There's no longer any doubt that remote work is here to stay: 98% of remote workers surveyed for Buffer's 2023 State of Remote Work said they would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their career. Additionally, 66% of job-seeking remote workers say it's important that their next job is remote. Therefore, reaching remote work 'maturity' should be a priority for any business hoping to attract top talent.
Every company views flexible work in a different way. While some — including, ironically, Zoom — have cracked down on remote work and ordered employees back to the office, others, like KPMG, cautiously toe the line between autonomy and control.
For many business leaders, it's a balancing act between keeping clients happy and giving employees more freedom, which can create a paradoxical tension between the need to structure employees' work and their desire for greater flexibility. However, while some leaders worry that employees might take advantage of more lenient policies, the reality is that most probably won't.
Read more: CVS, Peloton and DoorDash among top 25 companies offering hybrid jobs
Meanwhile, others — like Shopify and Slack — favor a bolder, remote-first stance, putting employee experience front and center and empowering team members to decide how they want to work.
The way a company markets its flexible work policy represents the latest challenge in employer branding. Language shapes our attitudes and perceptions, and these catchphrases, slogans, and taglines provide employees and customers with subtle clues about a company's culture and values.
For example, Automattic's "not your typical work-from-home" tagline implies a departure from the conventional understanding of remote work. It recognizes that the nature of working from home has evolved beyond its traditional perception as a temporary or supplementary arrangement to something all employees can benefit from.
Read more: Allstate's $10 million commitment to remote and hybrid employee connection
Spotify takes this approach even further with its "My Work Mode" slogan that reflects the company's emphasis on empowering employees to work however it makes the most sense for them — whether that's full-time from home, the office, or a combination of the two. Making these options available to all employees contributes to reducing the stigma around flexible work, which has traditionally been associated with maternity and caregiving duties, and can negatively impact an employee's career prospects.
While Spotify's proposition may help boost its employer brand, other companies prefer to prioritize structure and customer service as part of their messaging. For instance, Accenture's (1984-esque) "Omni-Connected" reflects the company's focus on keeping clients happy. The standard definition of remote work "wasn't working for our clients," Ellen Shook, chief leadership and human resource officer, told the LA Times.
Ultimately, the name a business chooses for its flexible work policies sends important messages to current and potential employees, and can influence employee expectations, engagement, and alignment with company culture.
For example, slogans like Spotify's "Work from anywhere" or phrases that combine branding with flexibility connotations — like "PinFlex" from Pinterest and "Amex Flex" from American Express — signal to employees that they can work from different cities and countries or even travel while continuing their job responsibilities.
Read more: Workplace flexibility means more than a hybrid schedule
Meanwhile, terms like 'self-directed work' and 'autonomous decision-making' can convey the idea that employees will have more autonomy and ownership over their work and responsibilities.
All that said, could it be that companies are overthinking it? After all, remote or hybrid work models do exactly what they say on the tin — offer team members the chance to work from home, the office, or a combination of the two.
Although the names we give remote work do shape employee and customer perceptions of a business, they're not the only factor that affects the success of flexible work policies. For instance, companies with highly effective documentation are more than twice as likely to report experiencing the positive effects of remote work.
While a catchy name may attract potential employees and keep clients happy, there's a risk of catchphrases lacking substance, which can trivialize the issue and lead to employee disengagement. It's more important to be authentic and align remote work branding with your actual policies — while constantly refining (and documenting) said policies to push your business toward remote work maturity.
