Hybrid Work Index 

Overview

In late 2021, as Canadian companies scrambled to develop return-to-office policies, Cisco identified a critical intelligence gap:

While everyone was discussing the technology and infrastructure of hybrid work, no one was addressing employees' deeper concerns about career advancement and workplace equity.

Our strategic insight revealed that employers were making policy decisions without understanding their most important stakeholder—their workforce. We recognized this as a dual opportunity: fill this data void while simultaneously introducing Shannon Leininger, Cisco's new President, as a thought leader in Canada's future-of-work conversation.

We partnered with Angus Reid to create Cisco's Canadian Hybrid Work Index, proprietary research that uncovered a powerful tension point: while 71% of employees valued remote work's flexibility, 46% feared in-person colleagues would have better career opportunities. This insight became our strategic differentiator.

Rather than launching another product-focused campaign, we led with data-driven thought leadership. Our omni-channel approach secured exclusive coverage with Canadian Press, generating massive syndication and positioning Shannon as the authoritative voice on hybrid work challenges facing Canadian businesses.