1. Remote Work is Here to Stay:
Remote and hybrid work is our new normal, so now more than ever, HR leaders need to ensure that their distributed teams are well-equipped, supported, and engaged. It’s important to provide employees with the necessary tools and resources to work effectively from home and maintain a positive work-life balance — but as we all know by now, remote work has proven to be a double-edged sword.
From the beneficial perspective, employees across industries report seeing an increase in productivity and an improvement in their mental health as they now feel empowered to set positive work-life boundaries. Employers also now have access to a diverse pool of talent that isn’t limited by geography and report higher retention of remote work employees, which results in cost savings as it minimizes churn and loss of productivity.
On the other hand, HR professionals and other leaders face the challenges of managing a remote work environment. Leading the charge in culture maintenance in a remote setting means relying on team leads and employees to continually buy in. Without constant facetime, a collaborative and healthy culture is hard to maintain. Another potential pitfall is compliance risks. Policies rapidly change regarding new hire onboarding — across all regions where you may have remote employees.
So, where do we go from here? Flex Jobs published a report stating that 64% of respondents want to work remotely full-time, and 32% would prefer a hybrid environment, meaning that 97% of their total respondents want some form of a flexible work environment. So, despite where you fall on the matter, there’s no question that remote work is at the forefront of your employee’s minds.