What Separates Remote Work Winners from Remote Work Losers?
New research surveyed 801 UK firms about remote work. The #1 predictor of success was internal management capability. Here's what that means for CEOs, especially as we move deeper into the era of AI.
The London School of Economics has published a new study on remote work. There’s a lot of interesting data in it about how a sample of 801 UK firms adapted (or failed to adapt) to the post-2020 landscape.
But the part of the report that really caught my eye was the list of three factors that determined whether a company experienced negative effects of the switch to remote work or not.
What helped companies succeed with remote work?
The LSE study found three distinct enablers of successful transition to remote/hybrid work:
Early adoption of remote work. Companies that had introduced remote work before 2020 reported positive productivity impacts at 42%, compared to 7% for firms that adopted in 2022 or later. Jumping in early apparently really helped.
Training investment. Companies that trained staff systematically reported almost double the positive productivity outcomes from remote work compared to those with no training.
Formal management practices, things like structured check-ins, adjust…
