Author: Lisanna Elm
Over the past year, I’ve repeatedly noticed how many organisations across Europe—banks, consultancy firms, and the public sector—follow the US example by pressuring people to return to the office. Some for two to three days a week, others for longer. The likely motivation is to increase contact and collaboration. I partly understand this, as regular meetings are important.
But what is the number one wish of employees regarding their work?
Ask someone currently seeking a job. Call a career adviser. Ask Chat GPT. You will likely hear the same answer: flexibility. This has become perhaps the most important factor when choosing a workplace.
In the Randstad Workmonitor 2025, which surveyed over 26,000 employees across 35 countries, it emerged for the first time in 22 years that flexibility—which allows people to balance work and life—was slightly more important than salary (83% versus 82%). Meanwhile, another large survey by Gallup—State of the Global Workplace 2025—found that employee engagement had fallen to a very low level: globally, 21% in 2024, and only 13% in Europe. It is also worth noting that engaged leaders were up to 70% more likely to create engaged teams, yet only a quarter of leaders feel genuinely engaged themselves. This “present but disengaged” phenomenon impacted productivity and cost the global economy an estimated $438 billion.
We are facing a growing tension between company-driven controlled contact and employees’ expectations of flexibility, which has become a central issue in today’s world of work.
Interestingly, employees’ increasing desire for flexibility is reflected in a semantic shift in workplace language. The term remote work has been joined by hybrid work. This is not just the adoption of a trendy foreign-sounding term—it represents a broadening of meaning. While remote work referred narrowly to a change of location, where an employee was physically away from the usual office, hybrid work encompasses flexibility in time, place, and culture. The idea is that employees can decide when and where they work, while still feeling an integral part of the team. Naturally, this requires skilful managers to make it a functional reality. Agreements are needed to determine the scope of employee autonomy in line with work outcomes.
Flexible and adaptable hybrid work could sound appealing to both employees and employers. Yet alongside the push to bring people back to offices, another phenomenon has emerged: hybrid work is sometimes used as a “nice idea” to lure candidates, with the reality only becoming clear during interviews. A few examples: a friend recently shared how it took her five months to find a new job that truly allowed remote work. She enjoys meetings, but open-plan office work every day simply does not suit her. Another example: I noticed an advert on a job portal’s “remote work” section on social media and read through the comments. People asked that companies who don’t actually offer flexible work not advertise under “remote work.” Quite a sensible request—and it should be this way! A third example: Company X had at some point received a “Smartwork” certificate and used it in job adverts. However, during interviews, candidates were surprised to find that the flexible work option didn’t apply across all departments.
Both job portals and remote work certification bodies are doing their part to connect the right people in private and professional life. It saves everyone time and energy and presents a realistic view of the situation! A clear and truthful message is not demanding—it’s a courtesy that respects each other’s time and contribution.
I recently noticed on the Estonian HR news portal personaliuudised.ee that employees expect their employer to provide the same smooth and convenient user experience they encounter in everyday services. While this was mainly noted in the context of HR software, the concept can be extended more broadly. As hinted in my article title: employers should see employees as clients. This perspective helps prioritise what creates clear value for employees, inspires them, and fosters loyalty and motivation to exceed expectations. For clients, this is done through natural intelligence.
About 20 years ago, a relative gave me Jack Mitchell’s book "Hug Your Customers", which shares experiences from running a sustainable and profitable family business. He emphasised that excellent service begins with personal and respectful treatment. Over time, loyalty grows, your regular clients become your fans and keep coming back, and you remain attractive to the best employees. A few years later, the same author’s "Hug Your People" was translated into Estonian, highlighting the importance of valuing colleagues regardless of their role.
The illusion of double standards—treating employees “as usual” and clients specially—might have worked once, but it no longer leads to success. Valuing, noticing, and acknowledging employees builds a strong organisational culture, engagement, and motivation, and seemingly by magic, it also supports company visibility and success; client relations also improve.
I believe another key to marketing success lies here. Brand and productivity coach Signe Ventsel recently wrote on her blog that mass advertising is losing its impact, and it’s no longer worth investing heavily in it. The most authentic and trustworthy marketing comes from your own employees. Even a small contribution—a post or a comment—can reach far and connect with people whom traditional advertising fails to reach.
I fully agree with Signe: this is the new normal. Social media ads, websites, and much more are increasingly managed by artificial intelligence. Yet your employees, whose needs are understood and who can create genuine human connections, enhance both their own satisfaction and the company’s reputation. This is the direction forward—and whether or not employees identify as brand ambassadors, they project their value authentically. When employees feel valued—just as much as a client—they radiate it and shape the company’s reputation every step of the way.
Why am I writing about these topics?
I have been developing the Kupland network of remote workspaces in South Estonia for six years, and issues that support good work wellbeing genuinely matter to me. We have presented Kupland as a destination for remote work, yet from the start, we have actually offered hybrid work solutions. We also need to make this new concept familiar to ourselves.
Service providers carrying the Kupland quality mark already know how to create an environment where work and life support rather than oppose each other. We want to show companies that hybrid workdays can be part of a motivation package, similar to what Stebby offers. This creates a clear and transparent strategic advantage: employees see the value placed on flexibility in terms of time and place, and they can feel like better, more fulfilled people.
The experience of flexible work is like a paradigm that cannot be forgotten. Companies that understand this no longer need to coax people back to the office—they want to come voluntarily. Humans are made to connect with others! When employees experience freedom and trust, inner balance emerges. Hybrid work is like a genie released from its bottle: once free, it does not return, but learns to fly in ever-new directions.