The job is fine. The work is the problem

Many organisations have spent the last 5 years arguing about where their people work. Office. Home. Hybrid. The great return. The great resignation. The great renegotiation?

We've treated work location as if it were the variable that determines whether someone feels fulfilled - as if switching from a commute to a home desk fundamentally changes a person's relationship with what they actually do.

It doesn't.

Recent research found that job market optimism dropped 5% for fully remote workers last year, and 14% for those who are remote-capable but office-based. Therefore, the workers with theoretically the most flexibility are the least confident about their futures.

Meanwhile, the same research finds that employees who feel genuine choice in what they do (not just where) are nearly 50% more likely to believe it's a good time to find a job.

That’s not a statistic that organisations should ignore.

We keep buying (supposedly) better tools and debating desk policies whilst the actual problem is that enormous numbers of people feel little agency over the substance of their work. In my experience, this goes largely unaddressed. 

AI won’t fix this. A standing desk won’t fix this. Neither will a wellness app or celebration huddle (virtual or in-person).

Employee agency over their culture isn't a perk, it’s the way that you build belonging, engagement and commitment. It’s the way that results are delivered, regardless of where someone is based.