Among companies with remote-first schedules as their default mode of work, 83% reported high productivity, with 21% saying it's “very high,” according to a Sept. 24 report from the Institute for Corporate Productivity and Akamai Technologies, a cybersecurity and cloud company.
Notably, 62% of remote-friendly companies said they don’t use surveillance tools, such as VPN usage logs or keystroke tracking, signaling a “strong culture of mutual trust,” the report found.
“We want our employees to work where they get their best work done. Flexible work is a proven way to empower employees,” Anthony Williams, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Akamai, said in a statement.
In a survey of 59 senior leaders and HR pros, 52% reported being remote-first, with most making the shift during or shortly after the pandemic. Only 7% said they had plans to revert in the future.
The top drivers for adopting remote-first models included access to a wider talent pool (72%), work-life balance (62%) and retention (31%).
To foster connection in a remote-first model, these companies organize annual and semi-annual in-person gatherings, including strategy sessions (86%), team-building events (76%) and social gatherings (72%).
As part of its own remote-focused model, Akamai noted benefits such as higher employee performance ratings, a 7.3% attrition rate (below the global tech average of 13.2%) and a 15% year-over-year increase in global applicants per hire in 2025.
Flexible work schedules have stabilized in recent years, with about half of workplaces choosing hybrid models, according to a Gallup report. Managers play a key role in defining the future of work by addressing challenges such as team coordination and trust, Gallup said.
Despite what is said in the Akamai survey, however, remote monitoring may be more common; references to “corporate surveillance” on Glassdoor increased 51% year-over-year for the first quarter of 2025 and 216% since 2021. Monitoring software may affect workplace culture and productivity, though, which leaders should consider when implementing new programs, a Glassdoor researcher said.
