Latest WFH Trend: Most employees prefer to work in the office 3 days but continue to spend the majority of their time (51%) on individual tasks!
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
?? Workplace attendance is the most contentious issue creating discontent between employers and employees.
?? More organizations mandate office attendance and potential productivity gains is one of the main reasons for asking people to work in the office. Globally, only 11% have implemented fixed days in the office. While North American organizations prefer a more structured approach, fixed days are less popular in EMEA. And employees continue to spend the majority of their time (51%) on individual tasks and at their desk (52%) when they come to the office...
?? Even within the same organization, there is no blanket solution to perfecting the hybrid workplace, the approach needs to be tailored to each team and each job type and requires constant adjustments over time - in other word hybrid work need a personalized approach. Employers should also not overlook aspects of the human experience when encouraging their employees to return to the office. Factors with the highest improvement scores following office redesign can be directly linked to improved performance and wellbeing, according to a new interesting research entitled "Is hybrid really working?" published by 仲量联行 using data from 20,121 office workers who are employed by international companies between October 2022 to September 2023 and 208 CRE decision-makers across the globe.
?The 3 actions to deliver a successful hybrid strategy
Researchers reveal that the most forward-looking companies, which have been more successful than their peers in making hybrid work for their organization, do three things better than others:
1?? They know what drives performance in their organization.
They understand how physical space and employee expectations impact performance and productivity. They acknowledge the needs of a neurodiverse workforce to create the right mix between social space and areas for focus and privacy.
2?? They develop a hybrid playbook to support behavioral change and balanced office usage.
They monitor working habits and empower managers to orchestrate their teams efficiently in each location throughout the week. They create real value in being on site.
3?? They leverage data and design an adaptable space that reconciles flexibility, sustainability and comfort.
Space is designed around work habits and decisions are backed by data.
?Motivating factors to come to office
Researchers found that employers associate on-site work with new benefits, beyond improving collaboration, social connection and cultural bonds; they see it as a significant contributor to employee productivity.
They also recognize the power of chance meetings and face-to-face collaboration in the office to boost employee engagement and their ability to innovate.
?Why don't employees come to the office?
Researchers noticed that most of employees feel that they are more productive at home, citing noise and lack of privacy for focused work among key barriers to working from the office.
The greatest barriers are the cost and duration of the commute with employees arguing that they can be more efficient with their time working from home.
?Top 12 workplace factors with the greatest gap between importance and current levels of employee satisfaction
Researchers look at 12 factors with the highest gaps between hybrid workers’ view of what is most important and their current level of satisfaction and they found that privacy and the ability to focus present the highest gaps.
?? Researchers believed that this marks a shift from a year ago. In 2022, workforce dissatisfaction primarily related to wellbeing and workspace choice.
?Develop a hybrid playbook is a necessity
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Researchers found that the majority of companies don't actively monitor hybrid workstyles, and office attendance is flexible depending on the work in-hand.
Very few companies use managerial and HR governance, IP login data, office booking software, or sensor data, most likely because they find it difficult to tread the line between monitoring and surveillance.
?The three days in the office has not changed since 2022
Researchers have also noticed that peak attendance trends are emerging, with most people preferring to work in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays - same observed in 2022.
?Employees still spend individual tasks in the office !
Researchers noticed that employees continue to spend the majority of their time (51%) on individual tasks and at their desk (52%) when they come to the office, with only a small fringe taking place in specialized focus areas (6%).
Also virtual collaboration accounts for 23% of the time spent in the office and half of it takes place at the workstation, potentially creating noise and disturbance to colleagues.
?? Interestingly, informal and social space is used less than 40% of the time; people prefer to conduct face-to-face collaboration in formal spaces.
?How to encourage employees to work in the office?
Researchers found employers continue to introduce new tools and incentives to encourage working from the office, the main tools and policies are :
?The 12 Factors with the highest improvement in satisfaction score
Researchers found that employee satisfaction rates can improve dramatically following office redesign projects, where employees’ needs, preferences and workstyles are taken into account.
??Finally researchers conclude that managers should take the lead and open the discussion with their team to clarify when they are expected to be on site and when they can work remotely. This is an opportunity for companies to define their approach to hybrid working and to adapt to each team’s constraints and job functions alongside an individual’s desire for flexibility.
Thank you ?? 仲量联行 researchers team for these insightful findings: Flore Pradere Amber Schiada Victoria Mejevitch Xiaotong Q. Amanda Kross Tina Williams Laura Adams Christian Ulbrich
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Manager, Capital Projects and Construction @ Pure Industrial | DEI Council Member | MBA Candidate
3 个月Hi - thanks for sharing this - super helpful in my Statistics course!
Organisation Design | TOM | Business Transformation (Independent Contractor)
1 年Absolutely agree that it needs z personalised approach, and by team. I would also argue that the success or failure for the team can be down to the skills of the manager. In z more mature team it perhaps has less impact as each individual understands their own skills, role, accountabilities and those of the team. In a new or evolving team, the role of the manager to initiate connections, conversations, and provide clarity and guidance is more critical, especially where hybrid working is in place. I would say that the skills of the manager are same whether the team is in the office or hybrid, however the level of the skills need to be higher if working hybrid
Helping Mid-Late Career Pros Build Meaning + Wealth Beyond 9-5 | 20+ Years Management Consultant + Lawyer | Business & Career Coach | Speaker
1 年Organisations have a real opportunity to redesign the human experience. Employees are looking for more 'purpose' in their work and from their organisations. Rich data provides insights to accommodate this.
LinkedIn Top Voices in Company Culture USA & Canada I Executive Advisor | HR Leader (CHRO) | Leadership Coach | Talent Strategy | Change Leadership | Innovation Culture | Healthcare | Higher Education
1 年Thanks Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Speaker, Author, Professor, Thought Partner on Human Capability (talent, leadership, organization, HR)
1 年Nicolas BEHBAHANI Where people work has gained a lot of attention. Nick Bloom is the expert in this space having studied working from home for decades. I like this research because it begins to focus the discussion about where people work with the three key findings. Companies are evolving work policies that fit the circumstance. Where people work is a highly personalized choice that varies by organization, job, and individual. I feel that where people work is less relevant than why and what they work on which is their first point. If an employee can add sustained value to a customer, if they work in the office, at home, in a coffee shop, in a hotel, or in an airplane (like many knowledge workers, I have done all of these), they are adding value. Managing remote employees and ensuring that remote employees feel connected to the organization continues to matter (George Kemish LLM MCMI MIC MIoL MIoD comments).