According to Atlassian’s State of Teams Report 2022, flexibility benefits both workers and employers. “Location affects knowledge workers as much as it affects real estate prices,” it continues.
The study included responses from 1,710 knowledge workers aged 21 to 65 in Australia and the United States who worked in teams. The sample was made up of 43% women and 57% men.
The key findings showed that teams have an equal chance of success wherever they work, with improved results in terms of well-being and innovation creating a ripple effect that produces even more favorable results.
According to Atlassian, the ability to work at the location of choice significantly improves outcomes in terms of innovation, well-being, burnout, and perceptions of organizational culture. Flexibility, according to the report, is associated with a positive perception of corporate culture, which is strongly associated with higher employee retention rates. Moreover, employees from hybrid and distributed companies are more likely to view their teams as innovative.
“These improved outcomes create a ripple effect that yields even more favorable outcomes. For example, flexibility is linked to positive perceptions of the organization’s culture, which in turn is strongly associated with higher employee retention rates. Plus, people from hybrid and distributed companies are more likely to identify their teams as innovative,” the Atlassian website states.
It goes on to say that in 2022, 22% of those polled for the study worked remotely, 35% in an office and 43% in a hybrid mode. The impact of location flexibility on employee outcomes was rated as 36% when there was no flexibility and 14% when there was some flexibility. Positive attitudes toward the organization’s culture were 47% for no flexibility and 83% for some flexibility. 57% do not believe the team is innovative and 30% suffer from imposter syndrome.
Atlassian also reported a burnout challenge associated with virtual meetings, so the criticisms are not limited to office workers. While office workers spend about five hours a week in meetings, people on distributed and hybrid teams spend closer to eight hours. 31% of respondents who had planned more than 20 hours of meetings a week reported one or more signs of burnout, compared to 23% of those who had 15 hours or less.
The sources for this piece include an article in ComputerWorld.