The Rise of Hybrid and
Remote Work

Generally, the transition to remote work was positive. In Kenya, multinationals and international companies benefited from the experiences of affiliates in other markets that shut down earlier. Companies like Total Kenya, EABL (Diageo), and Unilever Kenya benefited from E-Learning material and Emergency Response Structures developed in their parent countries.

In Buffer’s research of 2,300 American workers, most people (82 percent) felt that the transition was smooth compared to 18 percent who had issues with how their transitions took place. This statistic might point to previous experiences with remote work. Companies that had a better transition probably already had workers that were working remotely, so shifting this model to a larger workforce was probably easier than starting from scratch.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown of economies, remote work was heralded as a preference for younger people (Gen Z). And the preserve of large technology companies. But, Buffer’s research noted that most workers would like to work remotely (for some time) in their careers. And would also recommend remote work to others.

While 2020 had a lot of us working only at home, most workers around the world do not want to do away with the office but prefer a hybrid work model. It is important to note that there is a difference between purely remote work and hybrid work. Hybrid work does not get rid of the office and has workers splitting their time between working from home and the office. While remote workers work in the office and only connect and collaborate with their colleagues virtually.

Gensler has researched the workplace for 15 years, and in 2020 concluded research of 9,200 people in the US, Australia, the UK, and France (2,300 in each country). In the U.S., research showed that most workers would still prefer to work from the office but have new expectations around flexibility, privacy, and space sharing with them as they return. 28 percent would want to work one or two days at home, while 24 percent prefer working three or four days at home, a combination of 52 percent of respondents that prefer a hybrid model.

In Australia, having experienced the advantages of both office and remote work, most employees are expressing a desire to benefit from both settings. Only 9% prefer to work at the home full time, while a surprising 67% prefer a hybrid work model.

In France, the number of workers that prefer a hybrid work model is even higher. 52% would like to work one or two days at home, while 20% would like to work three or four days at home.
The numbers from the different surveys show that workers in the US and Europe still want to spend most of their workweek in the office. But they also want the flexibility to work from home. 

So, what is causing such a high percentage of workers to want to work remotely and continue with a hybrid model? To begin with, Buffer states that the biggest benefit to remote workers is unquestionably the flexibility it offers. Thirty-two percent selected the ability to have a flexible schedule as their top benefit, followed by 25 percent who selected the flexibility to work from any location.

In Gensler French research, the results of working remotely positively affect appreciation, fulfillment, and satisfaction models. The ability to work both at home and in the office offers a balance that many workers appreciate.
Those who are already working in a hybrid model appear to be seeing distinct benefits. Most report greater emotional well-being, including feeling more appreciated, relaxed, and fulfilled. They also report higher job satisfaction, and likelihood to recommend their company.

For appreciation, those spending one or two days at home had a 58 percent score, while those spending three or four days at home had a 64 percent score. Feeling fulfilled and relaxed had similarly high scores for those working in a hybrid model. Workers also have higher satisfaction levels. Those working at home one or two days have a score of 79 percent, while those working three or four days a week have a higher score of 80 percent.
The “Never Left” scores are from employees that never left their office spaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic, while “Have Returned Full Time” are those who left and came back by August 2020.      

Australian workers also had positive things to say about the effects of remote work on their work. The hybrid model positively impacts overall employee perceptions—those in a hybrid model are 1.5x more times more likely to believe their workplace offers an exceptional experience than full-time, office-going professionals.
They also show higher ratings of job satisfaction, personal creativity, and overall wellbeing. Ultimately, the hybrid model allows employees to tailor their working environment to suit their needs.

In America, those working in a Hybrid work model have had remarkable results in creativity, problem-solving, team productivity, communication, and in their ability to manage a team. For example, with creativity, workers report higher scores in the effect that hybrid work has on their creativity. Workers that work full-time in the office have scores of 28 percent, while those full-time at home have 33 percent, and those working hybrid report a score of 42 percent.

These statistics should not come as a surprise. According to previous Gensler research, a high-performing individual spends their time on focusing and collaborative work in equal measures — 45 percent each, with the remaining 10 percent made up of learning and social time.

Working Hybrid allows teams and individuals to balance focus, collaborative time, learning, and social time resulting in better performance, satisfaction, and ultimately employee experience. And it is not surprising that a few companies in the US and around the world are planning on allowing remote work for some job roles.

1. Survey your employees on their perceptions to hybrid and remote work.
2. Survey the benefits and challenges of this style of work. Look at job satisfaction, appreciation, fulfillment, creativity, collaboration, and ability to get work done. Take a good look at your values and style of work.
3. Depending on your industry, explore whether hybrid and remote work would result in a competitive advantage.
4. Decide on whether hybrid (or remote work for specific jobs) will be a permanent fixture and communicate your decision to your staff.