Management Support and Adoption of Flexible Work Models Recent analyses show that senior management support for flexible work models—meaning the policies, tools, and culture needed to support distributed and hybrid work—is one of the key factors in employee satisfaction and retention. This is especially true in knowledge-based industries, where demand for top talent is high. According to a survey of HR managers, 70 percent of respondents reported that their organizations have implemented some form of hybrid work model, although this share drops to 55 percent among smaller companies with fewer than 100 employees, which may be more agile in adapting. In many cases, decisions about remote work policies are jointly made by HR teams and business unit leaders: on average, respondents report that two main departments are involved in these decisions.

The Value of Flexible Work and Redesigning Organizational Processes The value of flexible work stems from the ability to attract a broader talent pool and improve employees’ work-life balance. The latest surveys show that among 20 tested factors, offering flexible work options has had the greatest impact on an organization’s ability to attract and retain key talent. Organizations embracing remote work are beginning to rethink how they collaborate and communicate. Thirty-eight percent of respondents whose organizations have implemented remote work say their organizations have fundamentally redesigned at least some of their communication and management processes to support distributed teams.

Team Collaboration Technologies: Tools for Success in Hybrid Work Environments Join productivity experts Ms. Leila Javadi and Mr. Amirhossein Fallah to discuss how modern collaboration platforms can help teams achieve shared goals in new work models.

Monitoring and Supporting Employees in Remote Work Environments Organizations have managers who oversee the performance and well-being of remote employees, though the level of support varies greatly. Forty-five percent of respondents whose organizations have implemented remote work say that managers regularly hold one-on-one meetings with team members to review progress and challenges—for example, before quarterly performance evaluations or to ensure access to necessary resources (Figure 4). A smaller share, about 25 percent, say these check-ins occur less than once a month. Respondents working in companies with strong and open organizational cultures are much more likely than others to report continuous support and communication with remote employees.