In just 2 sentences, Bill Gates taught every manager a great lesson in leadership

In March 2020, the business world shifted to remote working overnight due to the pandemic. Countless studies in favor of remote workplaces have emerged to reinforce the benefits of flexible working arrangements in the "new normal".

In the post-pandemic era, conventional wisdom dictates that employees need flexibility, especially in today's employee-driven economy. What most people forget is that this change was already happening before Covid-19 changed our lives forever.

Bill Gates knew this decades ago when he predicted what we now consider commonplace in most hybrid and remote work environments. The Microsoft co-founder said:

Competition to hire the best will increase in the coming years. Companies that provide additional flexibility to their employees will have the advantage in this area.

Flexibility in the form of flexible working hours is certainly the norm these days, as remote working has eased the financial burdens that once accompanied long commutes, train and bus fares, childcare, and more. on-site children and expensive housing in major metropolitan areas.

What we already knew before the pandemic

But the real reason people now prioritize flexibility when quietly quitting or interviewing comes down to one magic word: autonomy. If employers haven't understood the harsh reality that giving people control over their schedules and lives helps them achieve the work-life balance they want, they will lose out in the market. /p>

Flexibility and autonomy were the foundation of high employee retention and productivity for years before the virus hit us; several pre-pandemic studies too numerous to list in one article also confirm this.

As far back as 2017, Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace" study found that remote workers worked an average of four hours longer per week than people who worked on-site. Additionally, a two-year study from Stanford University found that there was an impressive increase in work productivity among employees who worked remotely. The study compared 500 people who worked both remotely and in traditional environments. The conclusion? The productivity of teleworkers was equal to one full day of work per week.

According to the 2019 Deloitte Global Millennial Survey, millennials and Gen Z can stay employed for more than five years if their employers are flexible about where and when they work.

Retention like this leads to increased job satisfaction over time. For example, according to a 2019 Staples study, 90% of workers indicated that more flexible work arrangements would boost morale and increase job satisfaction, a key component of employee recruitment and retention.

Companies that have not implemented flexible working policies will continue to lose valuable talent as the big quit continues. According to the Staples study, 67% of employees would consider quitting their job if working conditions became too fixed.

As Bill Gates predicted years in advance, the demand for remote and flexible arrangements has grown in unprecedented numbers. Companies that don't follow suit will be at a significant disadvantage as younger and older generations seek flexible work options.