Has the global pandemic created long-lasting change in the workplace? What are employees looking for from employers? Are companies following through on promises surrounding diversity, accountability and transparency? And how important is workplace flexibility really?  

These are just a few of the questions individuals and companies around the United States are asking as we collectively set our sights on what the workplace will look like in 2023 and beyond. 

To dig deeper into workplace trends, we looked to several workplace reports – including Quirk’s annual Q Report – published in 2022. This article summarizes several key points from the reports, with the goal of sparking conversation throughout the industry. 

With work from home trending in 2021 and 2022, Quirk’s annual client-side survey posed the following question to respondents, “How important is it to you that your organization allows the flexibility to work remotely either partially or fully?” In 2022, 58% of respondents reported that they believe flexibility within an organization is extremely important, followed by 27% who believe it is very important. This was a 10% increase compared to when we first asked the question in 2021. 

When looking at flexibility and remote work, McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report also states that choice is critical – whether remote or on-site. In fact, 71% of HR leaders say remote work has helped their organization hire and retain more employees from diverse backgrounds. 

Ipsos’ What the Future: Work issue shares similar data, reporting that most people want to work in hybrid-mode, with 46% of American adults saying they would prefer working in a hybrid remote/worksite model. The report digs into how flexible work can impact everything from retirement to ridesharing and where we live. 

Essentially, “one-size-fits-all” approaches to flexibility aren’t working. 

Quirk’s research show...