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Since the Covid crisis, companies have been urged to become hybrid, that is, to offer their employees a mode of organization that mixes face-to-face and remote work. But some are reluctant to do so, fearing that teleworking will be a hindrance to productivity. However, employees believe that they are much more efficient when they do not go to the office every day.
The numbers speak for themselves: 84% of employees say they work more when they alternate between in-person and remote work, according to a recent global survey by Zoom*. 18-24 year-olds are even more likely to be convinced of the benefits of hybrid work on their productivity (93%), as are 25-34 year-olds (88%). Their elders are not far behind, with 80% of workers over 55 feeling more productive when they adopt a hybrid work organization.
But this intergenerational craze for hybrid work is not set in stone. Indeed, 58% of respondents believe that their work organization preferences will change over time. Many of them think that they will want to telework more when they have children so as not to have to commute between home and work, or when they approach retirement age.
However, at present, employees around the world remain very sensitive to the possibility of working remotely. A significant number of them would not consider working in a job that did not offer them some freedom of organization. As evidenced by the fact that 36% of respondents would prefer an employer who gave them the opportunity to work from wherever they wanted, if they were to change jobs.
Should we see this as a sign that the office is doomed to disappear in the years to come? Not necessarily. A quarter of employees would be ready to join a company that requires them to be in person, if they were to change jobs. This is explained by the fact that the office is not just a workspace: it is also a place for socializing. Interactions with colleagues, and to a lesser extent with managers, remain the main reason why employees like to come to their company’s premises.
However, it would be wrong to say that face-to-face work systematically promotes internal communication. Employees who work exclusively in the office do not feel more connected to their colleagues, their superiors and, more generally, to any member of their company than those who are occasionally remote.[L]Hybrid workers are the most connected on almost every level. Remote work is not the instigator of isolation that some claim it is,” Zoom’s report notes.
*L“Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology” survey was conducted by Reworked, on behalf of Zoom, between April and May among 1,870 employees and 624 employers around the world.