Return-To-Office, Work-From-Home, Or Hybrid: How CEOs Envision The Future

We’ve brought you several stories about the state of the remote-work economy, including perspectives from the bosses who want it to end immediately and the workers who want it to last forever.

Well, while some employers are still trying to sweeten the pot in hopes of convincing employees to return to the office, many others are acknowledging that, for many jobs, working from home is probably going to be a reality for the foreseeable future.

And the survey says

The accounting firm KPMG US recently conducted a poll of American CEOs, and the results show a clear trajectory. As the report released on Thursday suggests, many folks currently working from home might not need to resume their daily commute anytime soon.

Here are some highlights:

• Just one-third of executives expect office work to resume to pre-pandemic levels within three years.
• That’s down significantly from the 62% who said the same last year.
• Nearly half say “hybrid” work, with at least some remote days, will become the norm in offices.

But if you’re hoping for fully remote work, the news isn’t quite as reassuring. Just 3% of CEOs surveyed said they support the notion, down slightly from the 4% who offered such an endorsement in 2023.

The good, bad, and ugly

As with most economic issues, there’s quite a bit of nuance at play regarding how CEOs are envisioning the future of labor.

Nearly 9 in 10 executives expressed confidence in future economic growth in the U.S. and more than three-fourths offered such a forecast for the global economy. Furthermore, 70% indicated that they expect to hire more employees over the next year.

However, uncertainty about the upcoming election, the role of AI in the workplace, and other factors means no one really knows what the future holds.

Chris Agee April 12th, 2024

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