I rarely go into the office anymore, as work from home has become more than a 'bandage' solution.

The remote work statistics speak for themselves: according to 2023 Cisco research, 82.2% of employees expressed greater happiness with their work situation since they could work from anywhere, with over half of them experiencing decreased stress levels due to hybrid working arrangements.

In a rapid survey by FlexOS, 66% of remote and hybrid managers reported increased productivity and higher levels of trust. 

You have come to the right place if you're embracing this flexible workplace revolution. I've gathered inspiring quotes from work-from-home experts showing how to make hybrid and remote work work for you. Let's dive in!

Positive Work from Home Quotes

1. Mark Lobosco, VP of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn

"Now that companies have built the framework – and experienced the cost and time savings associated with it – there's no real reason to turn back."

Video interviews and remote assessments in the hiring process have been around for some time. However, due to COVID-19 lockdowns, we have been forced to complete and rely on virtual recruitment and onboarding processes. What we have to do face-to-face with employees, we can do it similarly, even easier and more precisely with digital tools in remote settings, from conducting interviews and tests, gathering feedback, analyzing data to automating onboarding procedures, and getting to know new employees.

2. Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex+Strategy Group

"Telecommuting, one of many forms of work-life flexibility, should no longer be viewed as a nice-to-have, optional perk mostly used by working moms. These common stereotypes don't match reality—allowing employees to work remotely is a core business strategy today… We need to de-parent, de-gender, and de-age the perception of the flexible worker."

Cali Williams Yost is a workplace futurist who has been researching flexible workplace trends for decades and also an author of "Tweak It: Make What Matters to You Happen Every Day," a guide to having a meaningful work life. She's always supported telecommuting and flexible schedules that create inclusivity and work-life balance for people of all genders, parents, and ages. And now remote work is here to stay.

3. Meghan M. Biro, Founder and CEO of TalentCulture

"We've learned that the glue that keeps the workplace together is culture -what we perceive, experience, and participate in- physical workspace or not. Culture is how we communicate the stories we tell about the company, colleagues and leaders; the shared sense of purpose, values and mission; and how we operate as teams and as a community. Companies with a powerful and intentional virtual culture will have an incredible advantage going forward."

Meghan is a highly regarded talent management professional who shares visionary insights about work trends on Forbes and through her own channels. She expressed early on the significance of remote work in attracting top talent and the importance of a remote culture in retaining them.

4. George Penn, Managing Vice President at Gartner

"Success in a hybrid work environment requires employers to move beyond viewing remote or hybrid environments as a temporary or short-term strategy and to treat it as an opportunity."

Gartner is a research and consulting firm that assists executives and their teams in making faster, smarter decisions to achieve better performance in accordance with the company's vision. Gartner expert George Penn, speaking about hybrid and remote work, suggested that a complete change in mindset when adopting this new workplace arrangement will allow employers to "act with trust" and develop efficient strategies. He once added: 

"Employers, managers, and employees will share ownership of hybrid work decisions, with a common expectation that employees can switch locations dynamically and without a fixed or rigid pattern. Where, and when, work gets done will be determined by what makes the most sense to drive the highest levels of productivity and engagement."

5. Goncalo Silva, the CTO of Doist

"If you're running a centralized company and then you try to attach remote work as an appendage, that usually doesn't work. But if you design a company to function under the assumption that people won't be in the same office, then remote work is perfectly doable."

Goncalo continues George Penn's points. It's no surprise that remote-first companies, which developed their working model from the ground up, have achieved significant success. Doist is a prime example, with 68 employees across 25 countries creating products that millions use, to prove that this way of working will soon be the norm.

Work from Home Quotes about Productivity, Performance, and Trust

6. Ariana Huffington, The Huffington Post

"We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in."

In her 2014 bestseller "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder," Ariana has a thought-provoking sharing about making the most of our precious time. In the traditional office setting, there was a visible culture of "presenteeism," where being physically present at your desk for long hours was seen as a measure of dedication and commitment. But how often do you stare at the screen, jiggle the mouse, or constantly switch tabs, but get no work finished? Understand that our brain can't stay tense for too long, and leveraging those productive hours are ways to increase the work outputs of your team. 

7. David Sproul, Former Global Deputy Chief Executive at Deloitte UK

"We celebrate and promote people who work flexibly, recognizing that there is absolutely no difference between someone who is a mother working three days-a-week, and a father who works term time. Promotion is about ability, not the number of hours you work."

David shares his opinion about talent and ability, regardless of the hours of presence and visibility. It's so much easier to balance your work and personal life with this flexibility. Adjusting schedules accordingly is a huge advantage for working parents or even people with disabilities. It contributes to inclusivity in the workplace and gives companies higher chances to attract and retain stellar talents. 

8. Sacha Connor, Founder and CEO at Virtual Work Insider

"Build a plan to create a location-inclusive mindset as part of your DEI strategy…Visually map out the geographic anatomy of the team so that you can see which team members are in each location and time zone, and which are fully remote and which are hybrid."

Incorporating a location-inclusive mindset is crucial for a successful hybrid and remote workforce. Sacha advises us to ensure all workplace events and communication systems are accessible to every team member, promoting a sense of belonging and contributing to DEI strategies in remote work settings. Virtual Work Insider by Sacha helps teams and organizations adopt the right skills and mindset to lead, communicate, collaborate, and drive culture across distances.

9. Mitko Karshovski, Founder at Remote Insider

"The only thing that matters is the output of your team. By releasing control over when and where someone works and only focusing on the results, you will create space for your team to get creative, find new ways of doing things quicker, and build a stronger culture."

Mitko's perspective challenges us to rethink traditional structures and adopt a more results-oriented approach to team dynamics. By freeing the teams from strict schedules and physical boundaries, we allow them to explore their creativity without being limited by time or location. Ultimately, by focusing on the "what" instead of controlling the "how," we allow our teams to break through the ordinary and embark on a transformative journey of collective growth and achievement. Remote Insider newsletter by Mitko shares daily news and stories related to remote work, the digital nomad lifestyle, and more.

10. Jason Fried, Co-found at Basecamp

"One of the secret benefits of using remote workers is that the work itself becomes the yardstick to judge someone's performance."

Jason and his partner David Heinemeier Hansson have successfully run a remote company, Basecamp, for over two decades. Jason always has strong and straight sharings about remote work. Let's cut to the chase - what really matters when evaluating team performance is what they actually accomplish. Instead of worrying about how many hours they work, just check in daily to see their progress. This will give managers a clear idea of their contributions. If you can't assess their work based on what they produce, it will become a more significant issue then.

11. Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"We need to radically rethink that. We need better ways to measure performance, [and] we need better tools for managers to know what good performance looks like so you can trust that people are doing great work, even if you don't happen to sit in the same room with them every day."

Adam's quote urges us to embrace new approaches and develop a performance measurement system that breaks free from traditional norms. Since we can't meet in person as much, having trust, re-learning how to measure productivity, and equipping suitable tools are more important than ever. Recently, Adam Grant collaborated with BetterUp, a human transformation company, to develop better workplace performance methods and enhance the employees' sense of purpose.

12. Tsedal Neeley, Harvard Business School professor and author of Remote Work Revolution

"Lean into the inherent flexibility of the remote format. Instead of monitoring team members obsessively, encourage their autonomy. They will gain confidence, agency, and efficiency. The result is a more productive team."

Instead of constantly monitoring your team, give them the freedom to make their own decisions. This will boost their confidence, provide them with a sense of ownership, and increase their efficiency, transforming your team into a productive powerhouse. Harvard Business School professor, Tsedal Neeley, has conducted years of insightful research on this topic. In her book, "Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere," she shares evidence-based solutions to address common remote work concerns—like building trust, mastering digital tools, and nailing remote team management.

13. Richard Branson, founder at Virgin Group

"To successfully work with other people, you have to trust each other. A big part of this is trusting people to get their work done wherever they are, without supervision."

British business magnate and investor Richard Branson shared his thoughts on remote work a decade ago when Yahoo's leader sent a memo requiring remote employees to work from the office or quit. And his words ring true even more today. Leaders who don't adopt the new mindset miss out on unique opportunities.

14. Brian De Haff, CEO of Aha

"When people are free to choose where in the world they want to work, they simply enjoy their day-to-day work more."

Remote work is important in cultivating Aha's happy and productive culture, as confirmed by its leaders. The freedom to choose where to work also brings joy to employees, along with other ingredients such as transparency, gratitude, work-life balance, and camaraderie that help them build a great company culture.

15. Larry English, author of Office Optional

"To start building your remote culture, establish and share some basic rules. The first and most important rule is mutual trust between the company and its workers. The rules after that? As few as possible."‍

Trust forms the bedrock of any thriving remote culture. When both parties trust each other, it fosters a sense of security and confidence, which allows employees to work independently while still feeling connected to their organization. Maintaining a focus on trust and providing guidelines that promote a healthy work-life balance, collaboration, and open communication. Imposing too many rigid rules can hold back creativity, innovation, and the unique strengths that remote work affords. "Office Optional" by Larry also shows you how to build a great culture when you have to interact virtually with employees in many different ways to get work done.

16. Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com

"If you're not constrained by the traditional office work approach, you can benefit by going remote. There are cost savings, and then, of course, a huge sense of freedom when working remotely. A lot of startups and bigger companies have made the same mistake thinking everyone has to work from an office from morning until night. I hate that mentality. I don't think it's healthy. Having a constant state of freedom – it's fantastic. People work, but on their terms."

Chess is a 100% remote company with a healthy work environment focused on well-being, respect, and memes/emotes. Remote work benefits both companies and employees. Companies get to save money by avoiding physical office expenses and can channel resources to growth initiatives. Employees, on the other hand, benefit from a flexible work environment that suits their preferences, leading to more productivity and job satisfaction. Remote work also enables companies to access a diverse talent pool and minimize turnover costs by ensuring employees are engaged and content. Let's keep it a win-win for everyone involved!

Best Motivational Work from Home Quotes

17. Alex Turnbull, Founder and CEO of Groove

"Successfully working from home is a skill, just like programming, designing or writing. It takes time and commitment to develop that skill, and the traditional office culture doesn't give us any reason to do that."

Guess what? If you can learn to master your technical skills, you can also make the cut for working and managing remotely. All you need are some good resources (you can find those from top remote work thought leaders and great remote work books and training courses), discipline, focus, and self-motivation! The traditional office setup used to dictate our routines, interactions, and even our work ethic. But now, we have the freedom and responsibility to craft our own productive space and rhythm.

18. Robert C. Pozen, Author of Remote, Inc.

"You can thrive and excel when you're working remotely, if you adopt the mindset, habits, and tech tools of professionals who are even more productive outside the office: Learn to think like a "business of one," and that entrepreneurial mindset will transform your experience of remote work." ‍

The quote is taken from Robert's book "Remote, Inc." He puts forth a unique viewpoint that suggests developing an entrepreneurial mindset is the key to triumphing in remote work. Having the privilege of flexibility and autonomy at work is in return for your self-control and the ability to prove your results. Robert's book is a holistic guide to being a productive remote worker that you should read at least once.

19. Job van der Voort, Co-founder and CEO at Remote

"I'd like to imagine a world where everyone has the freedom to work from anywhere, without the constraints of time and location. A world where we can pursue our dreams and ambitions while also enjoying fulfilling personal lives."

Alex leads a whole remote team to provide HR solutions for other distributed teams. He envisions a world where remote work brings the ultimate freedom for individuals to work from any location, without the constraints of time and place. This liberating work style allows people to pursue their passions and ambitions while maintaining a rich and fulfilling personal life. 

20. Mandy Fransz, Co-creator & Chief Community Officer at Remote Workers Worldwide

"Remote work is about the flexibility to build a lifestyle that allows you to plan your work around your ideal life, not the other way around."

Mandy is the community builder of the world's largest remote work community, with over 95,000 members. She firmly believes that remote work provides unparalleled flexibility to create a lifestyle that suits an individual's ideal life, instead of being the other way around. By planning work around life, people can achieve a healthier work-life balance and take advantage of opportunities for growth and exploration, which is commonly known as being a "digital nomad."

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21. Lisette Sutherland, author of Work Together Anywhere

"I wanted to work around my life rather than live around my work."

"Remote workers aren't trying to escape doing work. We're trying to escape the Day Prison. We want to use technology to make better use of our time. We want to spend more time on things that matter to us and less time stuck in traffic."

Lisette highlights the true essence of remote work, which is not about evading responsibilities but escaping the limitations of traditional office settings. Her work emphasizes leveraging technology to optimize time management and increase productivity. As an advocate for remote work, she champions the idea of spending more time on meaningful endeavors and less time on unproductive tasks like commuting, resulting in a more fulfilling work-life blend.

22. Sharon Koifman, Founder and President at DistantJob, and author of Surviving Remote Work

"Think about this way: if you can create a three-hour chunk of non-distracted work time in your house, you will be more productive than the average office worker."

The most challenging part when working remotely is staying focused with so many distractions around. You can be more productive working from home if you have the right tools and strategies to do so. Sharon has almost two decades of experience in remote recruitment and management. His "Surviving Remote Work" book is chock-full of practical tips, hacks, and strategies that will help you increase productivity, maintain work-life balance, and thrive in your remote work environment.

23. Michael Erasmus, Former Data Science Manager at Buffer

"I have found that sticking to a routine helps, but it's also great that the routine can be flexible. The trick is finding that balance, sticking to a stable routine each day, with added flexibility to deal with unexpected curve balls that life throws at you."

Michael Erasmus believes in the power of a well-structured routine in remote work. His experience at Buffer taught him that adhering to a stable daily routine fosters consistency and productivity. However, he also emphasizes the importance of embracing flexibility to tackle unexpected challenges that arise. This balanced approach enables remote workers to maintain focus and adaptability, ensuring a seamless integration of work into their lives.

24. Laurel Farrer, Founder and CEO of Distribute Consulting

"Workplace flexibility is a bridge to takes us to fundamentally better ways of working. Work is something that we do, not somewhere we go."

Distribute is the world's foremost thought leader and consulting firm specializing exclusively in remote work and virtual organizational development. The traditional idea of work being confined to physical spaces is long gone. Work has become a dynamic activity that can be seamlessly integrated into our lives. By embracing remote work, we can access more innovative and efficient working methods, leading to better job satisfaction and overall well-being.

Final Thoughts

As these work from home leaders and experts assert, hybrid and remote work are great to give employees more power, increase productivity, and create a more flexible and inclusive work environment.

If we make remote work a key part of modern workplaces, everyone can enjoy a happier and more fulfilling professional journey.

Looking for some more great resources to level up your remote leadership game? Check out these best remote work training courses and top remote work books.