Has Remote And Hybrid Work Helped Or Hurt Employee Performance?

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly half (45 percent) of remote workers — both fully remote and hybrid — say their teams’ performance has improved during the past two years, according to new research from Eagle Hill Consulting.

In contrast, only 34 percent of in-person workers say their team’s performance has improved.

Nearly all workers say their manager trusts them to get their work done, and this is fairly consistent for remote (96 percent), hybrid (90 percent), and in-person employees (96 percent). But since the pandemic began, most employees report feeling more pressure to perform well (66 percent). That sentiment is substantially higher for hybrid workers (74 percent), followed by in-person employees (67 percent), and remote workers (56 percent).

The majority of workers (68 percent) say they feel more supported by their supervisor, and 69 percent say they feel more recognized for a job well done. This response is fairly consistent for remote (68 percent), hybrid (70 percent), and in-person employees (66 percent).

“Our research signals that innovative remote and hybrid approaches to work indeed are working,” says Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “Employees have been telling us for years that they want more flexibility and the ability to work remotely. The pandemic forced the issue for employers, and now a large share of remote and hybrid employees indicate that their performance has improved, more so than in-person workers.

“While employees have felt more pressure to perform well, workers are feeling supported and recognized,” she continued. “The challenge going forward for employers will be to sustain the positives that have emerged during the pandemic while finding new ways to manage employee performance as the future of work solidifies, be it working remotely or with a hybrid approach.”

The Eagle Hill Performance Management and Feedback Survey 2022 also found that:

• During the past two years, 50 percent of remote workers say their personal performance is better, along with 49 percent of hybrid workers. In-person workers were lower, at 45 percent.
• About half of employees say they feel pleased (46 percent) and motivated (45 percent) following regular discussions with their manager about their performance.
• Most employees (81 percent) have a clear understanding of the next steps in their career path with their employer, consistent for remote (82 percent), hybrid (81 percent), and in-person workers (82 percent).
• Most workers say they can advance in their jobs (75 percent), with remote (81 percent) and hybrid workers (80 percent) agreeing at slightly higher levels than in-person workers (70 percent).
• When it comes to performance challenges for work teams, employees say the biggest obstacles are sharing information across the team (32 percent), setting clear goals and metrics (31 percent), innovation and idea generation (27 percent), and defining new ways to work together (28 percent). Hybrid employees (40 percent) say their biggest challenge is innovation and idea generation. Remote (30 percent) and in-person (32 percent) workers indicate their biggest challenge is sharing information.