50% of companies want workers back in office 5 days a week
[ad_1]
After two years of working from home – and seeing return-to-office plans derailed by new Covid-19 variants – a growing number of companies are eager to get employees back to the office.
New research shows that approximately 50% of senior leaders believe their organization will require or plan to require full-time return to work for employees in the coming year. MicrosoftThe survey included 31,102 respondents from all over the globe between January and February.
This contrasts sharply with what the employees actually want. flexibility. According to the same survey, 52% said they were considering switching jobs in 2022.
Elise Freedman is a leader in workforce transformation at Korn Ferry. She helps companies to coordinate their returns-to-office plans. CNBC Make It.
She continues: “But the companies who push for a full return-to-office could see serious ramifications if they don’t offer employees the kind of flexibility and environment they’re asking for … they’ll just leave.”
How do companies manage the tension? What is the best way to create an employee-friendly return-to office plan? These are the key points business leaders must know in order to successfully navigate this new chapter.
Employees don’t understand when – or why – to go to the office
A popular Twitter trending topic has been for several weeks. It pokes fun at the vague explanations companies give about how important offices are for building strong cultures.
Freedman says such criticism is justified, since most workplaces don’t provide clear guidelines that clearly explain what time employees are allowed to work and when.
Microsoft’s research confirms this claim: 38% hybrid workers say they have struggled to know when and where to be in office. In fact, only 28% leaders had made that clear in their plans.
Freedman notes that businesses need to ask themselves what exactly they’re trying to do by getting people back. That starts by answering the question “What role does the office play and how do you get the best out of your work?”
She adds that leaders should emphasize the importance of personal work to foster culture and cooperation. “A cubical farm” is a place where everybody is constantly on phone calls, and nobody is speaking to one another.
It is possible to make positive design decisions such as expanding conference rooms or opening up outdoor areas.
Freedman recommends that companies use collaboration tools, such as Google Docs/Slack. This allows employees to view the office schedules of others and can chat with them in real-time. What’s the point in going into work if you don’t show up? According to her,
Managers are caught between employee needs and leadership.
Management is the most important factor in a company’s plan for return to office. It’s up to them to get approval from top executives to adjust their work practices to fit employees’ needs.
Future ForumSlack’s research group interviewed nearly 11,000 people in France, the United States and elsewhere in November. They found that 42% are currently working remotely from their offices 3-4 times a week, compared with 30% for non-executives. 44% of remote executives said they prefer working from home, while only 17% said so.
These competing needs are making it difficult for managers to manage them. According to Microsoft’s research, more than half of leaders believe they have lost touch with their staff, while 74% claim that they do not have the power or resources to bring about change.
They are the place where tension is at its highest. [about RTO]It all comes down to one,” Jared Spataro (CVP, modern work, Microsoft), explains. “But managers are also the key to helping companies execute effective work policies … your culture is going to rise or fall depending on how your managers implement it with employees.”
Spataro suggests that leaders have one-on-one discussions with their employees in order to create a “team accord” which outlines both the needs of the company and those of the team. This will help them to better understand each other.
It’s about getting everyone back into a shared mind about the future work environment. He also suggests that it’s important to be transparent about expectations of employees and leaders so that there is no surprise.
Tight labor markets mean employees remain in control of their lives and won’t hesitate to leave if they aren’t satisfied. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is actually true. latest JOLTS reportIn January, another 4.3 Million Americans quit their jobs.
Spataro states that leaders who have return-to office plans are in a very difficult position. “I tell business leaders all the time: ‘You might be assessing employees as they come back to work, but mark my words, they’re assessing you just as much – so be thoughtful, listen carefully and try to dig in with them on their needs.'”
You can check out these:
Experts share the No. 1 pandemic work trend they think will stick around
The demand for flexible work ‘will only accelerate’ in coming years as workers feel more empowered
How people have changed the way they think about work, according to their therapists
Get started now Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter
[ad_2]