The Future of Work is Flexible

Just a hot minute ago, CEOs and the media were singing the praises of remote work. "The future," they called it. Now? It's like a reverse card played in a game of UNO. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and ironically, Zoom’s Eric Yuan, among others, are leading the back-to-office charge.

During the pandemic, remote work was the bridge that kept businesses afloat. And for many, it was a taste of work-life balance they'd never had before. The ability to skip the commute, work in your pajamas, and spend more time with family was a revelation for some.

Many CEOs have now turned ‘anti-remote’, saying it’s for the sake of "creativity" and “team spirit”. But is this backed by hard facts, or is it just nostalgia for the pre-pandemic era and wanting to feel back in “control”? 

Here are my two cents: Remote, hybrid, in-office—it's not a one-size-fits-all. Surveys show a great number of employees love flexibility and autonomy in determining where they work.

What's critical is not enforcing a rigid policy, but allowing flexibility. The freedom to choose what fits best for the task or project at hand. Whether it's for productivity, creativity, building culture, or sanity. We’re human beings, not robots. Our peak performance depends greatly on our mental health and motivation levels.

Bottom line: it's about how you work, not where you work. Overall, I think we’re moving in the right direction with companies choosing between remote, hybrid or on-premise configurations as and when needed. Even governments have come to see the value in malleable working models.

For instance, the UAE launched a remote work visa in 2021, recognizing that the future of work is ‘flexible’. Other nations have also introduced digital nomad and remote work visas. This is enabling location-independent living and the freedom to travel while working. A whole generation of digital nomads is emerging.

So, let's not backpedal into the past out of fear or micromanagement tendencies. The future of work is diverse, flexible, and adaptable. Employees are looking for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Companies that provide that in a remote or hybrid setup will win the war for talent. That's the real forward motion we need.