Do we really need to go back to the office?

This is the heavyweight question at the top of a lot of business owners, CEOs, and workers minds. Last March, the scramble to transition businesses to remote operation was frankly madness. Now as the pandemic seems to be in the rear-view mirror, and everyone has adapted their work life to take place in their living rooms, in-home offices, or if you’re lucky enough poolside… people are getting that dreaded email, time to return to the office. According to a research survey by Gensler Research Institute, 71% of people prefer to have a hybrid arrangement or work entirely remotely going forward. 

So, what does this mean for employers? It means that they’re in the midst of a talent revolution, and the war for talent is heating up. Employers must work harder to set their company apart—to attract, retain, and engage employees. Although employers may want to bring employees back to the office for reasons like collaborating, creativity, and innovation, they are finding that many employees are hesitant about making the transition back into the traditional workplace. This comes as a result of the many benefits employees have reaped while working from home. Some of these include better work-life balance, less commute stress, and location independence.   

RaezerConnect recently employed a candidate who received two job offers. One of the roles salary payed 15% more than the other. The higher salary required them to work in the office, the other did not. They chose the role with the lower salary. This is one of many examples which highlight the significant weight workplace flexibility has on employees post-covid. 

The future of the “office” is up in the air for many companies. No question, the next 12 months will be a pivotal period as we anticipate a lot of job movement. The winners of the talent revolution will be the companies that can figure out how to effectively operate remote long term or opt for a hybrid workplace approach. These employers will have a larger talent pool to recruit (national as opposed to commutable geography) and ultimately, they will have more workers willing to join their company. Increased productivity has been reported as a result of working from home, further pushing the idea that working from home is creating opportunities for companies to not only grow but thrive. The takeaway from all this is that the “office”, like everything else, has adapted and changed and so must companies as they try to retain and attract talent in the competitive work environment. 

Lucy
RaezerConnect