After the pandemic sent everyone home from the office, firms that were not already exploring remote-work arrangements were sent scrambling to set up their employees for success and maintain firm culture across a new home-office sprawl.
Now, as employees have not only enjoyed but mastered the benefits of remote and hybrid work schedules, and firms have established the trust and programs to support it, the profession continues to enhance the flexible-work experience to help recruit and retain in a constrained talent market.
Hybrid is the most popular work arrangement at firms, as it can better fit employees' unique circumstances while also holding broader appeal to all staff appreciating flexibility.
Top 10 Firm RSM operates under a hybrid model, with no plans for a full back-to-office mandate, said chief talent officer Ty Beasley, though "we don't call it hybrid," he explained. "We call it a high-performing environment, which means there is an expectation of fluidness with people in terms of working from home, the office, client sites, whether a development site or any other place with connectivity, conferences."
RSM's commitment to this flexibility has paid off.
"People love remote work — therein lies the positive feedback," Beasley said. "They work where they want to work, often work from home. The feedback is positive in [them knowing] 'You're not telling me, mandating five days a week.' There's an element of trust."
Elk Grove Village, Illinois-based Regional Leader Brown Plus has a formal remote work arrangement policy, explained director of human resources Susan Yohn, which " increased our retention, team member satisfaction and ability to recruit talent outside of our regional area."
Currently 42% of firm staff utilize the arrangement, she added. "From what we've heard back from our team, they appreciate the flexibility that the firm has allowed, as well as the trust that leadership has in them to get their work accomplished."
Results may vary
The feedback is also positive at New York City-based Top 25 Firm Citrin Cooperman, according to chief people officer Melissa Hartshorn, who explained that hybrid schedules vary by person and level.
"For the most part, for our people it's positive, the flexibility, from a hybrid standpoint," she said. "The feedback from the first years is they want to be in the office, to form relationships with their cohort and be in the throes of it together. People who have been in the workforce a little, not forever, seem to have it a little bit harder to come back. They know what it's like to work in an office and have a remote environment."
Regional Leader BeachFleischman does not offer remote work to first-year associates, explained director of HR Molly Willinger, though the firm does offer hybrid options to all and "it's interesting, an overwhelming majority are in the office or hybrid," she said, crediting it in some part to the firm's Tucson, Arizona, location and easier commute.
It also helps that the firm recruits locally and that, according to Willinger, staff craves the culture of coming into the office.
"We think, right after Covid, a lot of companies continued to do remote work," Willinger continued. "We ripped the Band-Aid off, and everybody came back in July, quickly after Covid. I don't think we had to have an adjustment period because we didn't wait too long."
BeachFleischman is, in fact, so "lucky in that sense of a lot of people being in the office, and we expect that to continue," that the firm is seeking new office space, Willinger reports.
Atlanta-based Top 25 Firm Aprio set out a structure for its hybrid policy, explained chief human resources officer Larry Sheftel: "Team members are expected to work from a business location — such as a company office, client site, or prospect meeting — three days per week. Those living beyond a 25-mile radius or more than 45 minutes from a business location may work remotely, unless otherwise required by law or specific exception."
"Team members generally operate well in the hybrid structure, and many appreciate the flexibility and autonomy it offers," shared Sheftel. "Feedback has highlighted a desire for continued flexibility, but also an understanding of the value of in-person connection for learning, mentorship, and collaboration."
The culture challenge
The top challenge for all firms overseeing remote and hybrid workforces is maintaining culture, which Brown Plus recognizes.
"Remote workers don't have the benefit of being around for events or just the regular day to day conversations that happen throughout the office," said Yohn. "We try to make sure that we have at least one time a year where we require everyone to be together for our all-firm meeting, which we tie in with our holiday party and pay for everyone to have a hotel room to spend the night. We also make sure to include them in our Fun Committee activities by mailing swag items to them and sending them a gift card for meals during tax season since they don't have the benefit of our breakfasts and lunches."
RSM relies on engaging everyone, firmwide, in a "collective ownership of the culture," according to Beasley, which includes "intention around employee communities" and continually collecting feedback and insight. "We ask partners engaged in the culture, we ask employee groups that play a big role in helping us to have a culture of inclusion."
Aprio outlined the firm's foremost challenges with remote work:
- Fostering team cohesion and collaboration without regular in-person interaction for those operating in fully remote capacities;
- Supporting early-career professionals who benefit from hands-on learning found with in-person environments;
- Maintaining clear, consistent regular communication across distributed teams; and,
- Preserving spontaneous, cross-functional idea-sharing that often happens in physical offices.
Firms often ensure events and activities are accessible to all employees, regardless of location, with Citrin Cooperman explaining that its Wine-Down Wednesdays, aromatherapy workshops, and more are designed to be location-neutral.
But despite any concerns about culture or inclusion, many firms expect to continue offering flexible work arrangements.
As Beasley reiterated, "At no time will there be a five-day mandate. We are committed to a high-performance environment. As many challenges as there are, we are not going to press the easy button because we can't figure it out."
