As 2023 wraps up, we explore the top insights and trends in hybrid work, covering crucial aspects like RTO, C-suite roles, office design, and effective communication.
Employee satisfaction in hybrid models is evident, with high-revenue growth companies more likely to embrace this approach.
Investment in technology for seamless transitions between physical and virtual workspaces enhances productivity and well-being.
Facilities managers focus on smart space utilization, cost control, and sustainability in downsized offices.
Providing diverse communication options is vital to reduce digital overload and enhance collaboration in hybrid teams.
Hot desking gains popularity for space utilization and collaboration in hybrid environments.
Before we say goodbye to 2023, we'd love to wrap up the year for you with 2023’s top research, lessons learned, and the most-visited content on hybrid work! 2023 has been one of great debates for many companies as they grappled with where the best work gets done. Was it best to be fully remote, fully in-office, or would a hybrid strategy lead to the best performance?
Some companies mandated a return to five days in the office (Goldman Sachs, Boeing) while others doubled down on remote work (Airbnb, Neiman Marcus). For most, the sweet spot fell somewhere in the middle, with 87% of companies with a structured hybrid work model requiring employees to be onsite two to three times a week (Flex Index).
Throughout the year, we followed all the hybrid work trends—from RTO to ROI, to hot desking and meeting room etiquette, to the top CPOs and CIOs of the year. Here are the top 10 articles of 2023!
1. Turn RTO Into ROI: Hybrid Work Wins
Published on HR Dive! Vigorous debates about the efficacy of hybrid work make headlines every day.
Although 83% of workers around the globe prefer a hybrid work model, some high-profile companies like Goldman Sachs are mandating employees return to the office (RTO) full-time.
These demands have far-reaching consequences, creating employee engagement, recruitment and retention challenges. The same Conference Board study finds 71% of HR executives mandating an on-site work policy say they struggle to retain workers.
While hybrid work models clearly drive employee satisfaction — it’s the payback for organizations that is striking. 63% of high-revenue growth companies are more likely to embrace hybrid work. Conversely, nearly 70% of companies with negative or no growth do not offer hybrid options (Accenture).
Leading workplace studies uncover greater financial performance and a more engaged workforce for companies with hybrid work models.
2. 20 Chief People Officers (Shaping Hybrid Work) To Follow in 2023
Hybrid work is here to stay. PwC found in its Pulse Survey that 77% of CHROs say their companies will offer hybrid work in some way as a means to attract and keep talent.
Remote work has its perks, but it’s also creating issues like burnout and feelings of loneliness among employees and presenting more reasons why talent will pack up and leave. The same PwC survey found 30% of CHROs are concerned that remote work negatively impacts mental wellness, increases workplace inequity, and leads to toxic work culture.
Many people leaders are prioritizing giving employees the flexibility to choose when and how they work but also recognizing that in-office time is invaluable. High-performing organizations and CEOs rely on the role of the Chief People Officer to drive effective return-to-office and hybrid work strategies.
3. Hybrid Work Shifts CIOs’ Role To Include the Employee Experience (EX)
Published on CIO Dive! Hybrid work is pushing the boundaries of the conventional Chief Information Officer (CIO) role and expanding it beyond traditional tech and infrastructure into new areas of the business. Today, organizations rely heavily on technology to drive the employee experience and productivity—putting IT leaders in a potentially unfamiliar driver’s seat.
A Forrester study finds that today nearly 30% of IT leaders have responsibilities for employee experience (EX), engagement, and well-being. Of the respondents, 41% listed improving EX among their top priorities, and 60% are investing in EX to improve the productivity and performance of a distributed workforce.
4. How To Create Hybrid Office Neighborhoods With Skedda
RTO news is headlining everyday. Workplace dynamics are shifting toward hybrid work—with employees onsite at least three times a week—but the transition hasn’t been easy. Companies are trying various methods to get their employees back in the office – from gentle coaxing to strict directives.
Google warned employees that in-office attendance would be tracked via their badges and part of their performance reviews, while Amazon seemed unfazed by the recent employee walkout in protest.
Some organizations like The Predictive Index are taking a different approach by rethinking the purpose of an office. Instead of “forcing” employees to return, they make the commute worthwhile by becoming a “destination” that fosters social connections, creates a sense of belonging, and promotes well-being.
5. 20 Chief Information Officers (Shaping Hybrid Work) To Follow in 2023
Organizations with distributed workforces heavily rely on technology innovation and IT infrastructure to solve increasing communication and collaboration challenges. Technology remains a critical driving force behind enabling business and employee productivity—with much of the responsibility falling on the shoulders of IT leaders.
According to Lenovo, 55% of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) find managing their organization’s remote workforce extremely challenging; and 60% of CIOs feel the same about adopting and deploying new technology to help support hybrid work success at their organizations.
Using streamlined, scalable systems that help IT remotely manage from anywhere will be critical for the employee experience and productivity. Additionally, effective collaboration with other executive leaders—specifically Chief People Officers—is essential to effectively manage the changes. A Qualtrics survey found that 85% of CIOs now collaborate with the CHRO in their organization more than before the pandemic.
6. Humaning with Jackie Dube, CPO of The Predictive Index
We launched Humaning, Skedda’s new monthly blog series where we interview visionary HR and People Leaders on how they build human connection and vibrant work cultures that drive employee satisfaction, engagement, and business results—no matter where or how their people choose to work. For our inaugural installment, we had the honor of interviewing Jackie Dube, Chief People Officer of The Predictive Index.
In our interview, we discussed the biggest hybrid work challenge companies face, the most important thing to remember when moving to a hybrid environment, and how to ensure equity between remote and onsite employees. We even asked Jackie about her experience for the best ways to get employees into the office and how they’re doing it at their PI office.
7. Have More People than Desks? Don’t Get Burned by 6 Hot Desking Pitfalls
Employers are calling for the real need for “real estate efficiency.” Companies are seeing spaces—downsized during the pandemic—become too small for the influx of people. When Google asked employees to return to the office in February, employees had to alternate days and share desks with colleagues. And when Tesla ended all remote and hybrid work last year, employees flocking back to the office were met with inadequate desk space.
And despite the lack of office space, companies are mandating a return to the office, with CEOs often citing the movement as a means to increase employee productivity and engagement. All these factors led to the rise of hot desking, where employees share desks with others. The concept of hot desking is simple, but the logistics of implementing it can be challenging without the right tools.
8. Hybrid Communication Is Broken: The Pros and Cons of Synchronous and Async
Hybrid teams often leverage synchronous workflow (real-time interactions) like meetings to communicate and collaborate with remote teams. Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index reported that the average Teams user saw a 252% increase in their weekly meeting time and a 153% increase in the number of weekly meetings they have.
This can lead to meeting fatigue, reduced productivity, and even unequal representation of information. Asynchronous workflow, which allows for communication and collaboration on your own time, may be a new means to counterbalance an overreliance on synchronous communication.
Strategically utilizing various workflows is critical to overcoming the challenges of working in a hybrid office and achieving seamless collaboration among team members. It’s important that organizations provide various communication options to reduce employees’ digital overload and make better use of the workday.
9. Transitioning to Hybrid Work? 10 Steps To Manage the Change
When Salesforce launched its ‘Success from Anywhere’ work model in 2021, leaders spent years researching the best way to create a workplace where their employees could thrive. The change began by launching many internal employee surveys to get a grasp of what employees want from their workplace and their jobs post-pandemic. The results showed that the majority wanted a hybrid work model, and Salesforce redesigned its workplace based on that employee feedback.
With employees increasingly demanding flexible work and more companies planning to implement a hybrid model, organizations looking to make the switch may be wary of how to do so. The hesitation is especially understandable when there may be no strategy to guide a communications plan for implementing hybrid work. Here are 10 steps to help your organization manage the change.
It’s important to remember that work is, ultimately, about people. When you give your people the systems they need to do their work without hassle and stress, they’re free to deliver better outcomes for your business. In this regard, everybody can win when you’re using platforms and processes that benefit your people.
Desk booking software is one such platform that can help you improve your team’s productivity and boost collaboration. By having a centralized hub for desk booking, you can better implement hot desking and utilize office spaces more efficiently. Desk booking software also helps to automate tiresome administration away, such as allocating desks to employees on a daily basis. Additionally, a dedicated desk booking system provides insights and utilization data that supports smarter business decision-making.
There was so much to love this year that we couldn’t fit them all into the top 10! With that said, we’re including a few more special additions that we think will be informative and valuable for you to add to your hybrid work knowledge. Check them out!
Bonus 1: How Facilities Managers Capitalize on Hybrid Work To Better Control Costs, Maintain Sustainability, Utilize Space
Published on Facilities Dive! Organizations increasingly look to downsize their office space as they adopt hybrid work and see less need to have a massive real estate portfolio. A Knight Frank survey found that about 50% of major global companies will reduce their real estate in the next three years.
This shift is forcing facilities management to reevaluate how to best utilize reduced space to meet workplace expectations, such as maintaining a great workplace experience and supporting sustainability. As such, the role of the facilities manager is evolving to take on a more strategic and creative focus on smarter space utilization to reduce costs and ensure that spaces are used to their full potential.
In the hybrid work era, leveraging the right technology and data analytics and adopting sustainable practices are key to meeting the evolving needs of modern workplaces.
You spoke and we listened! We’re proud to announce the release of Skedda Visitor Management. In addition to using Skedda’s workspace management platform to provide great and secure hybrid work experiences, now organizations worldwide can also use Skedda to create secure, efficient, and welcoming visitor experiences.
“Your employees aren’t the only ones coming in and out of the office regularly, and on different days or weeks,” said John-Henry Forster, SVP of Product at Skedda. “Now anyone, including visitors, using your workspace can have a great experience. We’re excited to continue improving Visitor Management based on your feedback.”
With this new solution, Skedda continues to define the future of work by helping businesses design meaningful, seamless, and fully integrated employee and visitor workplace experiences.
Bonus 3: How Do I Implement Hot Desking at My Office? 9 Hot Tips to Help
In today’s fast-paced and dynamic work cultures, the traditional workweek is giving way to a more flexible and adaptable approach. Companies are offering flexible work to remain competitive in a job market that’s hurting for talent and to make better use of office spaces for hybrid teams.
Hot desking—also known as desk sharing, agile working, or hoteling—is gaining popularity as the solution that maximizes space utilization and encourages collaboration in a hybrid environment.
When implemented strategically, hot desking can foster a vibrant work atmosphere, but many seem ill-prepared to make the transition. Only 26% of CEOs have a future-ready strategy that is holistically focused on changing how, why, and where we work, according to Accenture.
With a lack of strategy and the right technology, hot desk management can feel like a frustrating game of musical chairs—and negatively impact your employee experience.
This year has been one of growth and new beginnings for Skedda, including the revamping of our blog, the launch of our newsletter and Heroes of Hybrid Work podcast, the doubling of our Skedda team, and more!
We officially documented our Mission, Vision, and Virtues, and had successful feature launches and product updates, including Skedda Visitor Management. Looking forward, we’re excited for more growth and improvements as we venture into 2024 together!
If you’re ready to start off 2024 with the world’s leading space scheduling platform, create your free Skedda account today.
Schedule a demo to transform your office today
Our team is ready and waiting to talk through your specific desk scheduling requirements and see how Skedda could work for you.
Get the latest insights and news about making hybrid work… work. Every month. For free.
Skedda is committed to protecting your privacy, and we’ll only use your personal information to administer your account and provide the products and services you request from us. From time to time, we may contact you about our products and services, or share other content that may be of interest to you.
You may unsubscribe at any time. By clicking submit, you consent to allow Skedda to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.
Elevate Your Workspace with Skedda
Say goodbye to the chaos of space allocation and welcome a new era of workplace harmony.
.webp)
