Contrary to recent headlines, the flexible future of work was is far from over.
Transforming work and organizations for more than two decades | High Performance Flexible Work Strategist & Futurist | Work+Life Fit Innovator | Thinkers 50 Radar | Author | Speaker
When this Axios article landed in my inbox last week with the subject line “The return-to-office wars are over—here’s who won” I was intrigued. From where I sit every day, the battle is far from over. But when I saw the article was about findings from a new study from The Conference Board of global C-Suite leaders (a source I respect and value), I thought, “okay, maybe there’s something I’m missing.” So I excitedly dove into the research expecting data supporting the war’s end to jump right out. Instead, I scrolled and scrolled…well, let’s just say it’s way too soon to wave the checkered flag of victory regarding the C-Suite and the flexible reality of work. Yes, only “4% of U.S. CEOs prioritized bringing workers back to the office full time” however, for a more accurate indicator of CEO buy-in, understanding and support of #workflexibility see where they ranked the alternative—“maintain hybrid work”—against other priorities and where it was addressed in the report. In the report, CEO priorities are presented in the following order: ??External Factors, including the following that will require “Innovative recruiting strategies” and “rethinking how and by whom work gets done”: ??Labor shortages ?? Higher labor costs ??Aging population ??Global risks ?? Leveraging marketing and communications ??Embracing AI ?? Managing human capital (Page 22, Figure 14)—CEO priorities in rank order: 1?? Develop leadership and workforce capabilities 2?? Strengthen organizational culture 3??Attract and retain workers 4?? Accelerate the pace of digital transformation 5?? Strengthen employee experience 6?? Provide targeted upskilling and reskilling opportunities 7?? Emphasize adaptability and innovation skills 8?? Focus on employee well-being initiatives 9?? Align incentives rewards and benefits to business objectives and stakeholder interests, and (FINALLY…) ?? MAINTAIN HYBRID WORK (only European CEOs ranked it in top 5) ?? Setting ESG Priorities When the alternative to RTO, “maintain hybrid work” is the 10th sub-bullet under the second to last sub-bullet of CEO priorities for 2024, there is a long way to go before we can say the #flexiblework “war is over,” especially when you consider how high it ranked for full-time U.S. workers in our most recent national study (link in comments). This gap will impact the focus and effort required to execute flexibility effectively. Good news: at least CEOs have “maintain hybrid work” on their list of priorities at all. Stay tuned for when I post a comparison of where it ranks on the list of priorities for CHROs, the leaders tasked with executing the human capital management strategy of which CEOs say “maintain hybrid work” must be part. (Hint: it doesn’t rank at all). #reimaginwork #flexiblework #workflexibility #RTO #humancaptial #CEO #CHRO #talent #innovation #performance #strategy