Returning to the office has been chaotic, and we are inventing terms to try and understand what’s going on. First was “The Great Resignation.” Then there was “Quiet Quitting.” The latest buzzword flying around in an attempt to understand the changing workplace is “The Great Mismatch.”

Haven’t heard this one yet? It actually helps explain both other terms.

Do we want the same things?

According to research firm Adzuna, at the core of many of the problems with finding a new normal at work is a fundamental difference in what employers and their employees want in a workplace. Depending on who you believe, twelve percent of knowledge workers want to return to the office full time. The same research shows that 50% of employers want their people back full time, and are willing to get firm about it.

That’s the mismatch: between preferences of employers and their workforce. 

The employee perspective

The Great Resignation was an immediate knee-jerk reaction by a surprising (to many) number of employees who had worked from home successfully, and chose to leave employers who wouldn’t accommodate them.  There was a mismatch.

Then people returned to the office and many people realized they really didn’t like going into the office as often as they did, or their lifestyle changed over the past 3 years and they liked having more flexibility and not commuting all the time. They needed the paycheck, so they didn’t storm out in protest or actively seek new jobs, but were largely becoming disillusioned and disengaged. Thus, “Quiet Quitting.”

The employer perspective

On the employer side, there is a rising sense that the culture has perhaps become too empathetic to the wishes of the staff, and not focused on the needs of the business. “Sure,” they say, “We’d all like to work in our jammies all day, but we have a business to run.”

Because there’s such a disagreement, many workplaces (maybe most) are attempting to find a compromise, which explains the rise of hybrid work. Allowing employees greater flexibility in when and where work gets done while still co-locating at times is part of the answer. Organizations can stop the rush of turnover and inability to recruit, and employees get enough flexibility (and it’s better than going back to the office full-time) they can live with the new arrangement.

What we’re in now is a period of quiet uncertainty. Is our current approach to this hybrid approach sustainable? Will companies start clawing back flexibility? Will employees demand more and more flexibility until they can’t abide by their employer’s demands?

Is the Great Mismatch new?

The “Great Mismatch,” has always existed. It’s Capitalism 101:  employers have needs to be met, people need money and work. At best, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, as long has work gets done and paychecks don’t bounce. There will always be stress—employers feel they are being taken advantage of by ungrateful workers while the workers don’t feel properly compensated or that they’re sacrificing too much for the rewards.

Because of seismic changes in the workplace, it’s taking a bit longer than  expected to strike a balance that works for the majority of companies and employees. The competing desires have always been there, we’re just in a unique point in time where we can examine and discuss them in the hopes of finding something new that isn’t just a grudging compromise, but might actually create a better, more balanced, more profitable workplace for everyone.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wayne Turmel
Co-Founder and Product Line Manager

Wayne Turmel is the co-founder and Product Line Manager for the Remote Leadership Institute. For twenty years he’s been obsessed with helping managers communicate more effectively with their teams, bosses and customers. Wayne is the author of several books that demystify communicating through technology including Meet Like You Mean It – a Leader’s Guide to Painless & Productive Virtual Meetings, 10 Steps to Successful Virtual Presentations and 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar. His work appears frequently in Management-Issues.com.

Wayne, along with Kevin Eikenberry, has co-authored the definitive book on leading remotely, The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership. Wayne and Kevin’s follow-up book, The Long-Distance Teammate, offers a roadmap for success not just for leaders, but for everyone making the transition to working remotely.

The latest book from Wayne and Kevin shows leaders how to design a team culture that has a one-team mindset and gets great results under hybrid-work conditions. You can order The Long-Distance Team: Designing Your Team for Everyone’s Success now.