What 12,000 Employees Have to Say About the Future of Remote Work | Boston Consulting Group

As organizations continue to optimize hybrid work models (remote and onsite), this research by BCG provides useful insights that organizations can use to shape their strategy in this area. The study uncovered four key factors critical to maintaining and improving productivity in hybrid remote/onsite and completely remote settings. One surprising finding of the research was that many respondents said they have maintained or even enhanced their productivity while working remotely during the pandemic. The four key factors that these respondents reported greater satisfaction in are 1) social connectivity  2) mental health  3) physical health, and  4) workplace tools (e.g., video conferencing, virtual whiteboards, project management software, etc.)  In other words, these four factors are enablers of optimizing productivity in a remote work environment. The report includes questions that employers can ask for each of the four areas, which can help determine tactics that enable productivity in this new environment. For example, for social connectivity: How do you foster a culture in which leaders see it as their responsibility to design and execute social-connectivity strategies and practices for their teams? Or for workplace tools: What role does the company play in either providing the physical tools and equipment needed to work from home, such as external monitors and ergonomic chairs, or compensating employees so that they can purchase them? Organizations can use these nine-questions to determine how they can enhance productivity regardless of when and where work is happening.