More than 8 in 10 remote-friendly companies report high productivity

Summary

A survey from the Institute for Corporate Productivity and Akamai Technologies finds that 83% of remote-first or remote-friendly companies report high productivity, with 21% saying productivity is “very high.” The poll of 59 senior leaders and HR professionals shows many organisations have embraced remote-first models since the pandemic and largely intend to keep them. Key reported benefits include wider access to talent, better work-life balance and improved retention.

The report also highlights culture: 62% of those remote-friendly companies say they do not use surveillance tools such as VPN logs or keystroke tracking, which the authors frame as evidence of strong mutual trust. Companies are countering distance by organising in-person gatherings (annual or semi-annual) for strategy, team-building and social events.

While Akamai pointed to internal gains — higher performance ratings, a 7.3% attrition rate (below the global tech average) and a 15% year-over-year lift in global applicants per hire — other sources show monitoring remains a growing concern: Glassdoor references to corporate surveillance rose 51% year-on-year in Q1 2025 and 216% since 2021. Gallup research also notes hybrid models are stabilising and that managers will shape the future of work.

Key Points

83% of remote-friendly companies reported high productivity; 21% said it was “very high.”
62% of these companies reported not using surveillance tools, signalling a culture of trust.
Survey sample: 59 senior leaders and HR pros; 52% described their organisations as remote-first.
Main drivers for remote-first adoption: access to a wider talent pool (72%), improved work-life balance (62%) and retention (31%).
To maintain connection, companies hold annual/semi-annual in-person events: strategy sessions (86%), team-building (76%) and social gatherings (72%).
Akamai cites benefits including higher performance ratings, 7.3% attrition vs 13.2% global tech average, and 15% rise in applicants per hire year-over-year.
However, evidence of increased employee concern about monitoring exists: Glassdoor surveillance references rose 51% YoY in Q1 2025 and 216% since 2021.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you work in HR, lead teams or are deciding whether to go remote, this is a neat reality check. It shows remote-first setups can work — productivity and talent access aren’t mythical — but culture and manager behaviours matter. We skimmed the survey so you don’t have to; quick takeaways and red flags are right here.

Source

Source: https://www.hrdive.com/news/remote-friendly-companies-report-high-productivity/801790/