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Survey finds 53% of employees prefer hybrid working to office life, here’s why
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, remote working has been a common practice for millions of employees around the world, whether thats in the form of a completely remote job or in a hybrid working system.
However, the trend of working from home could be on its way out as a survey by KPMG found that 63% of CEOs predicted a full return-to-office by 2026. Now, research carried out by international recruitment company�Robert Walters has found that 53% of professionals would start looking for a new job if they were asked to work in the office more often and there are several key reasons as to why.
Deterrents of returning to the office
The poll conducted by Robert Walters quizzed 2,000 UK-based professionals who revealed some of the biggest drawbacks to working in the office and why they would prefer to work remotely or in a hybrid system.
- Higher costs such as food and travel (46%)
- Disruption to work-life balance (28%)
- Long commutes (16%)
- Too many distractions at work (10%)
Speaking about the surveys findings, Chris Eldridge, CEO of�Robert Walters UK, said: With inflation still high and ongoing concerns over the cost of living, spending money on the commute to work, buying lunch amongst other expenses presents yet another key obstacle for professionals returning to the office.
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Attractions of returning to the office
While working from home has its benefits, so too does working in an office full of colleagues, with respondents listing the following attractions.
- More days in the office help with weekly routine (36%)
- Brainstorming with colleagues (26%)
- In-person meetings (24%)
- More facetime with senior colleagues (14%)
Commenting on the pros of office life, Eldridge added: The benefits of working in the office are clear just by being a more familiar face around the office, on-hand to help or engage with your colleagues on projects and being recognizable to senior leadership can hold you in good stead for half-year promotions.
There are a host of other benefits such as exposure to new skills, gaining mentorship from senior colleagues and generally feeling more connected to the workplace culture and community.
Why hybrid working offers the best solution
While a majority of CEOs may believe that a full return-to-office is likely to happen, implementing it could well be met with resistance.
As Chris Eldridge discussed: The pandemic not only opened the door to hybrid-working but made it a mainstay in many companies. It also proved that there just isnt a one-size-fits-all option when it comes to�ways of working and keeping productivity levels up across a workforce.
Leaders attempting to jump the gun and implement a full return-to-office are quickly going to run into trouble as its clear that many professionals wont readily give up the flexible working routines that theyve spent the last 3-4 years getting comfortable with.
Its clear to see that implementing a hybrid option would help to combine the benefits of both working from home and in the office and it will most likely be up to employers to find the right balance of such a system rather than ordering workers back into the office full time.
