RTO mandates aren't flexible enough for employees

• Key Insight: Discover how redefining flexibility can align productivity metrics with retention strategies.
• Supporting Data: 40% of job seekers would still accept lower pay to work remotely.
• Forward Look: Expect benefits, stipend, and policy redesigns to address commuting, childcare, and engagement.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Employers have made workplace flexibility a key part of their talent strategy, yet many employees remain unsatisfied with the level of freedom they have over where and how they work.

Despite the progress the workforce has made over the years, 40% of job seekers would still be willing to accept a lower salary if it meant that they could work remotely, according to a recent report from hiring platform Employ. In fact, 22% said they would decline a job offer if the role came with no flexibility to work from home or to work remotely from time to time. In order to meet more of those demands, organizations are going to have to rethink their definition of flexibility and improve their efforts. 

"We're in the same spot that we started in about two years ago when a return to work started to become more mandated," said Kim Wylam, managing principal of Baker Tilly's human resources consulting practice. "We're still in this quandary where hybrid is still the trend and we've got even flexibility but there's a lot of confusion." 

Read more: For working mothers, the pandemic's flexibility is fading away

Organizations had already been exploring flexible work arrangements before COVID as a way to support work-life balance and attract and retain talent. With multiple generations prioritizing flexibility, employers were being encouraged to move beyond traditional 9-to-5 schedules and focus instead on productivity and performance outcomes. The pandemic accelerated these conversations and pushed hybrid work to the forefront, but there are many reasons that a full shift to remote may not be feasible any time soon. 

Tradition still stands in the way

One challenge facing workplace flexibility efforts is the generational divide in leadership, Wylam said. Many senior leaders and managers, particularly in large corporations and professional services firms, are members of the baby boomer generation who built successful careers working primarily in the office. After decades of following a traditional workplace model, it can be difficult to shift long-established beliefs about productivity, collaboration and success, making the transition to more flexible work arrangements a significant cultural change for some business leaders and organization heads.

"You can't always teach an old dog new tricks," Wylam said. "Imagine doing the direct opposite of what you've been doing for 40 years to be successful and productive. It's hard." 

Read more: Flexible work is now a core benefit as burnout and RTO resistance rise

In addition, for many of these employers, there's also the matter of the significant investment they've made in physical workspaces in the past. Organizations that pay for office leases, own buildings, or previously designed facilities to accommodate large numbers of employees often view the loss of those spaces or the underutilization of them as a revenue loss. As a result, they are motivated to increase in-office attendance to ensure those investments are being fully returned on.

Improved performance reviews

At the same time, employees increasingly want to be evaluated based on outcomes rather than where their work is performed. However, many organizations still struggle to measure productivity objectively in knowledge-based roles, Wylam said. While output is relatively easy to track in situations where productivity can be tied to tangible units produced, some office work is centered on projects, collaboration and problem-solving. Even before the pandemic, many employers lacked clear systems for measuring productivity in these roles, making the shift to outcome-based performance management a continuing challenge in a hyper-flexible work environment.

"There's still a lot of fear of distrust," Wylam said. "Organizations are still concerned if they don't know what their workforce is doing, and there's a lot of comfort in the idea that if everybody came to work and they're at their desk they'll know they're working [and can measure it accordingly.]" 

Despite those obstacles, Wylam said she still believes that the current state of things is sustainable — as long as organizations restrategize their approach to workplace policies and benefits. 

Read more: RTO, flexibility and DEI: Why leaders are caught in the middle

Creating a better RTO strategy

First, organizations should clearly explain why workplace changes are being made, share relevant productivity and business data, and communicate the benefits for both employees and the company. Regular conversations about career growth, well-being and workplace expectations can help build much-needed trust. Employers should also take an intentional approach to hybrid work by addressing concerns around commuting costs, childcare and flexibility through stipends, support programs and clear policies. Enhancing the in-office experience with wellness initiatives and team-building opportunities can also further encourage engagement. 

Most importantly, Wylam said, organizations should be actively seeking employee input through surveys, focus groups and ongoing dialogue to ensure workplace policies are designed collaboratively and meet the needs of both the workforce and the business.

Read more: Benefits that soften the blow of RTO

"When we ask employees to return to the office it's not a return to the old way — it should be a return to a new way," Wylam said. "That means compromising certain things and understanding your workforce and [what] their needs are."

If employers don't, high turnover rates will remain organizations' biggest concern, especially as competing organizations tailor their own benefits with increased flexibility to attract and retain talent. 

"Handling these transitions incorrectly comes at a cost," Wylam said. "It needs to be a two-way conversation."