations have been vocal about financial constraints during the appraisal cycle, yet they are investing in multiple office spaces within a single city, essentially requiring employees to return to the office. For individuals with over 15-20 years of industry experience, working from the office may seem ideal, but those in their late 20s remain hesitant about returning to the office permanently. To address this, some companies have introduced the concept of a hybrid work culture, which appears to be a practical solution. This approach involves implementing a roster system, allowing teams to work in the office with limited occupancy. In June 2020, one of the tech giant announced that it would enable 75% of its employees to continue working from home even after the pandemic subsided. However, they have since revised this stance. Several of my female friends specifically joined the organization because of the WFH or hybrid work options, and upon hearing the recent change, many have started exploring new job opportunities. According to a report by the ADP Research Institute, 76.07% of employees in India prefer having control over their working hours and are willing to accept a pay cut for the flexibility to work remotely or alternate between home and office. Employees have grown accustomed to the advantages of saving money, and time, and experiencing reduced mental pressure while working from home or in a hybrid setup. It is important to recognize that employees are not mere resources but the lifeblood of organizations. Their well-being and job satisfaction are of paramount importance. As we navigate this evolving landscape, let us prioritize a considerate approach that caters to employees' needs, fosters productivity, and cultivates a thriving workplace culture. In the end, a content and engaged workforce stands as the true competitive advantage. PS: All LinkedIn actions (comments, likes, posts, etc.) are in my personal capacity and do not represent the views of any person or body associated with me. #workfromhome #fivedaysworking #hybridculture #newjobs #remotejobs

Is WFH on the rise? Nicholas Bloom, Stanford Economics Professor, thinks so. In an article Tuesday published in The Economist, Nicholas Bloom argues that WFH adoption could rise 50% in the next decade. His argument and takeaways: 1. Companies were forced home during the pandemic, and now some are mandating return-to-office work. This has dominated headlines for the past few quarters and raises questions about WFH's future success. 2. But now, he believes, the returning-to-office trend has stabilized. 3. In 1965, "0.4% of days were worked from home in America." But that number "doubled every 15 years until 2019." So, a declining rate of WFH now would buck the 60-year trend. 4. Before the pandemic, "5% of full paid days were worked from home across Europe and America." Now, "20% of all days are worked from home." 5. Two causes will continue to grow that number in the future: a. WFH technology is improving rapidly: it's an industry with more money than ever before. The number of patents filed mentioning telework has gone through the roof in recent years. b. The second factor is what he calls "cohort effects." Cohorts are essentially a demographic group with one thing in common, say, a group of people who all became parents the same year. Basically, these cohorts have common traits that emerge when studied. "Data show that younger start-ups tend to be more remote focused. These firms have been born in an era when having an office is optional and meeting customers and business partners online is standard. Many see forgoing offices and using more remote workers as a key cost-saving strategy. As a result, employees at today's new firms work almost twice as many days from home as those firms founded 30 years ago." So, it's likely that these post-pandemic start-ups will continue to follow the lead of those in their cohort and more will forego office space, shifting the average number of WFH days as post-pandemic startups employ a larger share of the economy over the next decade. 6. Both companies and employees benefit: Employees put a value on WFH equivalent to an 8% pay increase; firms retain more employees when they offer WFH options. 7. But why do executives fear WFH's impact on productivity? Bloom argues there are two misunderstandings at the root of these fears: a. While fully remote work might damage productivity, hybrid work increases it. b. And second, hybrid and remote work, even if they reduce individual productivity a little, release "billions of dollars of office and transportation capital for other parts of the economy to use," which stokes aggregate productivity because that money then has to flow into other areas of both consumer and business spending (i.e., consumers spend their gas money on something else, as do firms with their forgone mortgages and leases). Bloom expects that 30% of all days worked could be WFH a decade from now. What do you think? Will WFH continue to surge as he predicts?

I thought this was an interesting post on Work From Home, and a good review of what studies continue to verify - that WFH doesn't negatively affect, and likely positively affects, productivity. I was talking to a coworker the other day and they thought that our WFH situation was likely temporary in the long run. I like seeing studies like those listed in the article and hopefully the industry doesn't flinch away from facts. No doubt, there's an undeniable aspect of team-union and connection that occurs far more easily when souls are in the same room, but commuting more than a day every week or two and having a rigid physical requirement for one's schedule can easily suck the energy out of it. I've had the privilege to work remotely 4 out of 5 days a week for the last three years, and really like a kind of hybrid model that leans toward WFH. I'm sure it's different for everyone with different roles, and personalities. https://lnkd.in/gBwtQjPG #WFH

One of the questions I keep asking myself these days is how organisations and talent will weigh in on ‘return to office’ policies. Permanent hybrid or extended WFH on a large scale always had an inherent inefficiency that would have hit an organization irrespective of size and maturity eventually. Should we say that such models are intended to be used in exceptional circumstances and for short-term flexibility? Return to the office is inevitable and non-negotiable for enterprises seeking higher efficiency and a tighter organization-building process. Newer organisations are citing culture building, and older enterprises are seeking better collaboration and team bonding as many employees are new to the system. Remember we all overhired after the vaccines came into play? Ergo, employees who've redrawn their lifestyle and personal ecosystem to a hybrid will find it dysfunctional to be back at the office. However, Enterprises are dictating that back to the office is now the new norm, and talent must recalibrate. The top talent, however, will find employers who will match their new ask of remote! That's the risk the employers must have budgeted too?   How have the preferences of IT job seekers changed regarding work-from-office versus remote opportunities in recent months? As Indeed’s survey from August 2023 shows, 71% (every 2 in 3) of Indian workers would choose flexibility over pay. This includes WFH, flexible hours and the ability to take breaks as needed. The survey also revealed that 63% of workers prefer to work in hybrid mode. While this number does not only cover IT professionals, it is largely representative of what they believe. This can be seen as a hurdle but should be perceived as an opportunity for business decision-makers to create chances for connecting with employees, making the workplace more social. To be sure, in-person socializing does not impact productivity. It offers an alternative to video calls and virtual meetings by driving innovation and creating shared spaces for learning and connecting. As simplistic as it sounds, implementing this has been a challenge for most employers as they deal with workers who are either unused to the idea of working from the office or are newly minted freshers whose first job opportunity was realised from the confines of their own home. One of the most important takeaways for IT firms has been the fact that instances of moonlighting are now waning, considering return-to-office policies and a steady decline in demand for such jobs as well. If asked a penny for my thoughts, I will still say that offices have always been a cornerstone of corporate culture, collaboration, and innovation. To either minimise their scope or remove them entirely makes it hard for enterprises to run efficiently, and this is not an ideal scenario for both businesses and workers. To that end, even if we have new models for working in the future, I do not anticipate a situation wherein the workplace is sidelined.

Can you have your cake and eat it too? According to a recent USA Today article, which references a University of Pittsburgh study, the number of workers operating from home is expected to rise to 20% by the end of next year. Interestingly, S&P 500 companies with Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates showed no performance improvement over those with Work From Home (WFH) policies. This aligns with employee concerns that RTO is often used by managers to exert control and assign blame for underperformance, negatively impacting employee satisfaction. As the debate between RTO and WFH persists, it is increasingly clear that flexible work is the best solution, however, adapting workspaces to support true flexibility is challenging. Traditional setups were often designed for singular purposes, but as many companies downscale their real estate footprint to accommodate fewer onsite workers, the evolving model requires more dynamic use cases —like shared desks, versatile common areas, and adaptable meeting spaces. Traditional metrics like badge data and occupancy sensors are insufficient for capturing the type of data needed to optimize these new flexible spaces in large enterprises. Understanding how teams use space, identifying behavior patterns such as early arrivals or the habits of new versus returning employees, dwell time, and mapping common pathways are crucial. This level of detail can justify design decisions early on and enhance flexible work arrangements by pinpointing what works and what doesn't. It's unlikely that the office is ever going away because large companies need a hub, just as WFH is here to stay because employees work better when there is flexibility. We need to embrace both ways of working through designing better spaces. #RTO #WFH #FutureOfWork

As another year is coming to an end, and it has been nearly four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Stanford University economics professor who studies workplace trends says "return to the office is dead." He went on to explain that, "Levels of WFH were falling throughout 2020 to 2022, and office occupancy was rising. That trend ended in 2023, with both now pancake flat." Hybrid work is becoming the new normal for many industries,, with 100% remote and in-office becoming the fringes. As technology advances we can expect to see more growth in remote work in the coming years. Interesting stuff! https://lnkd.in/gGs2z2Tg

The COVID-19 pandemic completely upended traditional work arrangements and led to a massive increase in working from home. While some companies are now mandating a return to the office, it seems clear that remote and hybrid work is here to stay at much higher levels than pre-2020. Work from home has seen massive growth due to the pandemic. Before, people worked from home only 5% of workdays. Now it's at least 25% of workdays, representing 40 years of growth in just 2 years. Hybrid policies where employees come into the office 2-3 days a week seem to be the best compromise between fully in-office and fully remote. It provides flexibility for employees while still allowing for in-person collaboration and socializing. The function of the office has changed. It's now more focused on meetings, events, and socializing rather than quiet individual work. As the article says, "The office is for socializing. At home is for one-on-one Zooms and analyzing and thinking." WFH is likely here to stay and will continue growing, though at a slower pace than the last few years. More jobs like drive-through employees and office secretaries may transition to being remote. Companies' WFH policies will become an important factor for workers in choosing where to work. Different workers will prefer more or less days in the office depending on their lifestyle and preferences. Early skeptics have been surprised at how well WFH has worked during the pandemic. This massive unexpected growth has reinforced that working from home even a few days a week is viable for many desk jobs. #wfh #office #commercialproperty https://lnkd.in/eSYCCePf

Last Tuesday I posted about what you’re faced with in a return to office work.  Hybrid?  WFH?  Other options?  Well, here’s a follow up for you.  Most, at least according to this survey, employees are willing to quit their jobs if the work from home option is gone.  Now I know what one can say vs real life may be two different things, but there is a pretty overwhelming side that says, “I’ll take a lower paying job rather than return to the office”.  I’m also a little leery of the polling and how it was presented.  Is it an all or nothing?  Did they mention to the people polled that hiring, especially with complete WFH jobs.  Now the article does give some good ideas and options towards the end of it.  Basically it comes down to some form of Hybrid, even if it’s only 10% of the time.  I think that this debate is going to go on for some time.  It’s not easy to put the proverbial genie back in the bottle once it’s out.  People enjoy the freedom and ease of working from home.  Yes, they do miss some of the camaraderie with the team but it’s outweighed by having more time and less frustrations with commuting and able to spend it with the family.  Take a read.  I know that your 2024-2026 Strategic Plan is just about complete, but I hope you’ve given what you’re going to be doing with WFH over that time.  Take a read and give it thought.  What are you going to do in the next 3 years with it?  Drop me a note. #WFH #hybridworkplace #officework #smallbusinessowner #familyownedbusiness #smallbusiness #businesscoach https://lnkd.in/gem_mUxw

A 2022 Stanford University report revealed that while some workers returned to their post-pandemic work arrangements, 28.1% of employees remained working from home. The choice to WFH stems from four factors: 1. Happiness 🙂: WFH reduced quit rates by 35%. 2. Productivity 📝: Workers are more productive because there is less commuting stress and distractions when WFH. 3. Rent 🏢: Rent costs are less expensive so resources can be allocated to other business endeavors. 4. Talent 👔: Employers can hire employees across geographical boundaries meaning labor can be cost-effective and diverse. For more insights into recent EX trends and strategies to maintain an engaged workforce when working from home, visit our most recent blog! 💙✨ https://hubs.la/Q020hC0X0

Remote work works !! https://lnkd.in/g6kQYnxZ So, we were shocked to find a massive 13 percent increase in productivity [for remote workers] The productivity boost came from two sources. First, remote employees worked 9 percent more in minutes per day. They were rarely late to work, spent less time gossiping and chatting with colleagues, and took shorter lunch breaks and fewer sick days. Remote employees also had 4 percent more output per minute. They told us it’s quieter at home. The office was so noisy many of them struggled to concentrate. #rto #work #hiring #jobs