What Research Says About Flexible Work

With Our General Manager of New England, Stacey Messier, and Slalom Consulting’s Ryan McCreedy

We’re calling it now: the word of the decade for business leaders will be “flexibility.” 

The pandemic created more flexible working conditions that people seem to enjoy and are reluctant to give up, and it’s increasingly clear that flexibility is important for retaining and attracting top talent. According to Slalom research, 74% of employees would look for new jobs if they were required to work in the office three or more days a week.

That research compelled us to explore this further with our General Manager of New England, Stacey Messier, who connected us with Ryan McCreedy, Instructor at Harvard and a Senior Principal of Organizational Effectiveness consultant at Slalom – a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company.

He shared that they recently facilitated a workshop to discuss the current state of employee experience in the post-COVID, AI-crazed world. In a group of 22 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs), heads of global employee experience, etc., three of the key challenges they all face include developing talent effectively in hybrid environments, establishing policies and procedures for hybrid ways of working, and having clarity in how to achieve cultural objectives.

To dive deeper into how businesses can navigate these challenges and create flexible, thriving organizations, we sat down with Stacey and Ryan. Here’s a look at their perspectives on flexible work and how companies can foster an environment of both productivity and connection.

Should flexibility be solely confined to work policies? 

Stacey: The short answer is no. Flexibility must extend beyond just work policies—it’s essential to your mindset as a leader. How you think about flexibility shapes the culture you build and the way your team engages with work. It’s about creating an environment where adaptability is ingrained in how you lead, not just how employees work.

Ryan: I’m focused on “adaptive” leadership and organizations, which means being able to respond to situations where there is no clear answer. During the pandemic, we were forced to adapt quickly and roll with the punches. That abrupt shift fundamentally changed how we work, but we’ve continued evolving as hybrid and in-person work remain in play. Flexibility, in this sense, is not just about accommodating different work styles—it’s about leaders maintaining an adaptive mindset in a constantly changing world. 

What does research say about in-person vs. hybrid vs. remote work? 

Stacey: The pandemic essentially acted as a global experiment, forcing organizations to rapidly shift how they approached work. Researchers are still unpacking the long-term effects of in-person, hybrid, and remote work, but one thing is clear: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. 

While digital tools have made remote work more feasible, they haven’t completely bridged the gap created by physical distance. In fact, research by MIT professor Thomas Allen has shown that for over 50 years, people are far more likely to communicate with someone nearby than with someone working remotely or on a different floor. Additionally, people analytics guru Ben Waber retested the Allen curve in 2014 and found that coworkers who shared an office space were 20% more likely to communicate digitally than those who worked remotely or in another space and emailed 4x more frequently, which led to 32% faster project completion.

Ryan: It would take a long time to synthesize all the research out there, but flexibility is key. Research from Stanford’s Nick Bloom backs this by showing how work policies tailored to the needs of your employees can drive productivity, improve well-being, and reduce turnover.

There are tons of studies that can help leaders think about the types of work that best suit their companies’ needs. I even published my own research on this issue in my book Work from Home: Multi-level Perspectives on the New Normal, where I describe a phenomenon called ‘social capacitance.’ This research shows that the sense of productivity is higher for the first few weeks of remote work compared to in-office work, but decreases linearly over time. Productivity and collaboration lagged behind a sense of connectivity with coworkers, which worsened over time when removed from coworkers. 

So, to put it simply, employees feel less connected and are less productive and collaborative the longer they’re separated from their colleagues. Leaders should think of co-located time as charging a ‘connection battery’—or a capacitor, for the engineering types. Once that battery is fully charged, it can fuel collaboration and productivity remotely. But building that charge requires intentional placemaking—creating meaningful, in-person interactions that allow teams to recharge and reconnect.

How can your business engage in intentional placemaking? 

Stacey: Intentional placemaking is about activating your workspace to make the office a place people want to go, rather than a place they are obligated to go. In a Venn Diagram of how workspace activation and employee engagement impact company culture, the middle section is fairly large. Each and every employee contributes to the culture of the workplace – effectively engaging and empowering the entire workforce is important.  

Embodying the behaviors you want to see in the workplace will be noticed – whether that means setting healthy boundaries with work or coming in person for collaborative work. Speaking often and clearly from the top down as well as the bottom up about the culture and behaviors you want to see in the workplace can help ensure everyone is rowing in the same direction. The more we can lead by example, the more successful we will be. 

At CIC, we often talk about the power of leading with vulnerability. When we communicate with this kind of transparency, it adds context behind our ‘why’, it sheds light on how we as leaders are human, and it paves the path for our employees to come forward with their own moments of vulnerability. 

We collectively solve problems faster by getting to the root of the challenge quickly while considering various perspectives along the way.  

Ryan: It’s also crucial to consider the diverse needs of your employees when crafting policies in a multigenerational workforce. An inclusive workplace culture accounts for these differences, and my colleague Winnie Huang and I have shared some advice for building inclusivity in a hybrid workplace.

One issue we’re seeing is the troubling trend of early career employees feeling detached. So, how can you invite this generation to be an active participant in driving workplace culture?

• In-person onboarding: Effective onboarding dramatically increases retention of new hires. When possible, have new hires come into your office in the crucial early days to get them up and running. 
• Find opportunities for them to observe others: Inviting early career employees to sit in on strategy sessions, client presentations, or other group activities helps them see skills in action firsthand. Doing so in person can have even more impact. 
• Create a buddy system: Assign a seasoned vet to help new staff members with questions like how to use the printer, where the bathrooms are, and, most importantly, the secret tricks to getting the best coffee out of the machine. 
• Host a networking event: This could be a once-a-quarter event for new hires and key representatives from teams across the company to get to know each other and the full scope of what your organization does. 
• Gamify getting to know your workplace: A bingo card with company lingo, such as acronyms, the names of specialists, and more, can help young employees get up to speed. 

Another example of creating an inclusive workplace is how you consider the needs of any parents or caregivers on staff. Are your culture-building activities outside of traditional work hours? It might interfere with bedtime routines or weekend activity schedules. Creating an inclusive culture for all employees may mean testing out breakfast or lunch bonding sessions or exploring professional development opportunities during the workday. 

Clear, consistent policies aligned with values and desired culture and offering agency and autonomy over execution empower employees to be your partners in creating culture. 

Where can I learn more about creating a strong company culture by embracing flexible work? 

Stacey: I’m glad you asked! Our CIC blog features actionable advice for leaders, compelling stories of innovators, and more information about how flexible workspace can help companies of all sizes and stages. 

Leading a large, diverse team myself, I am closely following the trends shaping the future of work – follow me on LinkedIn for more of my thoughts and to share what you’re seeing too. 

Ryan: Excellent question! Beyond the resources we shared here, folks can follow the Slalom Business blog where we are always sharing our perspectives and cool stories from organizations we work with around the world. Outside of Slalom, I am often publishing research, actively sharing insights on LinkedIn, and love teaching on the future of work – feel free to find me in any of those mediums.

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