What Hybrid Work? Poly Says 1 in 5 Firms Expects Employees Back Full-Time
Almost one-fifth of organizations expect staff to come back to the office full-time – but three days per week is most popular.
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Nearly three-quarters (72%) of organizations in the Poly study saw an increase in productivity since initiating hybrid work, with an average increase of 27%.
However, almost half of organizations (49%) believe there is an unhealthy culture of overworking within their organisation. Additionally, 58% have seen a higher turnover in staff over the course of the pandemic.
“Companies are aware that their hybrid work strategy is key to retaining and attracting talent,” said Paul Clark, EMEA managing director at Poly. “Whilst business continuity was the focus for many companies when the pandemic first hit, they must now focus on creating a hybrid work environment that puts employees first, or risk losing them to competitors.”
The research found that recruiting and retaining staff has become a key challenge for organizations. More than half of organizations (56%) believe that if they don’t address their hybrid work plans, they’ll start to lose staff and will be unable to attract new talent.
Indeed, 58% have seen a higher turnover in staff over the course of the pandemic. Fifty-five percent worry that the effects of the Great Resignation combined with skills shortages could put them out of business.
Exiting employees disclosed that the top reasons for leaving are tied to their employer’s approach to hybrid work:
· They found something better suited (19%).
· They wanted more flexibility around anytime / hybrid / remote working (16%).
· They didn’t like the shift to hybrid work (14%).
· Under too much pressure to work long hours (12%).
· Unhappiness over handling of COVID (9%).
With organizations struggling to attract and retain talent, the report makes clear that developing an effective, employee-centred hybrid work strategy is critical. However, not everybody is prepared for this next step, with less than half of organisations (48%) saying they are fully prepared for the future of hybrid work, while 37% are only prepared in the short-term.
Meanwhile, over half of organisations (52%) believe hybrid work to be a blip and are looking forward to having everyone back in the office. The report also found that:
· Employers are asking staff to come into the office an average of three days a week.
· Wednesday is the most popular day to come into the office.
· Almost one in five (19%) organisations is asking employees to come back to the office full-time.
Overall, it seems like the shift to hybrid and remote work has seen improvements in productivity. Seventy-two percent saw an increase in productivity, with a global average increase of 27%.
However, organizations need to be on their guard as the risk of burnout increases, noted the report.
· Half (49%) believe there is an unhealthy culture of overworking which they must stop.
· Two-thirds (67%) say they have a ‘moral duty’ to protect employees from working too much.
· Only 51% of organisations have taken steps to prevent people feeling like they need to be ‘always-on’. Thirty-eight percent encourage employees not to look at work emails outside of working hours and to take regular breaks, while 13% have processes in place to make sure employees aren’t working long hours (e.g., time tracking, set hours.)
The report calls upon business leaders to consider how they use people, technology and spaces to create engaging working environments. It also encourages leadership teams to take a step further and adopt a people-first approach. This entails considering who uses what space, at what time, or with what frequency and for what purpose, to ensure the right technology is adopted.
While the pandemic has forced organisations to rethink or redesign workspaces, the research found that 64% of organisations no longer view the office as the face of the company. This is now technology and experience.
In addition, 77% of companies are planning to redesign their office, with more open-plan areas, collaboration spaces, quiet zones and areas to socialize. Organisations are also investing, or planning on investing, in technologies to improve employee experience. These include:
· Collaboration software (such as Teams or Zoom) (92%)
· Cloud applications (92%)
· Headsets (89%)
· Cameras (86%)
“The fact that so many companies are redesigning their offices suggests we are about to witness a seismic shift in the role of the office. Organizations have to offer employees an incentive for going into the office, and we’re seeing that creating more open-plan areas, collaboration spaces, quiet zones and areas to unwind are high on the list of priorities for many companies. This will give workers an entirely new experience of what office life is like,” said Clark.
“But to ensure an equal experience, organizations must consider how hardware intersects with people’s work habits and preferences, their office space, and other technologies like Zoom or Teams. If they don’t, employees won’t have access to the right tools for them, creating an unequal experience that negatively impacts recruitment, retention, business growth and productivity,” he added.
The report calls upon business leaders to consider how they use people, technology and spaces to create engaging working environments. It also encourages leadership teams to take a step further and adopt a people-first approach. This entails considering who uses what space, at what time, or with what frequency and for what purpose, to ensure the right technology is adopted.
While the pandemic has forced organisations to rethink or redesign workspaces, the research found that 64% of organisations no longer view the office as the face of the company. This is now technology and experience.
In addition, 77% of companies are planning to redesign their office, with more open-plan areas, collaboration spaces, quiet zones and areas to socialize. Organisations are also investing, or planning on investing, in technologies to improve employee experience. These include:
· Collaboration software (such as Teams or Zoom) (92%)
· Cloud applications (92%)
· Headsets (89%)
· Cameras (86%)
“The fact that so many companies are redesigning their offices suggests we are about to witness a seismic shift in the role of the office. Organizations have to offer employees an incentive for going into the office, and we’re seeing that creating more open-plan areas, collaboration spaces, quiet zones and areas to unwind are high on the list of priorities for many companies. This will give workers an entirely new experience of what office life is like,” said Clark.
“But to ensure an equal experience, organizations must consider how hardware intersects with people’s work habits and preferences, their office space, and other technologies like Zoom or Teams. If they don’t, employees won’t have access to the right tools for them, creating an unequal experience that negatively impacts recruitment, retention, business growth and productivity,” he added.
Almost one-fifth (19%) of organizations are disregarding hybrid work strategies by asking staff to come back to the office full-time.
However, 81% are enabling some degree of flexibility, according to research by Poly. On average, companies are asking employees to come in three days per week.
Poly’s “Recruit, Retain and Grow” report shows that more than three-quarters (77%) of firms plan to redesign the office experience for the hybrid work era. This includes more open-plan areas, collaboration spaces, areas to socialize and quiet zones.
But less than half (48%) are fully prepared for the future of hybrid work, while 37% are only prepared in the short-term.
What are the top five reasons for employees leaving their jobs today? What is now the most popular day to come into the office? And what can organizations do to succeed in the new era of hybrid work? See the slideshow above to find out.
Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Christine Horton or connect with her on LinkedIn. |
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