Author: Sergio Madero, leader of the Research Group-Thematic Area of Design and Organizational Culture at the Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Recently, I was reading about the various work modalities that have persisted in the post-COVID era, namely hybrid work and remote work.
I came across, among other things, a note in this same publication that pointed out that workers in home offices or working remotely are 18% less productive compared to those in offices. Although the study's data pertains to newly hired workers in Indian work environments, its implications for companies are still debatable.
In fact, last May, our research group at Tecnológico de Monterrey published a report on work modalities in the return to offices. In this study, based on data collected in 2022, where we surveyed 1,527 individuals with over five years of experience working in companies located in Mexican territory, we asked: 'How do you consider the impact of remote work on the productivity of your company's collaborators?' The results showed that 23% considered it had a negative impact, 41% considered it had a moderate impact, and 36% perceived a positive impact, indicating an overall perception that remote work increased productivity.
Although there are different environments, participants, and cultures, productivity is a multifaceted aspect to analyze and measure. However, the perceptions in these two studies show interesting percentages (18% and 23%) regarding the negative impact of remote work, which is noteworthy for those interested in human behavior and organizational culture.
Continuing the reflections on work modalities, the same group of Mexican collaborators was asked: 'If you could currently choose a modality for carrying out your work activities, which one would you choose?' The results showed that 21.5% prefer to be in their workplace, 20.5% prefer remote work, and the remaining 58.0% choose a hybrid format. It's worth noting that the article mentioned earlier indicates that hybrid work is the dominant model in the United States.
It is important to highlight that research on new work modalities continues. In another study we conducted, comprising 1,016 people working in Mexico, 11% prefer their workplace, 31% would like remote work, and 58% prefer a hybrid scheme, similar to the results obtained in our previous study.
The convergence in the percentage of employees preferring a hybrid work scheme is noteworthy.
According to experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the current major discussion revolves around identifying the middle ground to achieve the ideal work scheme. The current expectations of many people, especially women and young professionals starting their careers, focus on finding a hybrid job that promotes their professional development while balancing their personal life.
With all this, some questions arise for those working on these issues. Some of them include: How should strategies be generated to promote the well-being of employees in these work modalities? What needs to be done to maintain commitment and loyalty to the company and employer brand? How to best manage the interaction of workgroups working synchronously or asynchronously? And what and how to ensure that leaders with subordinates can clearly define and support the achievement of their performance goals? These are just a few questions that need to be addressed.
Therefore, business leaders and academics must propose innovative solutions, characteristic of the post-pandemic era, based on adaptation, resilience, constant change, and the use of technological tools. However, it is crucial to mention that, to achieve mutual benefits for both the company and employees, it is advisable to identify the expectations for such a strategy and determine the ideal percentage of time for activities within and outside the workplace. Part of the answer will depend on the nature of each person's role and the essential activities of the organization.