Derek Silva’s Post

Remote work's gradual decline reflects the ongoing push from companies to get employees back in the office: 43% of companies have set tighter limits around remote work or mandated some form of return-to-office over the past year, ZipRecruiter reports. Business leaders have given various reasons for their disdain for the model, arguing that collaboration, mentorship and employee engagement all suffer without the office. But the biggest disadvantage of remote work that employers cite is how difficult it is to observe and monitor employees, according to a new report from ZipRecruiter, which surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. employers between July and August. Although some bosses have recognized the benefits of remote work — and studies have shown that employees are often more productive and less likely to quit when they have some degree of workplace flexibility — many are still hesitant to adopt remote work permanently. Especially as major corporations such as Goldman Sachs, Zoom and Meta introduce stricter requirements for in-person work. "It's an incredibly challenging, frustrating and disorienting time for employers when the tool they relied on most, observing employees in-person, is gone," ZipRecruiter chief economist Julia Pollak tells CNBC Make It. https://lnkd.in/dGd7pnWT

Interesting read here on the ever-evolving landscape of Remote v. Hybrid v. In-Office. While right after the pandemic, fully remote jobs had been everyone's preference, seems as though things have begun to settle in a different direction - that people are wanting to have some sort of office structure again. In the article it shares how 7/10 people surveyed want to have hybrid/in-office setups instead of fully remote. Team engagement, being out of the home, higher compensation and career development are the key reasons that people are open to coming back in, while no commute, work-life balance, and ability to work from anywhere are still the reasons for remote. In the end, it is always going to be a tricky balance to appease everyone, but believe every organization needs to reflect on what is going to be best for their business and achieving the goals outlined for the year, while keeping majority of the team happy. Employees should have a say, but also understand needs may change and flexibility could be required on their end to achieve those goals, which usually will positively impact their career and compensation. Anyone wanting a further chat on this, happy to talk over. As a candidate, the more open you are to various work environments, will allow for more opportunities to be presented to you. On the client side, you want to stay competitive to market trends and understand what others are doing to attract the best talent and retain your current workforce. Feel free to message me here or email at [email protected] for a conversation!

I feel so fortunate to be a remote worker on a mostly in-person team. But, this article is maddening. While this article claims that remote employees are more productive and less likely to turnover than their office-tied counterparts, the crux of this article is that managers can't accurately assess their remote direct reports if they can't drop in on them physically. That's ludicrous. Remote employees are an asset. Full stop. Remote employees allow companies to find the strongest talent, no matter their location. And companies that employ remote workers demonstrate that they respect their employees. Kendra and I started an employee resource group for remote workers, and we provided instruction about ways to transition to remote work at the height of the pandemic. While neither of us would claim to be an expert, I think we can both say that it is the manager's responsibility to learn how to trust their employees. And that's just the simple truth. Would you as a manager expect a meeting with your reports in an office setting when you don't know if your report is engaged in other activities? No, of course not. Would you expect that your office-bound employee answers emails late at night or on weekends? Sure, maybe if they were dealing with a "fire-drill", but otherwise, no. And it must be said that there is some responsibility on the remote worker as well. A #remote employee should check in with their in-office counterparts. They should turn their camera on and participate in team calls. It is the remote worker's job to stay involved in the day to day of the office, and collaborate internally as best as they can. Their talents will shine in due time. So, to anyone I've ever huddled/called without a heads up, I apologize. I know better. I know that I should ask if/when someone is available to talk. And reading articles like this only reinforces my desire to be a good and respectful remote worker. At the end of the day, remote employees are adults--- super productive adults. A good employee will shine whether they are in person or remote. Respect and trust in one another is the binding thread to a successful in person/remote relationship and the companies that have mastered this dynamic are the ones that will thrive and retain their employees' loyalty. What do you think?

Remote Work Doesn't Seem To Affect Productivity, Fed Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report released Tuesday (Jan. 16th) by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco: The U.S. labor market experienced a massive increase in remote and hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its peak, more than 60% of paid workdays were done remotely -- compared with only 5% before the pandemic. As of December 2023, about 30% of paid workdays are still done remotely (Barrero, Bloom, and Davis 2021). Some reports have suggested that teleworking might either boost or harm overall productivity in the economy. And certainly, overall productivity statistics have been volatile. In 2020, U.S. productivity growth surged. This led to optimistic views in the media about the gains from forced digital innovation and the productivity benefits of remote work. However, the surge ended, and productivity growth has retreated to roughly its pre-pandemic trend. Fernald and Li (2022) find from aggregate data that this pattern was largely explained by a predictable cyclical effect from the economy's downturn and recovery. In aggregate data, it thus appears difficult to see a large cumulative effect -- either positive or negative -- from the pandemic so far. But it is possible that aggregate data obscure the effects of teleworking. For example, factors beyond telework could have affected the overall pace of productivity growth. Surveys of businesses have found mixed effects from the pandemic, with many businesses reporting substantial productivity disruptions. In this Economic Letter, we ask whether we can detect the effects of remote work in the productivity performance of different industries. There are large differences across sectors in how easy it is to work off-site. Thus, if remote work boosts productivity in a substantial way, then it should improve productivity performance, especially in those industries where teleworking is easy to arrange and widely adopted, such as professional services, compared with those where tasks need to be performed in person, such as restaurants. After controlling for pre-pandemic trends in industry productivity growth rates, we find little statistical relationship between telework and pandemic productivity performance. We conclude that the shift to remote work, on its own, is unlikely to be a major factor explaining differences across sectors in productivity performance. By extension, despite the important social and cultural effects of increased telework, the shift is unlikely to be a major factor explaining changes in aggregate productivity. [...] The shift to remote and hybrid work has reshaped society in important ways, and these effects are likely to continue to evolve. For example, with less time spent commuting, some people have moved out of cities, and the lines between work and home life have blurred. Despite these noteworthy effects, in this Letter we find little evidence in industry data that the shift to remote and hybri

Remote Work Doesn't Seem To Affect Productivity, Fed Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report released Tuesday (Jan. 16th) by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco: The U.S. labor market experienced a massive increase in remote and hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its peak, more than 60% of paid workdays were done remotely -- compared with only 5% before the pandemic. As of December 2023, about 30% of paid workdays are still done remotely (Barrero, Bloom, and Davis 2021). Some reports have suggested that teleworking might either boost or harm overall productivity in the economy. And certainly, overall productivity statistics have been volatile. In 2020, U.S. productivity growth surged. This led to optimistic views in the media about the gains from forced digital innovation and the productivity benefits of remote work. However, the surge ended, and productivity growth has retreated to roughly its pre-pandemic trend. Fernald and Li (2022) find from aggregate data that this pattern was largely explained by a predictable cyclical effect from the economy's downturn and recovery. In aggregate data, it thus appears difficult to see a large cumulative effect -- either positive or negative -- from the pandemic so far. But it is possible that aggregate data obscure the effects of teleworking. For example, factors beyond telework could have affected the overall pace of productivity growth. Surveys of businesses have found mixed effects from the pandemic, with many businesses reporting substantial productivity disruptions. In this Economic Letter, we ask whether we can detect the effects of remote work in the productivity performance of different industries. There are large differences across sectors in how easy it is to work off-site. Thus, if remote work boosts productivity in a substantial way, then it should improve productivity performance, especially in those industries where teleworking is easy to arrange and widely adopted, such as professional services, compared with those where tasks need to be performed in person, such as restaurants. After controlling for pre-pandemic trends in industry productivity growth rates, we find little statistical relationship between telework and pandemic productivity performance. We conclude that the shift to remote work, on its own, is unlikely to be a major factor explaining differences across sectors in productivity performance. By extension, despite the important social and cultural effects of increased telework, the shift is unlikely to be a major factor explaining changes in aggregate productivity. [...] The shift to remote and hybrid work has reshaped society in important ways, and these effects are likely to continue to evolve. For example, with less time spent commuting, some people have moved out of cities, and the lines between work and home life have blurred. Despite these noteworthy effects, in this Letter we find little evidence in industry data that the shift to remote and hybri

Remote Work: Ultimate Freedom or Productivity Pitfall? 12 Stats and 20 Brutal Pitfalls to take into account before calling remote work the holy grail... Hold onto your seats, folks! Here are 12 stunning stats on remote work 1. Home Sweet Home: Work from home jumped from a measly 4.7% in January 2019 to a whopping 71% by May 2023. That's like trading a bicycle for a rocket ship! 2. Cha-Ching! The remote work services market is set to explode from $20.1 billion in 2022 to a mind-blowing $58.5 billion by 2027, growing at a whopping 23.8% annually. Can you say "ka-ching"? 3. The Great Divide: Around 19% of companies have gone full-on remote, while 34% are still stuck in the Stone Age with no remote work allowed. Talk about polar opposites! 4. Hybrid Heaven: A massive 83% of the global workforce thinks hybrid work is the bee's knees. They're not wrong! 5. Riding the Wave: Since 2021, remote work fans increased by 24%, and hybrid work enthusiasts rose by 16%. It's a movement, people! 6. Job Perks: 59% of workers would ditch their current gig for an employer that offers remote work options. Flexibility is the new black. 7. Time Savers: Remote workers save an average of 72 minutes a day on commuting. That's 6 hours a week—time to binge-watch your favorite show! 8. Bosses Save Big: The average U.S. employer saves $11,315 a year for each part-time remote employee. Now that's a reason to celebrate! 9. Flexibility Over Cash: Half of the professionals (52%) would take a 5% pay cut for the freedom to work from anywhere, and 23% would take a cut of over 10%. Freedom > Money! 10. Burning the Midnight Oil: 55% of remote workers put in more hours at home than in the office. Who knew PJs could be so productive? 11. Office Equipment? What's That?: Only 20-25% of companies cover the cost of home office gear. Looks like the rest are leaving you to fend for yourself. 12. Green Warriors: Remote work can slash 54 million tons of carbon emissions each year. Mother Earth approves! Make sure to check the infographic on the 20 Brutal Realities of Remote Work My pitfalls are numbers 3, 5 and 10 Give me your numbers in the 💬 comments Repost ♻️ to show some love and insights to your network Save 📥 for later PS: This infographic is part of a serie of 20 (!). Did you spot the first 3 also? source: Owl Labs, Global Workplace Analytics, and other smarty-pants researchers

Remote Work Doesn't Seem To Affect Productivity, Fed Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report released Tuesday (Jan. 16th) by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco: The U.S. labor market experienced a massive increase in remote and hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its peak, more than 60% of paid workdays were done remotely -- compared with only 5% before the pandemic. As of December 2023, about 30% of paid workdays are still done remotely (Barrero, Bloom, and Davis 2021). Some reports have suggested that teleworking might either boost or harm overall productivity in the economy. And certainly, overall productivity statistics have been volatile. In 2020, U.S. productivity growth surged. This led to optimistic views in the media about the gains from forced digital innovation and the productivity benefits of remote work. However, the surge ended, and productivity growth has retreated to roughly its pre-pandemic trend. Fernald and Li (2022) find from aggregate data that this pattern was largely explained by a predictable cyclical effect from the economy's downturn and recovery. In aggregate data, it thus appears difficult to see a large cumulative effect -- either positive or negative -- from the pandemic so far. But it is possible that aggregate data obscure the effects of teleworking. For example, factors beyond telework could have affected the overall pace of productivity growth. Surveys of businesses have found mixed effects from the pandemic, with many businesses reporting substantial productivity disruptions. In this Economic Letter, we ask whether we can detect the effects of remote work in the productivity performance of different industries. There are large differences across sectors in how easy it is to work off-site. Thus, if remote work boosts productivity in a substantial way, then it should improve productivity performance, especially in those industries where teleworking is easy to arrange and widely adopted, such as professional services, compared with those where tasks need to be performed in person, such as restaurants. After controlling for pre-pandemic trends in industry productivity growth rates, we find little statistical relationship between telework and pandemic productivity performance. We conclude that the shift to remote work, on its own, is unlikely to be a major factor explaining differences across sectors in productivity performance. By extension, despite the important social and cultural effects of increased telework, the shift is unlikely to be a major factor explaining changes in aggregate productivity. [...] The shift to remote and hybrid work has reshaped society in important ways, and these effects are likely to continue to evolve. For example, with less time spent commuting, some people have moved out of cities, and the lines between work and home life have blurred. Despite these noteworthy effects, in this Letter we find little evidence in industry data that the shift to remote and hybri

Embracing Change: Remote Work Done Right A recent Forbes article sheds light on the evolving dynamics of remote work. It's clear that times are changing, and the workforce is demanding flexibility. Research shows that employees are pushing for options that suit their lives, and it's time to listen. According to the article, 81% of managers acknowledge that managing remote work requires distinct skills, yet nearly half of them feel unprepared. It's a telling statistic that underscores the need for adaptation. But here's the key: the solution isn't a blanket ban on remote work. Instead, it's about investing in technology and metrics. Let's make remote work thrive by enabling employees to maintain its benefits while ensuring great results. Remote work should be seen as a perk, not an automatic right. If performance doesn't meet the set metrics, a temporary return to the office might be the answer. Change is upon us, and it's time to embrace it. Let's use technology and metrics to create a win-win scenario where employees enjoy flexibility, and businesses thrive. Are you ready to adapt and make remote work a resounding success? Share your thoughts below!  #RemoteWork #Adaptation #WorkplaceFlexibility

Return to office is ‘dead,’ Stanford economist says : prevalence of remote work may grow in 2025 and beyond : Remote work expands job opportunity for both workers and employers says Stanford’s Steven Davis “What makes companies money tends to stick” Remote policies show ‘incredible diversity’ For example, 7% of workers are required to be in the office one day a week, while 9% are required in two days, 13% three days and 8% four days : Nearly 1 in 5, 18%, have discretion over their in-person workdays “The new normal is this incredible diversity” “There’s still a lot of experimentation going on” “But the aggregate effect is that remote work is steady” Why remote work will likely increase beyond 2025 “Employers say the biggest benefit of remote work is retention” In a labor market with more slack, “retention gets much easier” KEY POINTS ·        The share of days worked from home ballooned in the Covid-19 pandemic’s early days, and subsequently declined through 2022. ·        However, it has flatlined in 2023, suggesting more companies aren’t calling employees back to the office. ·        Long-term technological and demographic trends suggest the prevalence of remote work may grow in 2025 and beyond. The share of workers being called back to the office has flatlined, suggesting the pandemic-era phenomenon of widespread remote work has become a permanent fixture of the U.S. labor market, economists said.

Remote Work: The Battle Beyond the Boardroom Picture this: a world where your office is anywhere you decide it can be. Home, café, or halfway across the globe – as long as the work gets done. Sounds like a dream? Well, it's a reality for many. Yet, some top dogs in the business world are itching to drag us back to the "good old days" of 9-to-5 cubicle life. Why? Because apparently, real hustlers only thrive in concrete jungles. Let's get real. The resistance to remote work isn't about productivity or the lack of "hustle." It's deeper, tied to outdated views of work ethic and, dare I say, masculinity. "Working from home is for sissies," some seem to imply, echoing a sentiment that’s both outdated and sexist. And let's not even start on the implied notion that home is not a place for serious work – a slap in the face to every person who's ever built a business from their garage. Here's the kicker: The pandemic blew the lid off the traditional work model, showing that not only is remote work feasible, but it can also lead to happier, more balanced lives. And guess what? It turns out men like being around their kids, and everyone enjoys skipping the commute. Shocker, right? But no, some CEOs are on a crusade to turn back time, fueled by a vision of work that's as outdated as dial-up internet. They pine for the days when the office was a battleground for proving your worth, measured in hours spent at your desk rather than the impact of your work. Here's my take: Remote work isn’t the enemy. The real foe is the rigid mindset that equates physical presence with productivity. The future of work isn't about where you work from; it's about how work can fit into our lives in a way that’s healthy, sustainable, and yes, productive. We're at a crossroads. We can either cling to the past or embrace a future where work is something we do, not somewhere we go. A future where leadership is about trust and results, not surveillance and seat-warming. I say it’s high time we choose progress over tradition and innovation over inertia. The remote work "experiment" has proven itself. Now it's up to us to carry forward the lessons learned, not regress into old patterns because of outdated notions of work. What's your take? Are you Team Remote, or do you believe in the magic of the office cubicle? Let’s debunk some myths and maybe, just maybe, chart a new course for the future of work #remotework #workfromanywhere #leadershipmindset