The Surprising Stats About Remote, Hybrid, and On-Site Teams
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
David Fisher is an award-winning international speaker, executive communication coach, actor, and author. Named one of Los Angeles (LA) Weekly’s “Top 30 Entrepreneurs to Watch” and a Top 10 Speaking Coach by Yahoo Finance, David brings over two decades of experience helping teams communicate and lead with passion, clarity, and intention.
Fully remote workers are more engaged than your office workers. But there’s a cost. That’s not the whole story. There’s another surprise at the end of this article. The engagement rate is 31% for fully remote workers, 23% for hybrid workers, and 19% for on-site workers. The office was supposed to build culture and connection, right? Isn’t that why companies are forcing people back to the office?
Why is there an engagement gap opposite to what we thought?
When I manage a team in person, I can pass by someone’s desk. I can intuitively feel the energy of the space. I can see micro-expressions and make eye contact as I pass someone in the hall.
When I manage a team remotely, I have none of that. So I have to be intentional. I have to schedule check-ins. I have to ask directly. I have to make sure the message is clear. That builds clarity and connection.
Remote employees are 21% more likely to receive recognition training and 33% more likely to recommend their managers. Why? Managers have to manage. They can’t “read the room.” Additionally, 64% of remote employees use their time more efficiently, while 61% report less fatigue and burnout.
What’s happening when we are forced to go back to the office
In 2026, 40% of workers would seek out other job opportunities if required to return to the office full-time. Surprising but not surprising, 8 in 10 companies that implemented return-to-office policies lost talent. That’s 80%!
What psychological safety means
67% of employees with flexibility report improved work-life balance. Additionally, 84% report feeling more productive in remote or hybrid models because they have autonomy. They have control. They have trust from their leaders. 70% of managers believe remote work improves team productivity. But somehow, some executive somewhere is still convinced that people need to be “visible” to be productive.
Here’s what I know about leading remote teams well
You can’t wing it. You have to be intentional. Regular one-on-ones are non-negotiable, as are honest check-ins. Even just 10 minutes a week on video or a quick phone call makes a huge difference.
But there’s a huge cost too!
Although fully remote workers report higher engagement, they are less likely to be thriving in their lives overall (36%) than hybrid workers (42%) and on-site, remote-capable workers (42%). Fully remote employees are also more likely to report experiencing anger, sadness, and loneliness than hybrid and on-site workers, and more likely to report experiencing a lot of stress (45%) than on-site workers (38%).
So it’s not about location, location, location
How engaged and trained is your leadership team? Your managers? How are you creating a space where it’s not just okay to speak up, but encouraged and celebrated? How are you creating A Culture of Us™?
Whether it’s remote, hybrid, or on-site, you can create a culture where psychological safety, authenticity, and engagement are core values. It takes energy and work. It takes buy-in. It takes a shift in thinking. But it does work.
The bottom line
Whether your team is in a garage or scattered around the world, a new way of creating company culture, even if it’s just a tweak here and there, is paramount for success and safety.
(Bibliography and endnotes available on my website or upon request)
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Read more from David Fisher
David Fisher, Global Public Speaker and Communication Coach
Through A Culture of Us™, David Fisher teaches companies, institutions, and everyday leaders how to work with passion, communicate with clarity, and lead with intention, all toward strengthening their connections to create positive change, while having fun along the way. His keynotes, workshops, coaching sessions, and trainings are not just about bettering communication and leadership, they are about genuine transformation. His approach is simple: A Culture of Us™ helps each of us tap into the hero within and use that power to work with others and lead with vulnerability and strength.
