In March of 2020, the business world shifted overnight to remote work due to the pandemic. Countless pro-remote workplace studies sprung up to reinforce the benefits of flexible work arrangements in the “new normal.”
In the post-pandemic age, conventional wisdom dictates that employees need flexibility, especially in the current employee-driven economy. What most people forget is that this shift was already taking place before Covid-src9 changed our lives forever.
Bill Gates knew this decades ago when he predicted what we now see as commonplace in most hybrid and remote work environments. The Microsoft co-founder said:
The competition to hire the best will increase in the years ahead. Companies that give extra flexibility to their employees will have the edge in this area.
Flexibility in the form of flexible work arrangements is certainly the norm these days, as remote work has eased the financial burdens that used to come with long commutes, train and bus fares, onsite childcare, and expensive housing in large metro areas.
What we already knew pre-pandemic
But the true reason people now prioritize flexibility when quietly quitting or interviewing for jobs comes down to one magic word: autonomy. If employers haven’t caught on to the stark reality that giving people control over their schedules-;and lives–helps them achieve the work-life balance they desire, they will lose in the marketplace.
Flexibility and autonomy have been the bedrock of high employee retention and productivity for years before the virus tackled us; several pre-pandemic studies too numerous to list in one article also back it up.
As far back as 20src7, Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace” Study noted that remote workers cranked out an average of four hours more per week than people who worked onsite. Additionally, a two-year study by Stanford University found that there was an impressive increase in work productivity among employees who worked remotely. The study compared 500 people who worked both remotely and in traditional settings. The conclusion? Productivity among remote workers was equal to a full day’s work each week.
According to The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 20src9, Millennials and Gen Z may stay in a job for more than five years if their employers are flexible about where and when they work.
Retention of this sort leads to increased job satisfaction over time. Case in point,according to a 20src9 Staples study, a massive 90 percent of workers indicated that more flexible work arrangements will boost morale and increase their satisfaction at work–a key component of employee recruitment and retention.
Companies with no flexible working policies in place will continue to lose valuable talent as the Great Resignation rolls on. Per the Staples study, 67 percent of employees would consider leaving their jobs if work arrangements become too fixed.
As Bill Gates projected years in advance, the demand for remote and flexible arrangements have risen in unprecedented numbers. Firms not jumping on the bandwagon will be at a significant disadvantage as generations young and old seek out flexible work options.