Employees Choose Hybrid Working Over Promotions
- By DWFTrends editors
- March 16, 2022
Another study confirms what is becoming a rising realization among employers worldwide: employees want hybrid working.
It seems employees remain unfazed by companies trying to get their employees to the workplaces with better perks or starting pay. In the Ivanti research “The 2022 Everywhere Workplace Report,” 71% of respondents said they prefer to work from anywhere — more so than getting a promotion.
After months of isolation through remote working, employees are also beginning to favor a hybrid working mode. When asked what type of future of work model they prefer, more employees (42%) said hybrid working (a 5% increase since the last study), while less (30%) wanted to work from home permanently (a 20% decrease since the previous study).
The shift to hybrid working also highlights the drawbacks of remote working. Employees see remote working offering them better time savings due to less commuting (48%), better work/life balance (43%), and a more flexible work schedule (43%). Yet, they remained concerned about lack of interaction with colleagues (51%), not being able to collaborate or communicate effectively (28%), and noise and distractions (27%).
At the same time, more employees see themselves as digital nomads. The study noted that 22% of respondents said they became digital nomads during the pandemic, and 18% said they are considering becoming one. Only 13% want to work permanently in the office (an 11% decrease since the previous study).
“The pandemic has catalyzed a monumental shift in where and how people work,” said Jeff Abbott, chief executive of Ivanti. “The good news is that by increasing automation of common or mundane tasks, companies can improve work-life balance for IT and security teams, plus prevent data breaches and most importantly improve employee experiences.”
Meanwhile, the so-called Great Resignation is beginning to take its toll.
The study also found just under a quarter (24%) of respondents left their job in the past year during ‘The Great Resignation,’ and 28% are considering leaving in the next six months, with the percentage jumping to 36% for those between the ages of 25 and 34.
The main reason for the dissatisfaction: return to office policies are critical in driving resignations. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents stated that they would quit their job if their employer enforced a full-time return to the office policy.
“Employees have more options than ever before — and they’re good options too,” said Meghan Biro, founder and chief executive officer of TalentCulture. “They can go anywhere and work for anyone, so that means that companies have to shift their retention tactics toward implementing the best technology that makes everyone’s jobs easier and more fun.”
“Amidst the fierce war on talent, it’s more important than ever before to build a winning, diverse and inclusive culture where every individual is highly respected, and a company’s mission and core values are demonstrated at every level,” added Abbott. “People want to work for companies that are making a difference, and employees are increasingly leaving their jobs if they don’t believe in the vision and mission. Companies must show they are delivering global value and not just profits, while also prioritizing work/life balance.”
There are also concerns over remote working. Many of those surveyed felt the effects of losing personal connection with coworkers (9%) and being expected to work longer hours than when in the office (6%) were significant issues.
It also seems that the impact on mental health on female employees is disproportionate. More female respondents (56%) said remote working affected their mental health negatively, compared to men (44%). Fifty-two percent of women also reported having lost their connections with coworkers, compared to men (47%).
The most considerable disparity is in IT. Here, 70% of IT female respondents reported experiencing adverse effects from remote work, versus only 30% of male respondents in the same group.
“Ivanti's research shows that the remote work experience for both office workers and IT professionals varies across gender lines. More men than women report being passed over for a promotion in this digital-first culture. Women, however, are expected to work longer hours but have benefitted the most overall from the flexibility that remote work brings,” said Biro. “This shift in employee experience cannot be ignored. Employers must respond by adopting technology that facilitates collaboration and lessens the disparities in experience across gender lines, and that begins with prioritizing employee input in every tech implementation.”
Image credit: iStockphoto/GaudiLab