Counting the Ways: How Statistics Reflect the Hybrid Work Boom
Numbers speak. They have power. Data and statistics can simply and elegantly provide evidence, support arguments, reveal patterns, assess performance, draw correlations, make or break decisions, convey information, and highlight trends. Many times they have a more profound impact than words alone. Here’s an interesting statistic: by the end of 2024, there will be approximately 42,000 coworking spaces worldwide (there were 16,500 in 2017). The many other statistics on coworking spaces and hybrid work are staggering.
It would be interesting to know how all those statistics could help resolve the big debate many companies are currently having with their employees: whether or not to require a full-time office presence vs. providing hybrid/remote work. A list of some of the major U.S. corporations requiring employees to return to the office includes JPMorgan Chase, Apple, Goldman Sachs, and Tesla. To show how out of sync the parties are with one another, The Accenture Future of Work Study 2021 found that 83% of global workers saw a hybrid model (sometimes working remotely and sometimes onsite) as ideal, yet more workers are fully onsite today than before (36% in 2022 vs. 25% in 2021). The latter part of that sentence seems at odds, somehow, with another statistic: during 2022, Incisiv, in conjunction with AT&T Business and Dubber, Inc., conducted research across five industries. The report they released found the hybrid work model is expected to grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024.
Even though some data on the subject can conflict, there’s no doubt about it: the current hybrid work environment is fluid and experiencing seismic shifts. Workplace trends, economic conditions, employee demands, and global events all play a part. Against this ever-changing backdrop, here are some statistics to keep in mind:
- A significant consideration for numerous job seekers is having flexibility in their work setting/location. According to analyses by McKinsey & Company, 85% of employees currently working in a hybrid model want it retained going forward.
- Zippia announced research results showing that, in 2022, 1.08 million people used coworking spaces in the U.S. In general, many of these people share similar characteristics: goal-oriented, adaptive, tech savvy, focused on work quality, and self-motivated. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that 90% of hybrid workers said they feel equally or more productive when working in a hybrid format.
- According to NorthOne, the age of the average coworking space user is 36, which is on par with generational data: 62% of users are Millennials or Gen Z, 33% are from Gen X and just 5% are Baby Boomers.
- AndCards provides a compelling statistic: 67% of coworkers attribute remarkable success to coworking spaces.
- Jobera states that 72% of organizations are investing in collaboration tools, virtual meeting software, and other technology to facilitate hybrid and remote work models.
- Upwork, the world’s largest work marketplace, in its 2020 Future Workforce Pulse Report, projected that, by 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely.
- OfficeRnD states that over 82% of workers surveyed cited flexible or hybrid work arrangements as important to their job satisfaction.
- Hybrid work models are used by 63% of high-growth companies, says Apollo Technical.
- Earlier this year, Gartner, Inc., projected that, by 2023’s end, 39% of global knowledge workers will work hybrid. That’s up from 37% in 2022. Furthermore, Gartner Senior Director Analyst Ranjit Atwa says, “Hybrid is no longer just an employee perk but an employee expectation.”
Any review of hybrid work statistics will emphasize the continuing power play regarding the efficacy and desirability of flex work. Many organizations still value the traditional on-site office environments; others prefer the hybrid approach. As employers and employees try to understand each other’s evolving needs and expectations, they’d be wise to remember this from Gallup: The future of the office has arrived…and it is hybrid. It’s the new way to work.