Productivity, employee experience improved in hybrid work — Infosys, WSJ Intelligence report

NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES — Hybrid and remote work brought tangible gains in productivity and improved employee experiences, said digital services and consulting firm Infosys and analytics platform WSJ Intelligence. 

In a poll of over 1,000 U.S. senior executives, Infosys and WSJ Intelligence found that certain industries experienced higher productivity from remote work than others. 

Of the industries that fared best with remote work, high-tech (63%), telecom (54%), and financial services (51%) said that they would likely adopt a “work from anywhere” model going forward.

Work-life balance also improved in remote working arrangements. Six in ten respondents indicated that their work-life balance improved while working from home, while only 43% said that they achieved this balance pre-pandemic when working in the office.

However, employers are still torn regarding remote and in-office work. While 57% of U.S. senior executives agreed remote work boosts productivity, 53% also agreed productivity is a key benefit of working in an office. 

As a compromise, employers said they are implementing remote work policies based on skills versus degrees. 

Employers are reimagining plans to hire, onboard, and upskill workers with a stronger emphasis on skills (64%) vs. degrees (53%), and they must make hybrid or remote work policies based on worker preference and performance abilities to survive. 

Infosys EVP and Head of Delivery for the Americas Tan Moorthy said, “…gone are the days where location matters. Employers will make the call on who comes into the office and who doesn’t [base] on what each worker can do. Skills and abilities — not degrees or showing up at an office — will drive post-pandemic workplace norms.”

Elizabeth Nann, WSJ Intelligence Executive Director, added that the joint research emphasizes “the growing need for workplace flexibility and innovation, as employees demand policies that match culture, and employers seek top talent to meet purpose-oriented business needs.”