A new study suggests that a hybrid working model is more beneficial than fully working in the office, as it can make employees happier, reduce the likelihood of resigning, and has no impact on productivity.
Published last week in the British scientific journal “Nature,” the study was conducted by Nick Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University in the United States, and his colleagues. They surveyed 1612 employees of the global travel website “Trip.com” based in Shanghai and reached this conclusion.
The background of this survey was the shift towards remote work for millions of white-collar workers in the United States due to the pandemic four years ago, as most companies closed their offices. Employers have now begun to require employees to return to physical office work, fearing that remote and hybrid work may decrease productivity.
However, the study found that Trip.com’s hybrid working model increased job satisfaction and reduced the resignation rate of employees by 33%.
The research shows that the decrease in turnover rates is particularly significant among non-managerial staff, female employees, and those who spend a lot of time commuting to and from work.
The respondents of this survey were employees in the ticketing and IT departments of Trip.com, working in engineering, marketing, and finance roles.
The study was conducted from 2021 to 2022 and found no significant differences in performance evaluations or promotions for employees working in the office or in a hybrid mode during these two years.
The study stated, “Given evidence that full remote work can harm employee development and promotion, this is an important research finding.”
The results of the study indicate that under a hybrid working model, whether employees work in the office or at home, productivity remains the same.
Trip.com employees participating in this study were surveyed twice to understand their views on how working from home affects productivity.
Bloom and his colleagues found that on average, employees with hybrid working experience had a “slight improvement” in their views on how working from home affects productivity.
“This may be because hybrid working from home (WFH) saves employees commuting time, reduces physical fatigue, and provides intermittent breaks between collective time and quiet personal time, which can improve work performance,” the research report stated.