Employee Engagement and the Hybrid Work Challenge

Recent data shows that employee engagement in the US has hit an 11-year low[1], coinciding with a period where office occupancy remains at around 50% of pre-pandemic levels and working from home has stabilized at about 27% of paid days[2]. This shift towards hybrid work arrangements appears to be becoming permanent, with employees preferring them and employers accepting them. However, the decline in engagement raises questions about the future of workplace culture[3].

In response to these challenges, Wharton Executive Education published an article[4] identifying five key challenges of hybrid work, dubbed the “5Cs”: communication, coordination, connection, creativity, and culture.  The authors posed a critical question: ‘If employees never or rarely come to the office or spend time together, how can a company’s distinctive ‘feel’ be maintained — and then, how can companies differentiate themselves from each other in the war for talent?’

The core issue underlying these challenges is the reduction of in-person time between colleagues. This article explores how a new concept called CoRemoting might address these challenges without significantly disrupting employees’ hybrid work schedules.

Introducing CoRemoting

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