Rethinking Work Is Crucial To Survive As An Employer. Here’s Why.

The world has changed.

The old work systems don’t hold up anymore. The pandemic exposed the weak points in how organizations operate, and years later many still struggle to keep skilled people. Companies that want to stay competitive have to meet employees where they are.

Rethinking work means redesigning how, when, and where people do their jobs so the company can attract and keep the talent it needs, rather than forcing workers back into pre-2020 routines.

In this article, we introduce you to Dr. Wade Larson, Chief Human Resources Officer at “Wagstaff Incorporated” and owner of “Optimal Talent Dynamics”.

He shares insights into the aftereffects of the pandemic and advises companies on how to adapt to this new environment.

We discuss:

• How to ensure longevity through difficult decisions
• The future of hybrid workspaces
• The new reality of being a competitive employer

“We have to redefine work consistently because we’re not going to be able to find what we have found in the past. That is the future of work.” – Dr. Wade Larson

How do you ensure longevity through difficult decisions?

Fear. Uncertainty. Insecurity.

We all went through these feelings at the start of the COVID lockdown, when employees switched to remote work seemingly overnight and businesses everywhere felt the shock of losing a hard-carved routine.

Dr. Larson was among the optimists when it came to remote work. He acted as a champion for the change, reminding his colleagues of their existing assets, “You have the technology, you have a good infrastructure, you have whatever you need, you can do this.” he encouraged them.

That positive attitude propelled 25% of their workforce into remote workers overnight.

“We shifted from ‘I can’t’ to ‘you are.”

That transition caused a fresh wave of varied reactions. With a mix of white and blue-collar workers, the option of going remote wasn’t possible for everyone.

“We couldn’t send production home because you can’t exactly send this giant CNC machine home in the back of a truck.”

Responses ranged from grateful to frustrated among white and blue-collared workers, but in the end, that challenge made them stronger. “It’s amazing what a catalyst can do to facilitate change.”, Dr. Larson says.

The pandemic wasn’t only the catalyst for remote work. COVID accelerated cultural shifts, altered employee demands, and pushed an already tumultuous economy into strange waters.

“We stopped having babies in the 90s. We shut off the borders five years ago. We don’t have enough bodies, talent or skill to fill our needs.” – Dr. Wade Larson

The numbers back him up. In ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Talent Shortage Survey of 39,000 employers across 41 countries, 72% reported difficulty filling roles, with AI skills now the hardest of all to find. The shortage isn’t a passing phase. It’s a structural feature of the labor market, driven by demographics and a skills gap that widens every year.

What is the future of hybrid workspaces?

What do you think of when you hear “hybrid workspace“?

That phrase can mean different things depending on the company. The most common version is a mix of in-person and remote work across the week.

How flexible that arrangement is depends entirely on the company, and flexibility is the thing workers care most about when they weigh new opportunities.

The lack of a flexible work schedule feeds directly into the talent shortage. In Owl Labs’ 2025 State of Hybrid Work report, 37% of employees said they wouldn’t accept a job offer from a company that doesn’t allow flexible working hours, up from 35% a year earlier. Nearly half (47%) said they don’t have the flexibility they want, and workers said they’d give up about 9% of their salary in exchange for flexible hours.

Dr. Larson looks at the talent exodus with a 10, 20, 50, 20 rule:

• 10% of all companies recognize the problem and are actively trying to solve the talent deficiency
• 20% recognize that something is wrong and are falling behind
• 50% are too slow to react and will take a hard hit
• 20% are in massive denial and will be out of business within the next year

Adapting to workers’ expectations and closing the generational gaps across the workforce goes a long way toward the future of hybrid workspaces. Ryan Stoltzfus From ADP shares the same idea.

One way “Wagstaff” has addressed the changing needs of its employees is by running mentorship programs for key management roles.

Each company that recognizes the core reasons behind the talent shortage comes one step closer to closing those gaps.

The one question all companies should ask themselves is “Why should anyone come to work for us?” and if they don’t have clear answers, they need to redefine their strategies. Just like “Kelley Kronenberg” did.

“Through mentoring you get unbiased feedback and the opportunity to ask dumb questions to someone who’s not connected and close to you.” – Dr. Wade Larson

The retention case for flexibility is strong. In a randomized trial of 1,612 employees published in Nature, Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom found that resignations fell 33% when staff moved from full-time office work to a two-day-a-week hybrid schedule, with no drop in productivity or promotion rates. Women, non-managers, and people with long commutes were the least likely to quit.

What does it take to be a competitive employer now?

Truth is, individuals are looking for human connection. The spark of personal touch is what makes us bond together as a collective.

It’s easy to get caught up in the mundanities of the working world, constantly dealing with obstacles, and miss the most important thing we all naturally crave: connection.

“The great resignation is not about going hybrid, benefits, or paychecks.”, Dr. Larson points out, “The great resignation is all tied to the human factor.”

Bringing flexibility into the workplace means understanding employee needs and valuing their humanity.

From family needs to professional growth, a genuine connection is what makes a company stand out from the pack.

“That’s what they’re missing.”, Dr. Larson continues. “And until that connection is present and we understand the value and the human factor in economic development, we won’t be able to move forward efficiently.”

Company benefits go beyond snack bars and ping-pong tables in the office. People want to be recognized as individuals and to feel valued.

Connection, humanity, transparency, authenticity, flexibility, proper mentorship, and growth. That’s what keeps an employee at a workplace for the long haul, and what drives a culture worth investing in.

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Frequently asked questions

Why do employers need to rethink work?

The supply of skilled workers no longer matches demand. In ManpowerGroup’s 2026 survey, 72% of employers reported trouble filling roles. Companies that keep offering rigid, pre-2020 arrangements lose candidates to employers that offer flexibility.

Does hybrid work actually help retention?

Yes. The Stanford trial published in Nature found resignations dropped 33% when employees moved to a two-day-a-week hybrid schedule, with no loss of productivity or promotion rates.

How much do workers value flexibility?

Enough to trade pay for it. Owl Labs found workers would sacrifice about 9% of their salary for flexible working hours, and 37% would turn down a job offer from a company that doesn’t allow them.

Is flexibility only about where people work?

Not anymore. After years of debating remote versus office, the newer question is when people work. Owl Labs found 47% of workers say they don’t have the overall flexibility they want, and interest in options like a 4-day week and structured schedule flexibility keeps rising.

This post is based on a podcast with Dr. Wade Larson, Chief Human Resources Officer at “Wagstaff Incorporated” and owner of “Optimal Talent Dynamics”. To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to “FlexWorld: The Workplace Revolution On Spotify.