Mary-Lou Nolan discusses LAMPartnership’s recent report and how the workforce of 2025 is responding to strict office-first models.
According to Mary-Lou Nolan, managing partner at business consultancy and service provider LAMPartnership, flexible working models give employees the opportunity to operate at their very best.
Whether it is the increased autonomy or improved wellbeing, people in hybrid roles often experience a more productive work day than their non-flexible counterparts, Nolan said, and for those in leadership positions, less rigid working arrangements can propel evolution forward, strengthening the skills needed to lead.
That is the subject of LAMPartnership’s latest report, The Hybrid Dilemma: Performance, Motivation and the Generational Gap, which is an exploration of the growing divide between workplace models and the needs of the workforce. LAMPartnership collected data from more than 1,000 white collar employees across the UK and Ireland.
What was discovered is that, amid changing views around hybrid and office-first working arrangements, not all generations are having an equal experience. While millennials are thriving, with more than half feeling that hybridity brings out the best in their work, only 34pc of Gen Z and 37pc of Gen X say the same.
As explained by Nolan, Gen X middle managers are increasingly burnt out and finding themselves enforcing policies that they don’t entirely agree with, which has the potential to create a “leadership vacuum and a disengaged workforce that weakens innovation, agility and growth”.
“With Gen Y [millenials] and Gen Z making up 74pc of the workforce by 2030, the long-term impact is twofold – talent loss and leadership failure,” said Nolan.
“We’re already seeing rising attrition in organisations clinging to outdated models. Gen Z, in particular, feels disconnected because they never benefited from the in-office ‘social capital’ older generations built up,” she said.
With the report indicating that productivity in rigid, inflexible working arrangements can drop by up to 25pc, the figures are indicative of an ecosystem in which office-first mandates are completely out of sync with the requirements of a generationally diverse and modern workforce.
For Nolan, it is becoming clear that flexibility is no longer a perk, rather, it is a prerequisite for productivity, engagement and retention. By forcing employees into an office-first system, with no clear reasoning as to why, she argues that employers risk losing trust and are essentially fueling disengagement.
Gen Z, as a highly digital group, continues to try and find their footing in the modern workplace and can often feel isolated if deliberate efforts to include, mentor and connect with them are not made.
But, according to Nolan, therein lies the opportunity, as organisations have the chance to build new models of social capital that don’t rely on watercooler conversations but instead are embedded in hybrid-first cultures.
“Done right, flexibility supports faster learning, deeper belonging and accelerated performance for younger cohorts,” she stated.
Who does it benefit?
So, the question is, who actually benefits from a rigid office-first system? Arguably not the employer as these policies signal an inability to adapt, Nolan said.
“That’s a red flag, not just for employees, but for investors, customers and future leaders. Forward-thinking organisations are realising that hybridisation is not a trend, it’s a transformation and failing to embrace that is not just risky, it’s regressive.”
That’s not to suggest that it is a case of all or nothing. In fact, Nolan stressed compromise is more than possible provided it starts with clarity. Organisational leaders should explain the rationale behind implementing in-person attendance and showcase its true value in a relatable way.
“When leaders get intentional, using presence for connection, creativity or coaching, employees are more willing to engage,” she explained. “The best organisations treat hybrid working as a strategy, not a policy. That’s the middle ground, aligning flexibility with purpose to get the best of both worlds.”
Ultimately, that is what the move away from rigid office-first setups, to more flexible models represents, the evolution of an organisation and its leadership. There is a real opportunity for businesses to develop their people into figures that can inspire, align and perform, without relying on physical proximity.
“That first requires the commitment and ownership of the senior leadership team to approach hybrid as a whole company strategy, not a HR policy. From there, it needs investment in the structure and skills to make it happen and sustain its success. Flexible work isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a new frontier for competitive advantage.”
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