The New World of Work: How Virtual and Flexible Schedules Boost Productivity and Well-Being

In late 2012, Share On Purpose CEO Terri Maxwell coauthored the book The New World of Work, with a single hypothesis- that work was moving from the cube to the cloud.

A decade later, in 2022, a publisher suggested the book be updated post-COVID, as many of the original predictions had come true.

Today, most companies are struggling to accommodate a workforce that prefers virtual work and flexible schedules.

Ironically, the research overwhelmingly suggests that virtual and flexible work models INCREASE productivity and well-being for most employees.

“We adopted a virtual work model and flexible schedules from the first day we started Share On Purpose, Inc. in 2009. The difficult part wasn’t managing the activity of employees, it was learning how to think differently about work,” said Maxwell.

In the second edition of The New World of Work, Maxwell cited Gallup’s 2022 Future of Hybrid Work research that found only 9% of workers held “remote capable jobs.” That means that the way work gets done hasn’t changed enough to make virtual and flexible work mainstream.

The new world of work isn’t about managing time or tasks. It’s about focusing on measuring impact and understanding motivation. Most workers are motivated by flexible schedules and virtual work because it keeps the emphasis on productivity and impact rather than time clocked.

“Leaders must change the way people are managed, rather than trying to control where they work. We put emphasis on measuring results while matching people with work they are passionate about,” Maxwell added.

Share On Purpose, Inc. research found that flexibility, work/life balance, and measuring key performance indicators (KPI’s) for each employee is key to ensuring productivity is maximized.

These are representative KPI’s to measure:

“When the focus is on measuring results rather than time, both the company and the employee’s goals are aligned. That alignment makes flexible schedules and virtual work models more effective.

If you are interested in learning more about a career at Share On Purpose, reach out today.