The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, and many companies are struggling to find ways to get employees back into the office on a regular basis. Why? They feel that an office presence is the best way to boost productivity among their workers. But is it? Well, that depends on who you ask. According to Fortune magazine, its crazy to force workers to return to the office.
“…despite the overwhelming evidence that flexible hybrid work is more productive than forced in-office work for the same roles, top executives are stubbornly herding employees back to the office like lost sheep, expecting productivity to miraculously improve. This, my friends, is the very definition of insanity.
Many CEOs are clinging to the false belief that the office is the secret sauce to productivity. It’s as if they think the office is a productivity vending machine: Insert employees, receive increased output. But the data tells a different story.
Instead of being a productivity wonderland, the office is more like a productivity black hole, where collaboration, socializing, mentoring, and on-the-job training thrive, but focused work gets sucked into oblivion. In fact, research shows that the office is detrimental to productivity.
For instance, a recent study by scholars at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Harvard University, and the University of Iowa found that software engineers located in different buildings on the same campus wrote more computer programs than those who were sitting close to colleagues…”
The good people over at The Economist, have a different view; the polar opposite. If you ask them, they will say you are crazy not to have your workers in the office. Here’s a quote…
David Atkin and Antoinette Schoar, both of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Sumit Shinde of the University of California, Los Angeles, randomly assigned data-entry workers in India to labour either from home or the office. Those working at home were 18% less productive than their peers in the office. Michael Gibbs of the University of Chicago and Friederike Mengel and Christoph Siemroth, both of the University of Essex, found a productivity shortfall, relative to prior in-office performance, of as much as 19% for the remote employees of a large Asian it firm. Another study determined that even chess professionals play less well in online matches than face-to-face tilts. Yet another used a laboratory experiment to show that video conferences inhibit creative thinking.
While some employees are eager to return to the office, others are hesitant or prefer to work remotely. Business leaders are grappling with how to create a new work world that will keep employees both happy and productive post-COVID.
What interested me the most was where both these ideas came together, highlighting the importance of having a closer bond with your coworkers for a successful work environment. Fortune, who strongly supports remote work, suggested a solution called structured mentoring, which means having mentorship programs both in the office and through remote means.
To leverage the advantages of both in-office and remote work in a structured mentoring program, companies can schedule targeted in-office sessions, use technology for remote mentoring, establish clear goals and expectations, encourage networking and collaboration, and monitor and evaluate progress.
Further down in the same article, Fortune says, “The office has its place for collaboration, mentoring, and training—but not for productivity.” That being said, arguments from both sides of the issue would likely agree that a hybrid model of work is what’s best for all concerned and I think that makes sense. Retention is a major issue for companies these days and one sure fire way to keep your employees longer is to foster a culture of teamwork and comradery. According to Gallup research, having a best friend at work is a strong predictor of whether an employee is likely to stay in their job, and there is a concrete link between having a best friend at work and the amount of effort a worker expends on their job. A survey of full-time workers in the U.S. found that individuals with six or more workplace friends feel deeply connected to their companies, and nearly two-thirds of those surveyed who had six to 25 workplace friends said they love their company. Love, not like. (And speaking of love, do you know the stats on how many people have dated and married their co-workers? It’s a lot. But I digress.)
Whether employees love it or hate it, the prevailing trend is towards a hybrid work environment. After being fully remote for so long, the journey back to the office has been met with resistance, to put it lightly. For example, tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Google are monitoring employees to ensure they show up at the office at least three days a week. In response, some employees are pushing back with protests and walkouts against the return-to-office demands, particularly in companies like Amazon. Twitter’s former CEO said remote work can last “forever,” but this decision was quickly overturned by Elon Musk, who called remote work “morally wrong.” Musk’s opinion not withstanding, the office occupancy rate in the top 10 largest metro areas in the US is hovering just below 50%, indicating that an en masse return to offices is unlikely. Still, companies are doing what they can to entice workers back to pre-covid working conditions. The strategies often manifest in office perks like live concerts, charitable contributions and commuter benefits. Other companies may offer catered lunches from popular nearby restaurants or simply making the request known without pressuring the employee to comply.
Hmmm… Maybe the solutions for creating a positive hybrid working environment can’t be found domestically. There are several norms overseas that Americans might find quirky yet, have proven to be effective in retaining employees and boosting productivity. For example, in France, its required to completely disconnect from work after office hours. In South Korea, you are encouraged to take a mid-day nap in order to boost personal productivity. In Brazil, it is common to start meetings 15-30 minutes late. And conducting business in a Sauna is normal for workers in Finland.
In the ever-evolving landscape of work, companies in America are grappling with the challenge of enticing employees back to the office post-COVID. As explored in this article, various strategies have emerged, from offering enticing incentives and fostering a social environment to being transparent and flexible. But maybe the solution isn’t in domestic practices. The answer could be adopting cultural norms from overseas. Unconventional office practices, such as mandatory disconnection after work hours, mid-day napping, and doing work in a sauna, could be what ultimately attracts workers back to the office. Regardless of the strategies employed, it is evident that building work relationships is a vital factor in creating a productive and engaging work environment. Friendships at work have been linked to higher employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. As companies navigate the new work world, prioritizing meaningful workplace connections will be crucial for a successful post-COVID era. Let’s see what happens.
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