Good morning,
I’m continuing the conversation about the future of work.
Yesterday, I shared data from Fortune and NewtonX’s new CFO poll that found many financial leaders prefer working remotely with flexible onsite workdays post-COVID.
That echoes what Accenture finds in a new research report based on a global survey of more than 9,000 workers across industries. About 83% of respondents said a hybrid model—sometimes remote, sometimes onsite—would be optimal. A quarter of respondents, in fields such as healthcare and retail, worked fully onsite throughout the coronavirus pandemic and are likely to remain onsite, despite their personal preferences, the report found.
Reimaging the onsite work experience is just as important as optimizing the work experience for hybrid or fully remote employees. But, at the end of the day, “it’s not about place, it’s about potential,” the report found.
Regardless of physical location, enhancing resources to make sure a workforce is healthy and productive, “will produce bottom-line benefits,” according to Accenture. The report notes that 63% of high-revenue growth companies use hybrid, “productivity anywhere,” workforce models; and 69% of “negative or no-growth” companies shun the concept of hybrid workforces and favor all onsite or all remote workforces.
Accenture’s model of “Net Better Off” suggests employers focus on “six fundamental human needs” for employees: financial security; emotional and mental wellbeing; a strong sense of belonging and inclusion; good physical health; purpose; and having the skill sets to advance in one’s career.
Although respondents of our CFO poll preferred hybrid work environments, they also recognized the challenges when it comes to socializing, team building, and fostering company culture. Almost half of the respondents (44%) said they’d like to organize in-person work periods by project or department.
Many Gen Z employees, who grew up during an era of selfies, texting, and virtual reality, actually want to experience onsite work in some form, Accenture’s report found. About 74% of Gen Z respondents prefer more opportunities to work face-to-face with colleagues, followed by Baby Boomers (68%), and Gen Xers (66%).
See you tomorrow—virtually.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
Big deal
Genpact, a global professional services firm, in partnership with the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, surveyed 500 CIOs around the world to get their perspective on digital transformation. If there's another major business disruption, 68% of respondents said their organization is not prepared, according to a new report. And only 44% strongly agreed that they're in a position to support company growth after the pandemic.
Going deeper
Catalyst's new report, based on a global survey of 7,487 workers, found that an employee "burnout crisis" can be a threat to post-pandemic workplaces. About 92.3% of respondents said they are experiencing some amount of burnout. The research pointed to remote work options curbing burnout.
Leaderboard
Heather Dixon was named CFO at Everside Health, a national primary care provider. Dixon previously served as SVP, global controller and chief accounting officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Fred Pensotti was named CFO at Landstar System, Inc., a global provider of integrated transportation management solutions, effective May 24, 2021. Most recently, Pensotti served as CFO of One Call, a healthcare-related services company.
Overheard
"They'll come back down, not overnight, but enough to cause some pain."
—Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller predicts hot housing market prices will eventually cool down, as told to Yahoo Finance.
