Embracing the new normal: 5 takeaways from EAB’s hybrid and flexible work surveys

How college and university campuses operate today looks very different from how they did just a couple of years ago. Prompted by COVID-19, the rise of hybrid and flexible work has redefined the fabric of our campuses and work culture. Institutional leaders continue to grapple with the shift to hybrid and flexible work as evolving workforce dynamics and rising cost pressures fuel higher education’s transformation.

On two occasions (May 2021 and December 2023), our team at EAB surveyed business, HR, and Facilities leaders at over 50 higher education institutions across the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand to understand how hybrid and flexible work arrangements have evolved over this period. Read our top findings from the surveys below.

1. Hybrid work is increasing in higher ed

From 2021 to 2023, U.S. higher education institutions experienced a 15% increase in structured hybrid work, with 47% of non-academic staff now in such arrangements. The average share of non-academic staff working in a hybrid arrangement grew from 37% in 2021 to 47% in 2023. On the other hand, the percentage of fully remote staff stayed steady at 7% from 2021 to 2023. While this trend persists across all countries sampled in our surveys, U.K. (64%) and ANZ (65%) higher education institutions are embracing hybrid work arrangements more so than those in the U.S. (47%) and Canada (49%).

The vast majority of respondents (70%) reported that unit heads set their department’s mandate for the number of days spent on campus. For those who do set an institutional mandate, the plurality (66%) require employees to spend three days on campus.

2. Higher ed is adopting structured hybrid work more compared to the private sector

Higher education has adopted structured hybrid work more so than the private sector, which gives staff more agency to determine their work arrangement. Yet, hybrid work has become the new norm across higher education and the private sector.

However, only 29% of U.S. companies mandate structured hybrid work while 47% of higher education staff follow structured hybrid work schedules. Instead, 26% of U.S. companies give staff the choice to decide their work arrangement, with many staff opting for some form of hybrid work. Both sectors offer fully remote status only 7% of the time, but higher education requires fully in-person attendance slightly more often than the private sector (46% to 38%, respectively).

4. Space redesign is needed, but happening slowly

70% of higher education institutions plan to re-design their office space for hybrid employees over the next three years; however, only 24% have actually begun making physical changes. Facilities leaders expressed optimism that they could reduce 20% of office space and 12% of total campus space without impacting student success and customer satisfaction in 2024.

At a time when financial sustainability is at the top of everyone’s mind, eliminating unnecessary space is a compelling cost-saving option. However, leaders must ensure newly designed hybrid spaces are optimized to preserve the campus community and foster employee collaboration.

5. Preserving campus community is the biggest perceived barrier to remote work adoption

University leaders believe that the biggest challenge to moving to remote work is preserving the campus community. As flexible work becomes more common, university leaders are primarily concerned with replicating the perceived intangible benefits of in-person interaction. In fact, preserving the campus community has remained university leaders’ highest-priority concern since 2021. This is unsurprising given Gen P’s desire for in-person interaction and renewed interest in on-campus events.

Leaders are less worried about the technical and logistical concerns of making remote work a reality. For instance, issues like access to necessary technology, legal and tax compliance, and monitoring and evaluation of remote staff were the lowest-rated concerns in both 2021 and 2023. Concerns about establishing a fair and equitable policy also declined from 2021 to 2023.

Top challenges to moving to remote work in 2023 vs. 2021 (ranked by priority)