Since the pandemic, we’ve observed a striking shift in the meaning of “the workplace”.
What was once regarded as the norm and as the standard for one’s work day—waking up, rushing to the kitchen to shove just enough breakfast down your throat to quell immediate hunger, then heading out the door in a frenzy hoping to beat the traffic on the commute—is no longer what professionals envision their work lives to be.
After the pandemic demonstrated to everyone just how easy it would be to transfer operations to a virtual office and still maintain a sense of togetherness and culture while operating from home, the “fond” memories we have of the traditional workplace are becoming nightmares that workers are obstinately protesting against, determined to never return to pre-pandemic “ideals.”
So what does the future hold for remote work?
What can professionals expect from employers and from their respective industries as we near the last quarter of 2024 and approach 2025? And what might employers anticipate as they make plans for their workforce, for the coming year?
1. More Employers Have Return to Office (RTO) Plans For Next Year
In light of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s announcement last week on all employees being required to spend a full five days a week by January 2025, Resume Templates released a new report based on their findings from a poll of 1,551 business executives.
This uncovered that while 26% have expanded their RTO requirements this year, an additional 21% will increase office days between the end of 2024 and the start of 2025. Of this group, 34% have already or are planning to, extend the requirement to a full five days per week. The top five reasons behind this, according to HR leaders, the C-suite, and senior management, are to:
- Boost productivity
- Foster collaboration
- Improve employee oversight
- Utilize existing office space
- And perhaps shockingly, some employers admitted to using this as a means to encourage employees to quit
2. More Hybrid-Remote Than Fully Remote
While this may not be welcome news for most remote job-seekers, the reality is that employers are tending to be more in favor of the hybrid work model than a fully remote one. This strikes a positive balance between five days a week in the office, and no office attendance at all, promoting flexibility (when done right), and allows for the company culture to be developed in-person.
With over a decade of experience running a company with a diverse team of 35 people, Mike Chappell has seen how remote and hybrid work models can be highly effective. At his company, FormsPal, he has a mix of remote and hybrid employees, which he has observed allows them to maintain flexibility while staying productive.
“Looking to 2025, I believe remote work will evolve into a more balanced hybrid approach,” he says. “While some companies may push for a full return to office, the ongoing demand from employees for flexibility will likely ensure that hybrid models remain dominant.
“Based on recent trends and employee feedback, it’s clear that talent retention is closely tied to offering some level of flexibility.” In Chappell’s view, companies that push too hard for RTO may face higher turnover and struggle to attract top talent, while businesses that embrace hybrid work will benefit from happier and more engaged employees.
“Ultimately, the winner of the RTO debate will be the organizations that find the right balance, offering flexibility without compromising on performance,” he believes. “Hybrid work, in my opinion, will be the sustainable solution.”
Indeed, recent research from Ladders reveals that when it comes to high-paying job opportunities, there appears to be a greater proportion of these being offered on a hybrid remote basis as of 2024, as opposed to those offered as fully remote.
Even FlexJobs recently published its list of the top 100 companies hiring for hybrid jobs in 2024, based on analysis of its database which revealed the companies posting the most hybrid roles this year, evidencing just how much this trend has gained ground.
3. AI And Tech Enables Remote Jobs
One of the greatest positive impacts of technology and the most recent major tech trend—AI (artificial intelligence)—is that it is a powerful tool to keep workers connected, enabling smooth collaboration even when not physically present together.
With more employers adopting AI usage—which in turn increases productivity and improves resources including motivating workers to perform at their best, optimal level—we can expect to see tremendous benefits as far as remote work is concerned.
For example, some AI tools can jot down meeting notes and provide summaries including follow-up actions from virtual meetings, making it even easier to collaborate and be effective when working from home or anywhere in the world.
Richard Carey, CEO of a fully remote-first company with a headcount of 15 employees, comments: “Technology such as virtual collaboration tools, AI assistants, and cloud-based infrastructure have already enabled seamless remote work at scale. Over the next five years, continued progress will make remote teams even more efficient and connected. While regulation may be needed to address challenges like data security or work-life balance, remote work is here to stay.”
Offering a hybrid solution in 2025, as companies such as HubSpot and Pinterest have already successfully done, allows companies to have the best of both worlds. Employers will be able to continue to attract top talent (who would be turned off by full-time in-office requirements) and cater to the wellbeing and work-life balance demands of their team members, while at the same time, having the physical proximity necessary for occasional meet-ups, brainstorming, training, and other in-person aspects of the work.
In addition, as noted above, utilizing artificial intelligence and software platforms will make hybrid collaboration much easier for managers and their workers, and boost productivity and job satisfaction, as Carey has already witnessed at his organization.
So, who is winning the remote work war in 2025? Will employers be successful at driving increased office attendance, or will employees be able to persuade and convince their companies to be more remote and strike a perfect balance?
Only time will fully tell.
