Employee preferences on remote work are taking a surprising turn

By Marq Burnett – Associate Editor, The Playbook, The Business Journals

May 16, 2024

More than four years since the onset of widespread work-from-home measures during the pandemic, employees’ sentiments toward remote-work schedules appear to be changing — and in a good way for the many employers looking to get workers back to the office more regularly.

New data from Resume Builder indicates 40% of full-time employees prefer working fully in-person, while 32% favor a hybrid-work model. 

That means more than 7 in 10 workers of the 1,250 full-time employees surveyed don’t prefer full-time remote work.

The shifting feelings for employees come as CEO sentiments on the return are also evolving, with an increasing percentage of top executives anticipating a full-scale return to the office in the coming years.

The dynamic is likely to give employers additional leverage when it comes to flexible work arrangements and could accelerate moves away from hybrid arrangements.

“While the desire for some in-office presence remains prevalent, the extent of this preference remains subject to flux,” said Resume Builder Chief Career Adviser Stacie Haller in a statement with the survey’s results. “It’s clear that a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer tenable in today’s diverse workforce landscape.”

Haller said the specific configurations of in-office, fully remote and hybrid work remain a matter of negotiation and adaptation.

Among the group of workers who cited a preference for hybrid work, 41% said they wanted to work in-person three days per week. Only 19% said they wanted one day per week or less in the office.

The shifting sentiments mark a notable turnaround from a survey Resume Builder survey from last year, which indicated employees who worked fully in-office were struggling the most with stress and were the least happy in their current jobs. Remote workers and hybrid workers, meanwhile, reported better mental health, work-life balance and happiness with their jobs.

The more-recent Resume Builder survey identified social interactions, faster communication, easier collaboration, and a clear separation between work and home life as reasons that people prefer in-person work.

People who want to work remotely cited a flexible schedule, lack of commute and improved work-life balance as top reasons for their choice. 

Recruiters, attorneys and others have regularly told The Playbook that it’s critical for companies to seek feedback from employees and consider the “why” when assessing their flexible work strategies.

Taking those steps can help preserve morale and avoid the frustrations some companies have encountered with strict full-return mandates.

We also recently highlighted some perks that can win over workers during the return.

Nearly half of HR professionals are new to their role, report shows

C-suite executives said they see HR as the owner of leadership development and cited a “lack of HR support” as a top reason for ineffective management.

Published July 10, 2024

By Carolyn Crist

jacoblund via Getty Images

About 46% of HR professionals have been in their role for two years or less, indicating a potential area in need of more support, according to a July 9 report from Paycor.

Responding to a survey, C-suite executives said they see HR as the owner of leadership development and cited a “lack of HR support” and “outdated performance management systems” as the top two reasons for ineffective management.

“The findings highlight the critical role of HR as a strategic partner and executives’ increasing dependence on HR for leadership development,” Paaras Parker, CHRO at Paycor, said in a statement. “As businesses look to remain competitive and drive results, investing in leadership training and support makes all the difference.”

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TRENDLINE

What the future of work looks like

In a survey of more than 7,000 professionals, employees with two years or less at a company had the biggest flight risk and were 38% more likely to search for a new job in the next 12 months. In addition, workers at a company for one year or less were 21% less likely to rate their leaders favorably.

The survey findings indicated that effective managers are a key driver of employee engagement and retention, whether the workforce is remote, hybrid or on-site. HR pros play a “mission-critical” strategic role in fostering effective leaders, Paycor said.

Effective leadership also appears to drive business results. Compared to low-performing companies, employees who worked for high-performing companies were 110% more likely to receive productive feedback from their managers and 397% more likely to say their company’s senior leaders are engaged and inspirational.

HR professionals and risk managers see ineffective leadership as the biggest people risk facing U.S. organizations today, according to a report from Mercer and Marsh. They expressed concerns that poor management leads to inadequate succession planning, poor use of worker skills and negative company culture.

Along with that, leaders across a variety of industries tend to overestimate employee engagement and loyalty, which creates a gap between what leaders think and what workers experience, according to a Right Management report. The least engaged employees included mid-career and middle-layer workers, and those who were at their companies for three to five years were most likely to say they were actively looking for a new job.

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In today’s ever-evolving workplace environment, disruptive change appears to be hitting managers hard and leading to burnout, according to a Gallup report. Two aspects of leadership — trust and communication — can help speed up the pace of adjustment to change and make a difference in manager engagement and connection to the company, Gallup researchers said.