Nick Bloom - The New Geography of Work

Five years after the pandemic reshaped where and how we work, where have we actually landed?In this episode, Ben sits down with Nick Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford and the world's leading researcher on remote and hybrid work. Drawing on surveys of hundreds of thousands of workers across many countries,Nick unpacks what the data actually shows about productivity, innovation, and the future of the office.Topics covered:Where work-from-home rates have settled since the pandemic peakWhy culture, not technology, explains why some countries went back to the office while others didn'tThe "personal trainer effect": why being in the same room still matters for concentration and collaborationWhy forcing people back five days a week drives up attrition by a third and costs firms more than they saveThe U-shaped relationship between age and office preference, and what it means for how companies should design their policiesWhat good management actually looks like, and why so much bad management persists even when better practices are well understoodThe "donut effect": how hybrid work is reshaping cities and suburbsAbout Nick Bloom: Nick Bloom is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University and co-founder of WFH Research. He is one of the most cited economists in the world on the subjects of management practices, and the future of work, and is the author of the upcoming book The Triple Win.Follow Nick on LinkedIn and on XFollow us on LinkedInFollow Ben on LinkedInSign up for our NewsletterVisit our website for more informationGet in touch with us at [email protected]