This article is part of the series Beyond Hybrid:
99 Things You Need to Know Now
Hybrid
Realities
Seven key takeaways from new global research
Hybrid work is about more than who’s in the office or not. Once we changed where people work it opened the door to reconsider the how: existing norms, processes, behaviors and beliefs. It will take time before people, organizations and societies settle into a new routine.
But patterns have emerged that give us a glimpse into where things are now and where they might be going.
Most people
work most days
in the office.
70% of employees globally
are working 3 days or more
in the office, on average.
Hybrid adoption varies significantly by country
Is there a connection between country culture and the adoption of remote work? Countries with individualistic cultures — those that place great value on the needs of individual people — have higher levels of remote work. Collectivist cultures, like China, that value group harmony, are in the office almost exclusively.
In office work
Remote work
USA 55%Mexico 79%Canada 45%Spain 79%21%
UK 53%47%
France 85%15%
Germany 70%China 95%5%
Japan 68%India 76%Australia 68%21%
45%
55%
30%
32%
24%
32%
Company Size
% of employees working mostly in-office
75
%
Small
1 – 999
69
%
Medium
1,000 – 9,999
60
%
Large
10,000 – 49,999
59
%
Mega
50,000+
Industry
% of employees working mostly in office
Highest
87%
84%
82%
64%
58%
Insurance
Professional/
Business Services
Technology
Telecommunications
Patterns are emerging around who is embracing in-office work. Small to mid-sized companies in small to mid-sized cities tend to work in-office the most. Big companies in big cities, doing computer-based work are adopting greater levels of hybrid or remote work.
Hybrid work varies by company size and industry.
Job Level
68%
Individual contributor
77%
Manager or above
Generation
% of generations working mostly in-office
77%
Gen Z
73%
Millenials
67%
Gen X
57%
Boomers+
Leaders and Gen Z are more likely to be in the office.
Connection to Culture
Work-life Balance
Productivity
Likelihood to Leave
In September 2022, European Union Labor Productivity dropped by 0.91% in comparison to September 2021, according to CEIC Data.
People are
struggling.
In the last year,
work satisfaction
metrics are
dropping.
My job requires
in-office resources
I have an
assigned workstation.
My commute time is
less than 30 min
Certain factors
influence people
to work in the
office more often.
Space Improvements
1 More individual privacy
2 Assigned workstation
3 Larger individual space
4 Personal ergonomic furniture
Tech Improvements
1 Better computers/tablets
2 Video conferencing tools
3 Interactive collaboration displays
4 Reservation system
41%
People who work remotely the most are less motivated by changes to the office.
But 41% said they'd come in more if they thought their career depended on it.
We asked: Is there anything that would bring you to the office more? A third of people who work mostly in-office say these things are important enough to bring them to the office even more.
Better individual spaces and technology can motivate people to return to the office more often
6
Certain factors influence people to work in the office more often.
5
People are struggling. Work satisfaction metrics are dropping.
4
Leaders and Gen Z are more likely to be in the office.
3
Hybrid work varies by company size and industry.
7
Better individual spaces and technology can motivate people to return to the office more often.
2
Hybrid adoption varies significantly by country. 1
Most people work most days in the office.
The Takeaway
It’s clear — hybrid work can look very different depending on where you live, what you do and who you work for. But it’s reshaping the ways people work, regardless of how much we adopt it.
The data confirms what many felt: In the midst of so much turmoil and change, people are struggling, even when they have more flexible work arrangements than ever before. What can help?
People tell us they come to the office to collaborate, and engage in social interactions. And yet the research says they also want the office to help them get their individual work done and people want privacy for focused work and better technology. Many say they’d work in the office more often if they had an assigned space, yet organizations are shifting toward shared spaces to fully utilize their real estate. People feel more empowered than ever and want a voice in what their work experience should be.
Meanwhile, leaders feel the pressure to achieve results and boost innovation and profitability. Sales Force CEO Mark Benioff noted that new employees in particular had lower productivity. “Are we not building tribal knowledge with new employees without an office culture?” he wondered. Whether it’s office policies, corporate culture or other factors, leaders know they need to act.
The question is: Where do we go from here?
Insights 1-7 for a new era of work
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Source: All data referenced here unless otherwise noted is from a Steelcase Global Study, conducted in late 2022 with 6046 employees in 11 countries. All data reflects global averages.
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