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The debate surrounding the best way to work – in-office, hybrid or remote – continues, but it looks like some of the highest income earners are choosing hybrid.
In recent news, Starbucks’s new chief executive officer Brian Niccol has been deemed a “supercommuter” as he will be able to stay living in his home in Newport Beach, Calif., but is expected to commute on a private jet to the head office in Seattle and work there at least three days a week.
This is the same policy that other Starbucks employees have been following since 2023.
Mr. Niccol will be paid a base salary of US$1.6-million annually and can earn a cash bonus of up to US$7.2-million depending on performance.
While a vast majority of workers aren’t making CEO money, new research from career site Ladders shows that available jobs on the site that pay more than $100,000 a year are increasingly hybrid opportunities. All the data is from job postings in Canada and the U.S.
“We’re seeing companies that were in-person start to become hybrid, most likely because they’re trying to be competitive and acquire better talent, and they know that hybrid work is a value proposition for new employees,” says John Mullinix, director of growth marketing at Ladders, who led the research.
In the first quarter of this year, 1 per cent of high-paying jobs available on the site were hybrid, according to the report. That jumped to 2.9 per cent in the second quarter. The vast majority of jobs are listed as in-person, but this is still a big increase in hybrid opportunities.
Another report also shows that workers’ preferences are shifting, with more people now preferring hybrid work to remote work, compared to a year ago.
However, Mr. Mullinix says that workers should keep in mind that hybrid means different things at different companies.
“When people are evaluating companies that say they’re hybrid, they definitely need to ask questions about the level of hybrid to make sure that it aligns with their work-life balance goals,” he says.
The Ladders research also analyzed which lucrative jobs have the highest competition among applicants for the position. In this case, marketing, human resources and general management have the most competition, while legal, science and education, engineering and healthcare jobs have the least.
Fast fact
Flex work freedom
52 per cent
That is the number of workers who say their productivity increases when offered more hybrid work options, according to recent Robert Half research that looks at five key trends affecting productivity.
Career guidance
‘Wise feedback’ works
Wise feedback, or pairing critical feedback with a clear statement that shows you know the receiver is competent, drives people – especially youth – to be more motivated and accepting of criticism. Globe contributor Harvey Schachter breaks down this idea and why respect is key to managing young people.
Quoted
Women-led networks on the rise
“These are spaces that have often been closed off to, say, Black entrepreneurs or women data scientists. If orchestrated differently, these new spaces can provide a way for folks to pool resources that are open to a broader mix of individuals,” says Bree McEwan, assistant professor of communication and culture at University of Toronto, Mississauga.
In-person networking groups are becoming increasingly valuable in a tight job market, and more groups specifically for women are popping up across the country.
On our radar
Grandma Babysitting Club
In response to the daycare shortage in Ontario, six older women have come together to provide in-home childcare to families in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Maria Bott Martin, the creator of the club, is also looking to open an emergency drop-off location for those last-minute caregiving needs. Not a bad idea when daycares in Waterloo are reaching waitlists of 10,000 children.