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According to Placer.ai, a firm specializing in foot traffic analytics, workplace visits currently average around 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels from 2019. Interestingly, visitor numbers are nearing 80 percent compared to three years ago, indicating that while many employees have returned to the office, their frequency of attendance has decreased.
This trend highlights the increasing acceptance of hybrid work models, where employees typically alternate between working in the office and remotely, often coming in two to three days each week.
Data shows that Tuesdays and Wednesdays have become the most popular days for in-office work, with visit shares of 24.3 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
Organizations across the United States and Canada are developing policies to optimize these hybrid arrangements.
‘PurposeFirst’ Enhances Office Engagement
Maral Kazanjian, Chief People Officer at Moody’s in New York, emphasizes that in-person attendance is not viewed as the only viable pathway to productivity.
As pandemic protocols relaxed, Moody’s collaborated closely with employees to reassess their connections to the office, clients, and colleagues. This initiative included a six-month pilot program designed to strike a balance between employee needs and business objectives.
The outcome was a new framework referred to as “PurposeFirst,” which advocates for using the office strategically to foster meaningful connections when necessary.
Under the PurposeFirst model, employees make deliberate choices about where and how they work, tailored to the demands of their tasks and the collaborative elements involved.
Building a Sense of Community
Lucy Lemons, Chief People Officer at ButterflyMX in Boston, states that employee well-being is fundamental to the company’s achievements.
With a predominantly remote workforce, ButterflyMX prides itself on fostering a culture characterized by passion, collaboration, and approachability, as noted by Lemons.
“Strong leadership has shaped a culture where individuals are encouraged to embody corporate values, embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and support each other’s growth,” she explained.
Recognizing that support varies among individuals, ButterflyMX fosters a flexible work environment that adapts to diverse employee needs.
Lemons highlights that ensuring employees feel connected is vital within their distributed work paradigm. New team members report feeling welcomed, while established employees often express willingness to advocate for the company.
To strengthen connections, ButterflyMX organizes regular virtual office hours with leadership, allowing remote staff to quickly address queries, build rapport, and feel integrated. Furthermore, most leaders conduct frequent check-ins, sometimes daily, to cultivate trust and collaboration.
Flexible Work Structures
Simon Phillips, Regional Principal and head of the People and Culture Department at Unispace in Boston, highlights that the company’s hybrid work model is not merely a benefit, but a structural necessity that influences talent attraction and retention.
The focus of Unispace’s model is on purposeful in-office engagement.
“While we promote coming into the studio two to three times a week for those nearby, it remains an informal guideline,” Phillips stated. “We acknowledge that our employees juggle various responsibilities, and rigid mandates aren’t beneficial.”
For essential in-person meetings, such as project kickoffs, employees are encouraged to participate without the expectation of remaining in the office the entire day.
Fostering Individual Energy Management
Natalie Archibald, Vice President of People at Clio in Vancouver, describes the company culture as both “human and high-performing,” asserting that these ideals can coexist.
She advocates for a work environment designed to fulfill the dual objectives of employee satisfaction and high performance.
Clio’s commitment to a “distributed by design” ethos prioritizes employee preferences, permitting work from various locations while providing the necessary resources for effective collaboration.
This philosophy promotes “individual energy management,” as Archibald notes that the notion of a perfect work-life balance is largely illusory.
Recognizing the fluctuating demands of different tasks, she emphasizes the importance of allowing employees the freedom to choose how, when, and where they work to best meet their needs and those of their clients. “This approach integrates work into life rather than interrupting it,” Archibald articulates.
At Clio, success metrics prioritize impact over location, allowing employees flexibility in taking time off to recharge without the anxiety of vacation shortages.
The Challenge of Rigid Mandates
Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President at Cisco in San Jose, observes that hybrid work brings unique challenges compared to traditional in-office or remote dynamics.
He foresees potential conflicts between employee expectations and managerial directives around hybrid work this year.
“Many employees resist returning to strict in-office schedules,” he stated, warning that organizations opting for stricter mandates in 2023 could face difficulties.
In contrast, Patel advocates for a more progressive approach where companies collaboratively create an adaptable and secure hybrid work environment, alongside appealing physical spaces that employees genuinely wish to visit, as needed. “Such organizations stand to gain in talent attraction, operational flexibility, sustainability, and employee satisfaction, positioning themselves for long-term success,” he concluded.
Source
www.higheredjobs.com