Future of Work Roundup: May 13th

This week’s Future of Work Roundup includes how more companies are finally understanding the necessity for hybrid work, plus why multitasking during a meeting may not be so bad.

Even the old-timers are coming around to hybrid work. (Bloomberg)

From coast to coast, the biggest names in business are shying away from “requiring” people back into the office because, frankly, the people aren’t having it. 

We’ve got the C-Suite shivering in their boots, do we?

• Indeed you do. Some of the most massive companies – like the ones you’d find on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley – are afraid of losing talent, so they’re relaxin’ on return to office plans in hopes of maxin’ employee retention.

The bottom line: Commutes, childcare, and Covid are the biggest reasons big orgs are seeing not only the beauty of hybrid work, but the dire need to properly invest in their hybrid workplaces.

Numbers don’t lie: folks are not going back into the office. (Forbes)

First, it was the millennial-led companies; next came the aforementioned, buttoned-up boomers to finally see the necessity of hybrid work. And the numbers back all of this up. 

Let’s drop the data.

• A survey from Conference Board gleans light on reality: only 4% of orgs are requiring folks back to the workplace full-time (woof). The research also found that 90% are allowing for hybrid work schedules, which includes employee-decided schedules.

The bottom line: With such a saturated job market, businesses have to cater to their employees, ensuring that they’re happy and they’ll stick around.

Me? Multitask during a meeting? Never! (Quartz)

Whether you’re working in an office or at home, you don’t have to deny it; during this era of endless virtual meetings, it’s nearly impossible to not check an email here or a Slack message there.

Maybe if I didn’t have so many meetings in the first place…

• Besides that, research shows that certain activities may actually help people focus; doodling, for example, can help to retain information, and going on a walk may make you feel more engaged. 
• There’s also research that people who fold laundry or lift weights during a Zoom meeting are essentially doing them on autopilot, meaning they aren’t actually distracted at all – they’re just great at multitasking.

The bottom line: People may have their cameras off for many reasons (messy house, kids running around), or they just focus better when they’re doing a little something extra to keep them engaged in the actual meeting.