There is a workplace conflict brewing — and it’s unclear whose head is in the sand, who’s ready to fight, and who is ready to innovate and move to a new integrated work reality.
Workplaces are facing a conflict between management and employees over trust. Employees want to be trusted to decide how and where they work, believing they can balance personal flexibility with professional accountability and company success.
On the other hand, many companies (think Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Tesla) remain skeptical, fearing that remote or hybrid arrangements might compromise productivity and that employees may not always act in the company’s best interest.
In the 2024 KPMG CEO Outlook Survey, 86% of the 1300 largest world companies indicate they will reward employees who come into the office, and most, 79%, believe corporate employees will work in person over the next three years.
The intersection of work-from-home (WFH), hybrid, and on-site (OS) work arrangements is a rich topic, as it reflects the ongoing evolution of work culture, technology, and societal expectations.
Gone are the days of hoarding toilet paper, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted how we think about work and showed us that a different model could succeed.
Lessons of Work from Home
WFH brought flexibility, reduced commuting, and a broader talent pool. Companies invested heavily in remote collaboration tools to maintain productivity to stay ahead or at least keep pace with the competition. In fact, Zoom zipped past its rival Skype at lightning speed because of its user-friendly, cost-effective platform that adapted quickly (Techlife).
It seemed that life could proceed as “normal.” In fact, many employees viewed this new normal as a right or even a “entitlement” rather than a privilege — insisting that remote work was the only work they would consider, much like driving.
The benefits are real. Employees save time and money and lower their environmental footprint without commuting. They have greater flexibility with competing responsibilities such as child or parent care. And many can work during their own peak production times.
Benefits of On-Site Work
During the pandemic, those who were deemed “essential workers” didn’t have the luxury of WFH — or even hybrid opportunities. And their experiences highlight some of the differences between WFH and OS work.
For instance, in-person interactions allowed essential workers to build trust and rapport with managers, providing them with real-time support and opportunities for career development, something their remote counterparts often lamented.
In 2022, Pew Research found more than half of the employees who remained at home since 2020 claim that their work-life balance is better. But, while technology today blurs this distinction between those who can remain at home and those who have returned OS, I’d be remiss not to ask if it replaces the spontaneous collaboration and mentoring that comes with face-to-face water-cooler conversations and breakroom chats.
In many cases, remote workers risk being overlooked for promotions simply because they do not have the same interactions with management that OS employees experience. According to a recent survey by Slack, remote work is on the decline, claiming that almost a quarter of knowledge workers, individuals who trade in “what they know,” prefer a variation of hybrid employment, citing lack of face-to-face interactions as one of the main reasons.
Another pitfall of WFH is the pressure for employees to constantly engage, attending online meeting after online meeting, and fearing that their advancement is stunted because of proximity bias, the perceived tendency for managers to favor employees they physically interact with, leaving remote workers to feel “out of sight, out of mind.”
Balance of Work from Home and On-Site Work
It’s not just employees weighing WFH, hybrid, and OS work. Management has also recognized WFH, hybrid, and OS employees’ challenges regarding productivity and value or quality over quantity.
The new versions of employee engagement have challenged traditional management thinking. Supervisors are often suspicious when an employee is offsite, imagining stories of people who pretend to be at their desk but are, instead, skiing the Rockies or surfing the Pacific after training their cat to tap the keyboard repeatedly.
Conversely, the WFH model of 2020 demonstrated that employees did not need to be micromanaged to be productive. Employees could show up for meetings in neckties and sweatpants, and the boss would only be made aware if someone accidentally forgot to turn off their camera before standing.
Micromanagement occurs when a leader excessively monitors their team’s work, often focusing on minute details rather than the broader picture. Employees feel stifled and less creative, which leads to a lack of trust and lower morale.
Similarly, WFH erodes the command-and-control management style, which emphasizes strict hierarchy, close supervision, and adherence to rules and procedures. While effective in situations requiring uniformity or crisis management, it can limit employee initiative and adaptability in dynamic environments.
Employee Autonomy
Effective leadership requires balancing guidance and autonomy to empower individuals while maintaining organizational goals. Effective leadership asks employees to take ownership of their responsibilities, contribute their unique strengths, collaborate with others, and continuously develop their skills while aligning their efforts with the organization’s vision and values.
In a recent interview, Marc Randolph, the co-founder of Netflix, spells out what employees want:
“To be treated like adults. They want to have agency in their life and in their job. They don’t want to be told what they can and can’t do. They want to be given a clear responsibility and given the freedom to achieve it…It’s more important than how much you pay them. It’s more important than almost anything.”
Work, however, cannot be completed in a vacuum. Work is a collaborative effort between management and employees, the collective “team.” It requires goals, clear communication, mutual trust, shared accountability, and aligning individual contributions with the organization’s broader objectives to ensure success.
The Benefits of Hybrid Work
This brings to the forefront the idea of the hybrid work world, which bridges the best of both worlds — face-to-face collaboration and flexibility. Today, a strong emphasis is on work-life balance, mental health, and purpose-driven work, which helps employees feel more valued, engaged, and productive while creating a healthier and more sustainable workplace culture.
By increasing employee engagement, productivity, and retention, companies build a healthier and more satisfied workforce that requires less micromanagement and is more likely to take initiative, collaborate effectively, and contribute to achieving organizational goals.
Companies that emphasize these values enhance their reputation in the marketplace, making them more attractive to clients, partners, and investors. This focus allows management to maintain a competitive edge by fostering innovation, streamlining collaboration, and aligning departmental efforts with broader corporate goals. Ultimately, these practices position the organization for long-term growth and adaptability in an ever-changing business landscape.
Even if companies are focused primarily on their bottom line, a key advantage of hybrid work models is the potential for increased productivity. According to former Forbes contributor Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, research indicates that remote employees often outperform their on-site colleagues and that the remote workforce completes tasks more efficiently and accurately than office-based staff. It also provides an opportunity for companies to snag that highly skilled and experienced worker that escaped the rat race but is willing to work from his or her remote ranch in the hill country.
But What Does Hybrid Look Like?
The main question is: How do employees and management decide what the hybrid model looks like?
Issues such as unequal access to opportunities, proximity bias, and inconsistent policy application in how managers enforce hybrid policies, such as allowing certain employees more flexibility than others, can create perceptions of favoritism or unfairness. If senior leaders start coming into the office on additional days, it can create a cascading effect where lower-level managers follow suit to gain favor, undermining the system and its intended benefits.
In an article published by Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, Nicholas Bloom suggests that the hybrid policy should apply uniformly across the organization, from the CEO downwards.
Teamwork Makes Dreamwork
Maybe, however, the real answer lies in true teamwork. For hybrid work to be successful, organizations must create a culture of collaboration and inclusion that bridges the gap between remote and in-office employees.
Clear communication channels, standardized policies, and shared goals ensure everyone feels equally valued and engaged. Leaders should invest in technology that supports seamless interaction, encourages regular check-ins, and creates opportunities for team-building activities that include all employees. By focusing on flexibility and accountability, hybrid work can evolve into a model that maximizes productivity and satisfaction for both employees and the organization.
As we navigate this evolving work landscape, the future holds immense potential for collaboration, connection, and innovation. Hybrid work models are not merely a logistical challenge but an opportunity to redefine what it means to work effectively and inclusively.
The Extraordinary Intention
The winners of this impending Back-to-Work battle will be corporations with the vision to develop an innovative plan for employee engagement. The type of employee work model will be logical, produced as “one team” and all team members will understand which roles make sense to be OS, hybrid, or WFH regardless of location.
Challenges should be viewed as growth opportunities for development and approached with an ABOVE CENTER® mindset — focusing on possibilities and successful outcomes, not problems and grievances.Will organizations embrace this shift to prioritize trust and adaptability, or will they fall back into the rigidity of traditional methods? The answer may shape not only the future of work but also the resilience and relevance of companies in an ever-changing world.
When the plan balances employee trust with corporate goals, resentment and bias will be minimized, creating a more collaborative and productive work environment.
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About the author: As the co-founder and Chief Storytelling Officer of Revel Coach, a career growth platform, Alison Nissen helps leaders perfect their business pitches and online presence through storytelling. Successful executives use key storytelling points to engage their audience and gain market share because they know good storytelling is the best form of marketing, recruiting, and fundraising. Write Your Book NOW! Mastermind enrolling now.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.