A new Gallup poll reveals that remote workers are grappling with feelings of detachment from their organization’s mission.

The poll, conducted between spring and summer 2023 and based on responses from nearly 9,000 workers, highlights a significant decline in the alignment of remote workers with their company’s mission.

The key findings of the survey are as follows:

1. Decreasing Sense of Importance: Only 28% of remote workers stated that their company’s mission made them feel that their job was important. This represents a stark decline from 32% the previous year and a significant drop from the 37% recorded in 2020.
2. Contrasting Trends: On-site employees capable of remote work experienced a year-over-year increase in their connection to their company’s mission, rising from 32% to 33%. Hybrid workers, while still connected, exhibited a slight decline from 36% in 2022 to 35% in 2023.
3. The “Gig-Like” Feeling: The report characterizes remote workers’ relationships with their employers as increasingly “gig-like.” Many remote workers appear to focus primarily on completing assigned tasks rather than actively contributing to broader company initiatives. This shift may be contributing to a sense of detachment among remote employees.
4. Loyalty Decline: The survey also reveals a decline in remote workers’ loyalty, which has the potential to impact employee retention and productivity adversely.

These findings come at a time when numerous companies, including Goldman Sachs, Meta, and Zoom, are reevaluating their remote work policies.

The productivity of remote workers has been a subject of debate, with some studies suggesting that office-based work yields higher productivity, while others emphasize the benefits of remote work in terms of reduced commute times and increased flexibility.

The discrepancy in perceptions between remote and on-site workers may result from a lack of communication between employees and their employers regarding preferred work arrangements.

According to the Gallup survey, only 12% of remote-ready employees make workplace decisions based on team discussions, indicating a potential misalignment between organizational goals and employee preferences.

While 17% of service firms anticipate a return to more in-person work in the coming year, the overall level of worker engagement is gradually increasing. The survey reports that 34% of employees feel engaged at work, up from 32% the previous year.

However, this figure remains below the 40% recorded in mid-2020. Actively disengaged employees, who believe their workplace needs are unmet, have also decreased year-over-year.

Improvements in worker engagement can be attributed to factors such as increased clarity about job expectations, access to appropriate equipment, and opportunities to pursue projects aligned with employees’ skills. Nonetheless, overall engagement levels remain lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The report concludes by highlighting the need for organizations to carefully evaluate the suitability of remote work for specific job roles and their ultimate purpose. It suggests that achieving exceptional individual performance, team collaboration, and customer value should guide decisions about remote work arrangements.

This conflicting data underscores the ongoing challenge for companies in balancing productivity with employee preferences, especially as many workers resist returning to traditional office settings.