What executives are saying about the future of hybrid work

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In the postpandemic future of work, nine out of ten organizations will be combining remote and on-site working, according to a new McKinsey survey of 100 executives across industries and geographies.1 The survey confirms that productivity and customer satisfaction have increased during the pandemic.

Despite the embrace of a hybrid model, though, most organizations have only begun to think through and articulate the specifics of how to carry out a more permanent mix of remote and on-site working for all roles that aren’t essential to perform on-site. Many of their employees are feeling anxious as a result. The sustainability of pandemic-style productivity gains might well depend on how organizational leaders address the anxiety their employees feel—and the associated levels of burnout.

The secrets to hybrid work success: what employees are saying

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A McKinsey Live event on ‘Getting hybrid work right: What employees are saying’

The following charts, drawn from our survey, offer insights for executives who are sorting out the particulars of the hybrid approach. A notable finding is that organizations with the biggest productivity increases during the pandemic have supported and encouraged “small moments of engagement” among their employees, moments in which coaching, mentorship, idea sharing, and coworking take place. These organizations are preparing for hybrid working by training managers for remote leadership, by reimagining processes, and by rethinking how to help employees thrive in their roles.

In the post-COVID-19 future, C-suite executives expect an increase in hybrid work.
Most organizations don’t yet have a detailed vision in place for hybrid work.
Most C-suite executives report improvement in their organizations’ productivity, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and diversity and inclusion.
Organizations that have kept employees connected have also tended to see their productivity increase.
Leading organizations are most likely to have helped managers lead differently.
Lagging companies are least likely to experiment and iterate processes.
Most organizations have changed their hiring processes, but leading  companies have reimagined them entirely.
Many organizations have started to reassess the number of people in each role  or function, but only a few have rematched employees with priority roles.
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