12 Oct Hybrid Working: why Employers need to embrace it
Here’s the thing. Employees don’t really want to return to the office… they want hybrid working.
Over the past twelve months we have seen a transformation in how and where people work. Businesses are starting to acknowledge that there is no going back to how things were and, instead, we need to learn to embrace the opportunities for hybrid working. And we’ve got the data to prove it.
A survey conducted by McCrindle Research found that,
65% of Australian workers see a hybrid model as their ideal working arrangement, incorporating a mix of working from home and the workplace, 25% would prefer everyone to be working from the workplace all the time and 14% want everyone working from home all the time.
This demonstrates a strong preference for the continuation of a hybrid style of working that includes both time spent in the office as well as the flexibility to work from home. So how does this change how we think about our workplaces?
Is the office ‘dead’?
While the majority of Australian workers see the benefit of doing some work from home, the workplace still plays a significant role. Work that involves deep thinking, reflection and primarily individual work can be done quite effectively from home. However, the relationships that we build in the workplace are a significant part of our lives and developing social connection and team culture does not happen in the same way online. McCrindle found that 70% of Australian workers say that the workplace is where they experience meaningful and regular social connection and community.
image: Unsplash
Moving forward
To bring employees back to the office, companies need to redefine what the workplace is and what their employees want and need from the space. We are seeing workplaces becoming places that are social, they provide opportunities for teams to come together and collaborate and opportunities for social interaction. While we have all learnt over the past 12 months that it is possible to work from home, most of us don’t want to work ONLY from home. There is still a necessary purpose for the office as a space for connection, collaboration and to bring people together.
For more on the future of work, check out our other blogs, and resources.