The only thing taller than Mount Everest might just be the mountain of surveys and data being collected on remote work.

In honor of the end of a year that saw the rate of remote work drop as employers called workers back to the office, let’s take a look at some of the data that has emerged.

Productivity concerns. More data on remote workers’ productivity emerged this year, and so far, the results have been mixed. For example, a July paper from the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research found that fully remote workers may be about 10% less productive than in-office workers. However, many employees believe they’re more productive working remotely, Eagle Hill Consulting found in May.

What workers want. The Eagle Hill survey also found that 42% of workers believed their job satisfaction would decrease if they were required to be in the office full-time. This is in line with research that has found many workers would rather find a new job than return to the office.

Keep reading here.—KP

More than 70% of Americans oppose AI’s use in final hiring decisions. Despite this, nearly 1 in 4 organizations plans to increase their use of AI tools in hiring and recruitment. Even with all the praise for automation, it seems like workers miss the human element.

HR professionals should take note of this report from Tech Brew that dives into how applicants respond to new hiring tools like personality tests and chatbots. This report can give insight into establishing standards for objectivity and avoiding bias in algorithms. Check out the statistics and implications here.

Going into 2023, the majority (89%) of HR professionals said improving total rewards was a top priority, according to a Mercer survey. Even as wage growth slowed this year, companies continued to invest in new perks and benefits, from menopause care to pet insurance.

Next year, people leaders told HR Brew via email that they expect to see companies tailor benefits to the unique needs of their workforce, as well as home in on caregiving and financial wellness perks.

Here are six trends to watch for.

Flexibility and benefits unique to one’s workforce. “At Deloitte, we recognize that benefits packages should be as unique as our diverse workforce. We believe other employers will begin to adopt this same sentiment. It means focusing less on simply benchmarking against competitors and more on asking the workforce what they value. It also means creating opportunities for flexibility and customization in how employees’ access, understand, and utilize the benefits and perks available to them, in many cases through the usage of rewards technology and dynamic portal solutions.”—Melanie Langsett, a principal in Deloitte’s human consulting practice

Keep reading here.—CV

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: More than 50% of those who work night shifts have a sleep disorder. (Earth.com)

Quote: “The federal agencies aren’t asking workers to come back to the office five days a week. They just want them back two or three days a week or maybe five days during a pay period…It’s not like everyone is trooping back to the office on a full-time basis. But it is better than nothing.”—Bob Hunt, group managing director for government and education at JLL, on the return-to-office mandate for federal government employees (REjournals)

Read: Does everybody want a remote job? Not frontline employees, apparently. (the Washington Post)