(This column originally appeared in the Inquirer)
In the past few months big companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Dell, Walmart and JP Morgan Chase have started requiring their employees to come back to the office full time. More of this is expected: according to a new study from KPMG, most CEOs expect a full return to the office within the next three years.
But the debate continues. While CEOs and business leaders feel that having workers in the office builds culture and improves productivity, recent studies from the International Monetary Fund, Stanford University and PwC have found the opposite. The PwC study went so far as to say it’s a “myth” that working in the office five days a week builds company culture.
Given the popularity of remote working, most small business owners I know see this as a recruiting tool, and many are struggling to balance the need for some in-office time with providing a work-from-home option that can attract and retain talent. Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the states where a significant population works from home at least some of the time.
If you’re trying to figure out how to best provide a remote working benefit for your employees, there are two policies to consider: A hybrid policy, or no policy at all.
The Hybrid Option
Local employees at Smith Publicity, a public relations firm based in Cherry Hill, NJ, generally come into the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and work from home Mondays and Fridays. Owner Sandra Poirier Smith said she provides flexibility when someone needs to work from home on a typical “in-office” day, and has some employees who are fully remote.
“Our management philosophy starts with trust and we set clear expectations on what we need to see in terms of work results, general responsiveness and availability, whether in an office hybrid team or a fully remote team,” she said.
Smith said in-person interaction, creativity and brainstorming is beneficial, particularly for people early in their career or new to the company. But she also thinks messaging and video communication tools are effective when employees are remote.
“Our managers — many of whom also work remotely — work hard to make sure all team members feel connected through regular video meetings, team group chats, and company-wide celebrations for personal events like baby showers,” she said.
Bob Bentz, CEO of Berwyn-based marketing firm Purplegator, requires that employees come into the office only on Wednesdays, but keeps the rest of the week flexible.
“COVID taught me a lesson,” he said. “Prior to the pandemic, I would have never thought that a business could be successful with allowing work from home, but it worked out well so we have continued a hybrid approach to the office.”
Bentz said allowing work from home is a powerful recruiting tool.
“A few years ago, I read that employees can potentially [save] thousands per year on gas, tolls, auto expenses, and lunches in the Philadelphia market by working from home, plus there’s a savings of time when you don’t have to commute each way to the office. That’s a huge benefit to employees,” he said.
No policy
While some companies choose a hybrid approach, others are opting for no policy at all.
“We no longer have any official requirement as far as time that folks must be present in our offices,” said Russ Starke, CEO of Think Company, a Conshohocken-based consultancy firm that designs and builds websites and other “digital experiences” for enterprise organizations.
Starke’s company has employees located across the country. He doesn’t mandate face-to-face time mainly because his employees prefer serving their clients remotely, he said.
“We can be as effective, or more, than we ever were when we were in the offices,” he said. “We’ve made our offices available, well appointed, relaxed, and have piloted all kinds of perk programs to see if that would be attractive to folks, but in practice the majority choose to be remote regardless.”
The same goes for Momentum Digital, a marketing agency based in Philadelphia. The entire organization has worked remotely for years and the model has proved successful, mainly because of its unique approach to compensation, according to CEO Mac Frederick.
Rather than paying a set salary or hourly rate, Momentum pays employees a commission per client every month. As a result, Frederick said, the “commitment must be to the work and to the client.”
“We have no issues with a remote work environment as long as our team prioritizes our clients and their responsibilities,” he said. “They can live and work remotely and take as much time off, or work whenever they want and need to, as long as our clients are happy.”
Bentz noted that, as a small company, his business can’t always match what larger employers offer. But remote work is something he can provide.
“Sometimes, life just gets in the way, so I hope that by being flexible with employees we can make up for some of the things that we can’t do as well versus a large company,” Bentz said.
Starke said he understands that remote work may not be the right solution for all companies. But for companies like his, it’s a must-have workplace strategy.
“For the kinds of roles we hire and the nature of the work we do, the majority of people want the flexibility,” he said. “You can’t always do everything folks want, but as long as the work doesn’t suffer — and it hasn’t — this has been one of the easier [ways]to evolve.”
