50% would quit if forced to return to the office
This is according to a study by Robert Half.
Why You Should Care
But 66% of leaders want employers back on-site.
Find out the challenges of employers being out of touch.
Hint, you could face an attrition crisis.
COVID-19 shifted the way we work instantaneously, moving in-person work to fully remote overnight. What was once an unconventional way of working has morphed into the preferred mode for the present and the future.
This is proven by a recent study of 1,000 workers by recruitment agency Robert Half. 50% said they would quit if forced to return to fully in-person work again – this rose to 55% for working parents and 65% for millennials.
But employers are out of touch. Instead of embracing remote or hybrid work, they are eager to return to the office. In a Robert Half survey of more than 2,300 senior managers in the US, 66% said they want their teams to return to fully in-person once COVID-19 restrictions ease.
Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director, reflected on this discrepancy: “Employers may be holding onto the idea that the office is the best place to collaborate, innovate and get things done – but workers feel otherwise.”
“Companies already facing retention challenges and taking away remote options will only exacerbate the problem.
“Hybrid work models give employers and employees flexibility and choice, and are the way forward.”
Benefits of Hiring Remote Workers
Given that hybrid and remote work is the future, the agency also outlines the benefits of hiring these workers for companies.
The first is that remote teams allow companies to hire from anywhere and therefore access a wider talent pool beyond their local market.
This, in turn, allows companies to fill skills gap. The chances are that with a wider talent pool, you will find more qualified workers than you would have in only your local market.
Third, remote work is clearly beneficial for retention, which is urgent in the ongoing ‘Great Resignation‘. Many employees see remote work as creating a better work-life balance which they are not willing to forego.
Finally, embracing hybrid work is important for a company’s agility and resilience. It shows they can respond to the needs of the talent market and are therefore prepared for future challenges to the world of work.
Are you ready to embrace remote work?
