It’s no secret that many companies are beginning to require their employees to return to the physical office. Zoom, one of the top video conferencing platforms, even reversed its remote work stance asking employees to come back to the office. Predictably, a lot of employees are not too keen to give up the flexibility they’ve had as remote workers. Will employees come back to the office? Do they even want to? Let’s look at the numbers.

The reality is that many companies are going to have a mix of hybrid, remote, and in-person employees. Some people never want to return to the office, while others miss the social aspects of being with their coworkers. People have different working styles that work best for them, and companies that give their workers the flexibility to discover that, tend to have more productive employees.

To understand what that flexibility looks like at your organization specifically, managers need to first understand what the challenges employees are facing actually are. Human resources departments should make sure employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns, and that managers get the support they need to drive improvements across the organization when needed.

Be sure to listen to what your employees have to say – what they like, where their pain points are, what they’re worried about, etc. This data will help you get started by showing you what employees and employers are already talking about.

If you’re giving your employees the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule, make sure you are also taking the time to optimize your physical office space for hybrid work. Different people are most productive in different situations. Hybrid work gives employees the flexibility to find the work style that is most effective for them.

Investing in technology designed to facilitate hybrid work, like Owl Labs’ ecosystem of devices, is the cornerstone of supporting hybrid and remote colleagues and setting them up for long-term success. Front and center solutions like the Meeting Owl 3 + Owl Bar work together to make sure everyone can be clearly seen and heard, even when they can’t physically be in the room. Give your employees the tools they need to succeed. 

The Great Resignation is over, but that doesn’t mean that it’s suddenly become easy for companies to attract top talent. The last few years have caused many workers to reflect on what they want out of their careers, and the answer isn’t always more money. The data tells us that employees value flexibility over everything. Flexibility in where they work. Flexibility in how they work. Flexibility on when they work. Understanding what employees want is integral to understanding how to attract and retain talent.

Remember, what one employee values in a job may not be the same as another. Consider giving individual employees the opportunity to craft their own working style. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works when it comes to business strategy, the same rules apply for staffing.

The newfound flexibility of remote and hybrid work has given workers more time in their lives. Many of them are using that time to take on side hustles outside of their primary job. But taking on side work isn’t unique to remote employees. In fact, full-time office workers are more than twice as likely to have an additional job than hybrid and remote workers.

If employees aren’t getting the support and career growth they need from their current employer, they’re going to find it somewhere else. Consistently retaining talent requires adequate compensation, career growth opportunities, and a willingness to listen to what employees have to say.

A good side hustle can be a great thing, but it’s important that they aren’t coming at the expense of a primary career. Human resources employees should strive to keep an open dialogue with their company's employees to make sure they are getting the professional development opportunities they need to grow and thrive in their careers.