Business leaders say they support remote and hybrid work in their teams, but the data tells a different story. But, according to Alludo this is possible for 63% of managers but only 40% of employees. The survey involved 2,034 workers from around the world who could actually do their work remotely.
Alludo a global technology company that helps people work and live better, has released the results of its latest survey that show a clear discrepancy between the freedom and flexibility enjoyed by global leadership teams versus individual employees.
Remote and Hybrid Work
Although most respondents agree that remote and hybrid working arrangements are meant to last, only 40 percent of employees have the freedom of remote working compared to 63 percent of executives who, instead, can work anywhere.
Data from Alludo’s report show that people managers have been slow to adopt these changes at all levels of the company. Moving to a remote and hybrid work model requires a fundamental transformation in the leadership model. In this new world, the employee-manager relationship is built on trust and results are real indicators of success.
Employees are no longer limited by bureaucratic processes and a management style based on close supervision. Compared with the rigid control of the past, a bottom-up approach that puts people first is needed. This concept is called Work3, an idea strongly supported by Alludo during the company’s recent rebranding.
The freedom offered to employees
Work3 represents a shift in work culture, supporting the concept that all employees should have the freedom and flexibility to choose where, when, and how they work best.
“True leadership,” said Christa Quarles, CEO of Alludo, “is not about gathering people in a room to do what you want. It is about giving employees the space to achieve extraordinary results. The last few years have shown that workers can be productive even at home. It’s time for business leaders to leave behind the concept of mandatory 8 hours in the office and recognize that freedom and flexibility are critical not only to working better but also to living better.”
In addition to where to work, employees want the flexibility of being able to define when they work. Data from the Alludo report confirm that three-quarters (74 percent) of employees no longer want to work the traditional eight-hour day. However, about half (47 percent) of them still work the standard way in contrast to about one-third of managers.
This again underscores the gap in the freedom offered to employees versus managers, where the former have less flexibility in determining when and where to work.
Global management teams
To be successful in a world that increasingly operates remotely and in hybrid mode, corporate leadership must create a cohesive vision, set clear expectations and outcomes, and give its employees the freedom and flexibility to decide when, where, and how best to work.
However, the study paints a very different reality. Data from Alludo’s report show that managers believe they have adjusted to this new management approach, while employees think very differently.
58% of c-levels believe their company has changed the way employees who work remotely or in hybrid mode are managed.
Fifty-seven percent of employees disagree and say that company leadership has not changed their management style; in fact, 28 percent say they are still under close supervision.
Should leaders not change the way they manage their resources, giving them more freedom and flexibility to choose where, when, and how they work, the data show that just under half of the employees surveyed (43%) would consider quitting or changing jobs like becoming digital nomads or freelancers.