The Hybrid Gap: How to create the ideal work environment [New report]

Editor’s Note: This post and the enclosed white paper are a collaboration between veteran Vistage speakers Kathleen Quinn Votaw of TalenTrust and Marc Emmer of Optimize, Inc.

There is a great divide between employers and employees, each of whom has differing opinions on the value of remote work. “The Hybrid Gap” focuses less on whether companies should be hybrid and more on how to create the ideal work environment.

Our study of 53 private U.S. employers and 1,057 employees revealed unique insight into the talent war and how employers can better position themselves to be employers of choice:

• A staggering 96% of workers would prefer to work at home or in a hybrid environment. While the hybrid environment may not apply to every employer, the need for employees to have more flexibility in their work environment applies to all.
• Employee engagement scores slid in the U.S. in the latter part of 2022 as many employers fumbled the ball during their transition back to the office.
• Quits have increased by 30% since the beginning of the pandemic.
• 17% of employees felt their employers structuring office days to be collaborative; 24% of employers thought they were providing such a structure.
• There is strong variance by role and by sector on what constitutes a productive work environment. While 83% of technology employees feel they are more productive remotely, only 50% of engineers feel more productive.
• There are key activities, such as onboarding employees, that are less productive remotely.
• Only 13% of employees feel remote work hinders their career progression.

Key conclusions from the study

• In an era of high turnover and prolonged wage inflation, employers should look past any perceptions they have about productivity and focus on creating the best employee experience.
• Most employees who can work remotely have a strong desire to do so at least three days per week.
• Creating the ideal hybrid environment can offset higher wages and turnover as fuel for competitive advantage.
• Employers must find a cadence for certain high-value activities that should happen in person, such as strategy meetings, new-hire orientations, and team-building exercises. Some activities like technical training or sales support can be done as effectively remotely as in the office.

Click here to download “The Hybrid Gap.” 

About the authors:

Kathleen Quinn Votaw | Author, Speaker and CEO, TalenTrust

After nearly two decades in the staffing industry, Kathleen Quinn Votaw determined that traditional staffing/recruiting models weren’t working, especially for rapidly growing companies. She vowed to disrupt the status quo by revolutionizing how companies find, keep, and grow great people. As founder and CEO of TalenTrust, she has devoted her passion and energy to providing actionable advice about talent to companies nationwide.

Marc Emmer | President, Optimize, Inc.

Marc Emmer is an author, speaker, and consultant recognized as a thought leader throughout North America and as an expert in strategy and strategic planning. The release of Marc’s second book, Momentum: How Companies Decide What to Do Next, was covered online by Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, CBS, and NBC. Marc is a frequent contributor to the Vistage Research Center, inc.com and forbes.com

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