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| | Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Axel Karlsson, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms
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| | | | Five years after the pandemic spurred a surge in remote work, more and more companies have been bringing more employees back into the office. Some leaders view return-to-office (RTO) policies as critical to boosting collaboration, productivity, and organizational performance. Others are trying to figure out the right balance of remote, hybrid, and in-person working models to meet the needs of their people and their organizations. This week, we look at how leaders can consider RTO options that support both employee experience and productivity.
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| | | Debates about the effectiveness of RTO policies can overshadow a more pressing question: Are companies doing enough to address the persistent problems affecting employee experience and productivity? McKinsey’s Aaron De Smet, Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, and their coauthors argue that companies should focus less on mandating specific working models and more on strengthening key practices that support organizational health. The authors observe that leaders most frequently cite five practices as their reasons to adopt RTO policies: collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship, and skill development. But US employees across working models say their organizations fall short in supporting these practices, according to a McKinsey survey. The authors note that in-person, remote, and hybrid workers all report similar levels of intent to quit, burnout, effort, and satisfaction. “The policy mandate itself is far less important than the work environment organizations create and the practices that accompany a policy’s implementation,” they say. | | |
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| | | | | That’s McKinsey’s Asmus Komm, Brooke Weddle, Dana Maor, and their coauthors on the factors that motivate employees to perform at their best. Nonfinancial incentives also may include greater workplace flexibility, more autonomy, praise from a manager, and the opportunity to lead a big project. “[These incentives] can be used to reward progress toward large, company-wide goals; small, private goals specific to individual employees; or career moves, among other things,” the authors say.
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| | | Lead by creating a healthy work environment. | | | | | — Edited by Eric Quiñones, senior editor, New York
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