For those thinking that remote work comes with sacrificed productivity, a new survey from Akamai Technologies, reveals they should think again. According to the data, 83% of remote-friendly companies self-reported either high or very high productivity levels.
Notably, the majority of these companies (62%) said that they do not use surveillance, such as VPN usage logs or keystroke tracking, signaling a culture of mutual trust.
“We want our employees to work where they get their best work done. Flexible work is a proven way to empower employees,” said Anthony Williams, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Akamai. “When executed successfully, remote work strategies have bountiful benefits: Employees experience greater work-life balance, while employers can attract and retain top talent.”
According to the report, remote work is now the norm with just over half, (52%) of companies reporting it as their default mode of work, with most having made the shift during or since the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 7% of companies said they have plans to revert to in-person work in the future.
Remote work provides employees with flexibility and allows companies to seek top talent. The report found talent is a top driver of remote work – with 72% of companies citing access to a wider pool of talent as their main reason for adopting remote-first models, followed by work-life balance (62%) and retention (31%).
In addition to remote work, many of these companies also offer mental health benefits (79%), flexible working hours (72%) and reimbursement for home office expenses (50%).
“Remote-first organizations are showing what’s possible when you design work for performance and people,” said Kevin Oakes, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder at i4cp. “Employees want trust and flexibility, and companies want results – this provides that with a thoughtful approach, there’s a way to balance both.”
In order to find this balance the report revealed that many organizations are also offering annual and semi-annual in-person gatherings, as well as strategy sessions (86%), team-building events (76%) and social gatherings (72%) all of which play key roles in building culture.
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