Jared Barath’s Post

**Title: The Remote Work Debate: A Spectrum of Perspectives** In the ever-evolving landscape of work, the debate over remote work, hybrid models, and traditional office culture continues to captivate our attention. It's a conversation fueled by diverse viewpoints, each shaped by unique circumstances and personal preferences. Remote work has undoubtedly transformed the way we work, accelerated in part by the global pandemic. For many, it offers a tantalizing blend of flexibility and freedom, with the bonus of eliminating those soul-draining daily commutes. Yet, it's crucial to remember that remote work isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. As I've come across various viewpoints, I've seen a fascinating tapestry of perspectives emerge: 1. **Real Estate and Economic Impact**: Some argue that companies may have vested interests in keeping employees closer to the office, citing benefits to local economies and property values. It's a point worth considering in the broader economic context. 2. **Middle Management Concerns**: Concerns about middle management becoming redundant due to remote work are a real consideration. It sheds light on the challenges organizations face when restructuring and adapting to new work models. 3. **Personal Preferences**: Everyone's circumstances are different, and that plays a significant role in shaping their stance on remote work. From family dynamics to personal work environments, individual experiences vary widely. 4. **Hybrid Models**: The great hybrid work debate rages on. While some see immense value in these models, others may find themselves questioning the benefits, especially if it means spending more time in the office than they'd like. 5. **Productivity and Talent**: Productivity and talent management are recurring themes. Companies are tasked with finding ways to keep employees engaged and productive in remote or hybrid settings, and it's not always a straightforward journey. 6. **Societal and Economic Impact**: The broader societal and economic impacts of remote work are also a part of the discussion. This includes potential consequences for local businesses and the overall job market. In the end, the path forward lies in striking a balance that respects the needs and preferences of both employees and employers. Flexibility and choice are invaluable, but they come with the challenge of navigating a complex and dynamic landscape. As we continue to adapt to this new world of work, it's clear that the conversation surrounding remote work will persist. It's a topic that demands ongoing dialogue, exploration, and adaptation. The world of work is evolving, and our collective journey towards finding the right balance for everyone is far from over. Let's keep the conversation alive. 🚀💼 #RemoteWorkDebate #HybridWork #FutureOfWork

Embracing Change: The Evolving Landscape of Remote Work In recent years, the way we work has undergone a profound transformation. Gone are the days of strictly 9-to-5 office hours tethered to a desk. Instead, we find ourselves in an era where flexibility and remote work opportunities have become increasingly prevalent. However, as we navigate through this ever-changing landscape, it's evident that the pendulum is swinging back towards more traditional work settings for some industries. The Rise of Remote Work It's undeniable that remote work has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, fueled by advancements in technology and shifting attitudes towards work-life balance. Employers have embraced remote work as a means to attract and retain top talent, reduce overhead costs, and promote employee satisfaction. Employees, in turn, have relished the freedom and autonomy that comes with working from home or a remote location. For many, the pandemic served as a catalyst, accelerating the adoption of remote work practices out of necessity. What started as a temporary measure has since evolved into a fundamental shift in how we approach work. The Shift Back to Traditional Work Settings Despite the benefits of remote work, some industries are beginning to revert to more traditional work settings. As the initial novelty of remote work wears off and companies reassess their long-term strategies, we're witnessing a gradual shift towards hybrid models or a return to the office for certain roles. Many employees crave the social connections and sense of belonging that come from working alongside their colleagues. Moreover, companies recognize the value of physical spaces in fostering teamwork, mentoring, and knowledge sharing. In conclusion, while remote work has changed how we work, it's unlikely that work-from-home or remote positions will stay as popular. As trends shift and industries adjust, we may see fewer remote work options. Flexibility will still be important, but we'll likely move towards more traditional office setups or a mix of remote and in-person work. It's important to adapt to these changes to meet the needs of both employees and businesses. Let's keep the conversation going. How has remote work impacted your industry, and what are your thoughts on the future of work? Share your insights in the comments below!

This is why you have to read the article, folks. I realize no one wants to read or has time to read, but headline surfing will put you at a disadvantage. Here's a great example: This article in Fortune, a well-respected publication, is telling you that remote workers are the most disconnected employees. And while that's true (and logical), you have to read the article to find out that "Per a new Gallup survey of nearly 9,000 U.S. workers with remote-capable jobs, just 28% of those who work remotely feel connected to their company’s mission..." and "Nearly one-third (33%) of workers who go to the office every day say they’re feeling connected, however; not a huge difference." 28% of remote workers and 33% of office workers feel connected to their company's mission. Or from the flip-side, 72% of remote workers and 67% of office workers are actually feeling DISconnected from their company's mission. That's the real story. But if you just saw the headline you'd think we need to address remote work. Why are so many employees feeling disconnected from the company's mission? What can be done to bridge the gap and create a culture where everyone feels like they're contributing to a common goal? Two key lessons today: 1) Read the article not just the headline; and 2) Let's do more to ensure that our teams are active, engaged, on-board with the company's mission (and no, it's not just about maximizing profits), and happy contributing to the team.

"So where does the remote work debate go from here? The majority of surveys on remote working are based on remote employees “feelings” that they are more productive. Or managers “believing” they are less productive. Yet, subjective feelings and beliefs are not facts. Many managers and remote employees might have different versions about productivity at-home work. “But the research has found, on average, those working in the office at least some of the time are more productive,” argues Jacob Zinkula in the Insider. “It strengthens the rationale for calling employees back to the office as Salesforce and Meta have done. Even Zoom, which is synonymous with remote work, recently called some employees back to the office for at least two days a week.” The final answer might not be an “either-or-solution,” given the overall findings that fully remote work is less productive than fully in-office or hybrid work. Plus, Stanford scientists conclude that hybrid work so far has no impact on productivity one way or another. As those scientists point out, it’s popular with firms because it improves employee recruitment and retention. Morgan agrees, admitting it’s hard to strike a balance between in-office and remote work. “The strategy most employers are taking is to implement a little bit of both through a hybrid schedule. This allows workers some flexible days to work from their homes and stay disconnected from the office but also provides critical in-office days that the NBER’s research shows are more productive.”"

🌐 Remote Work & Engagement: Beyond the Surface Recent findings from Gallup indicate a decline in remote workers' connection to company purpose, sparking a fresh wave of discussions. While these numbers are significant, it's essential to remember that making sweeping conclusions based on remote work policies can be misleading. Here's why: 1️⃣ Diverse Experiences: Comparing companies just on remote work policies may not be meaningful. Culture, leadership, infrastructure, communication tools, and a myriad of other factors play a pivotal role in shaping employee experiences. 2️⃣ The Bigger Picture: While the Gallup study suggests remote workers feel less connected, another study by University of Texas reveals that they might be more engaged, attending more meetings, and for longer durations. This divergence highlights the complexities surrounding the remote work narrative, and that result are highly dependent on how the companies manage the situation. 3️⃣ Stress & Engagement: The correlation between stress and engagement is noteworthy. With 44% of the workforce reporting "a lot of" stress, the situation becomes more than just remote vs. in-person. It's about holistic well-being. 4️⃣ Hybrid Wins?: Interestingly, a hybrid approach, where employees come into the office on select days, seems to strike the right balance. However, what works for one organization might not for another. Ultimately it all boils down to the people hired and how they are managed. Success in remote work requires a different level of discipline and communication skills. One possible approach to manage teams which I am experiment with is the use of self-organizing teams, using the idea of co-elevation by Keith Ferrazzi. With this approach the emphasis shifts from 'where' employees work to 'how' they collaborate, create, and elevate each other. It's about mutual accountability, shared purpose, and co-creating success. Also, The role of managers and leaders transforms. Instead of directing, they are co-creators, collaborators, and facilitators, ensuring every voice is heard and valued. #RemoteWork #EmployeeEngagement #FutureOfWork #CompanyCulture

THE FUTURE OF REMOTE WORK: THE CLASH OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES The Street Newsletter Report. As companies across industries ask their employees to return to the office, there is a growing clash between employers who want their workers in person and employees who want the work-life balance of remote work. Many, including such big names as Zoom, Amazon, Apple, Disney, IBM, Blackrock and Meta are instating some iteration of a hybrid schedule, with Zoom asking those living within 50 miles of an office to make the commute twice a week. According to a recent survey, 98% of employees would like to work remotely at least some of the time. However, some experts believe that the days of remote work are numbered. Employment expert Jason Greer told CNBC that the employment world is on track to return to the five-day in-office work week. However, human resources expert Greg Hill believes that remote work is here to stay, albeit in a hybrid format. Hill argues that a hybrid approach is the best way to balance the needs of employers and employees. He suggests that companies have "team Tuesdays and Thursdays" where people come into the office specifically to meet, collaborate, debate, innovate, and discuss. The rest of the week can be done remotely. Exos, the company where Hill is chief people officer, is currently experimenting with a four-day workweek where Fridays are "you do you" days. The only rule is that employees cannot engage with other coworkers on Fridays. Hill believes that this type of hybrid environment is the future of work. He says that it allows employees to have the flexibility and work-life balance they desire, while also providing opportunities for collaboration and innovation. What do you think the future of remote work holds? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Exposed: The Real Impact of Remote Work on Gen Z —It's Not What You Think…   Before we go into this, we should define what we mean by remote and hybrid models. Remote work involves employees working from home or any location outside the traditional office environment full-time. In contrast, a hybrid model combines both remote and in-office work, giving employees flexibility over where, and sometimes when, they choose to work.   The perception is that Gen-Z, has easily adapted to working remotely, but many studies show the opposite . Recent studies by Deloitte and the Economist show that they are facing challenges with productivity, skill development, mental health and boredom. Indeed, a recent study from Deloitte showed that of Gen-Z workers, only 13% expressed complete satisfaction with their remote work life, free from any challenges.   A recent Deloitte study reveals a troubling undercurrent. A significant portion of young professionals report increased stress and anxiety, with financial strains and an “always on” work culture exacerbating these issues. This blurring of work and home life is particularly pronounced among Gen-Z workers, nearly half of whom (48%) say they are bored with their remote jobs. For me personally the commute to and from the office is actually a very important part of my work-life balance, which I would not like to miss. As it allows me to switch mentally between work and private life, which in fact is very important for my work-life balance.   While Gen-Z and Millennials try to find the balance between working environments, employers must consider the trade-offs. Are we sacrificing essential skills such as communication, collaboration and creativity for an isolated, screen-bound existence? High-profile critics of remote work, such as JPMorgan Chase’s CEO Jamie Dimon, argue that it leads to a reduction in productivity and higher procrastination among workforces.   Before they swing one way or the other, employers must think critically about how they can use their resources to optimise Gen-Z’s contribution to their business. For me, remote work is a sub-optimal solution for most people, and hybrid working is a logical shift, with a healthy balance of time in the office and at home. Fully remote work requires completely new strategies just to maintain productivity and employee well-being. Pure office-bound work leads to presenteeism and removes the benefits and flexibility that employees crave. But with a hybrid model, employers can get the best of both worlds, mitigating the downsides of remote work by providing opportunities for learning, in-person collaboration and social interaction. Any erosion of essential social skills and collaborative dynamics could set back sectors like STEM, where innovation often springs from spontaneous exchanges and teamwork.   It’s a divisive issue, so I’m keen to hear your thoughts. Do you thrive in a remote setting, or do you crave the dynamic of a traditional office? #genz

Survey: Remote Work Isn’t Going Away — and Executives Know It An interesting article by Nick Bloom, Jose Maria Barrero, Stephen Davis, Brent Meyer and Emil Mihaylov on hbr.org “Summary. Many CEOs are publicly gearing up for yet another return-to-office push. Privately, though, executives expect remote work to keep on growing, according to...more Remote work spiked during the pandemic, from about 6% of full workdays in the U.S. to more than 50% in the spring of 2020. Since then, it’s steadily decreased and since early 2023 has hovered around 28%. Many executives believe it’s time to come back to the office: Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan, has declared himself a remote-work skeptic; Mark Zuckerberg has declared that engineers “get more done” in the office; and Google’s chief people officer recently told employees that office attendance would factor into performance reviews. Even Zoom’s leadership wants employees back in person two days a week. The only problem? Not even senior management expects this return-to-office push to work. The Survey of Business Uncertainty is jointly run by the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Chicago, and Stanford. It surveys senior executives at roughly 500 U.S. businesses across industries and regions each month. The most recent iteration of the survey, conducted in July 2023, asks: “Looking forward to five years from now, what share of your firm’s full-time employees do you expect to be in each category [fully in person, hybrid, fully remote] in 2028?” As the chart below illustrates, executives expect both fully remote and hybrid work to continue to grow. They’re right to expect remote and hybrid work to increase, for four reasons. First, as remote-working technology improves, the share of people working remotely increases. By the 1980s, personal computers began to become more widespread and remote work became easier. By the 2000s, the internet and nascent video calls made it easier still. The response followed basic economic logic: As the “costs” of remote work fell (lower inconvenience, for example), more people chose to do it. Work-from-home rates grew steadily over the half-century leading up to the pandemic, albeit from a very low starting point. Second, remote work will increase because startups born since the pandemic are more likely to use it. As these younger firms grow, the share of jobs offering remote work will increase. Third, and perhaps least obvious, the U.S. is well positioned for remote work. Already, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of remote work of any country, behind only New Zealand and Canada among the 34 countries we surveyed. Finally, remote work will increase because employees like it. The evidence suggests that working from home is valued by employees about the same as an 8% pay increase, on average. It’s a huge amenity and helps reduce turnover — in one recent, large study, by as much as 35%.” #flpnews #work Follow me: https://lnkd.in/dgUYdM5s.

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