As vaccinations get administered and pandemic restrictions ease, company leaders continue to plan for their organizations’ optimal mix of remote work and the guidance they will provide to their workforce. I asked readers of the Talent Edge Weekly Newsletter: Which statement best reflects the level of retention risk of critical talent segments within your organization compared to prepandemic baseline levels.
Based on 127 responses, the results from this poll are:
Given that three-quarters of respondents say that workers (in jobs that lend themselves to remote work) will work remotely regularly, firms will need to think through and answer questions about remote work expectations, such as:
- Are there a certain number of days (e.g., two days) a week that a worker is expected to be in the office?
- Do workers get to choose what days they will be in the office as long as they meet the minimum standard? Or, will they be required to be in the office on certain days that might be deemed “collaboration days” with their colleagues?
- Is being in the office less about frequency and specific days and more about being there when there is a critical meeting?
- When working remotely, are employees expected to be available/online during certain hours to enable collaboration? Are there hours during the day where they have greater flexibility in their schedule?
- Since it is important for new workers and those in a new role to build relationships and gain knowledge that can be accelerated through an in-office environment, what will your remote work expectations be of these workers? Do these expectations change after these workers have been with the company or in a role for a certain period?
While leaders and managers do not need to be overly prescriptive when answering these questions—and firms should assume that workers can apply sound judgment—aligning on these and other questions can enable a smoother transition to a remote and hybrid work environment.
