A majority of survey respondents believe that company innovation is strongest with employees in-person at the office, according to research by VMware, a leader in the enterprise software industry. The study’s results show that 66% of participants think innovation suffers from the hybrid work model; however, 82% would still prefer the flexibility to work anywhere to maintain job satisfaction.
Additionally, more than half of those who work in the hybrid model experience higher levels of creativity, collaboration, and morale, specifically since the beginning of the pandemic. This is all according to a report entitled, “The Distributed Work Dilemma: When Innovation and Job Satisfaction Compete.”
With global economic uncertainty driving layoffs in the tech industry and beyond, companies are rethinking their workplace policies, with many reducing hybrid work or mandating a return to the office full-time. For employees, after nearly three years of widespread remote work, leaving their home offices will be challenging. However, enterprises are moving forward trying to do more with less, which is driving the adoption of automation and other digital tools that can help increase innovation. The report also found that the balance of power is shifting from favoring employees back to employers after a long period of talent shortages.