Employers all over the world report losing key personnel as a result of mandates, and forced returns have an impact on recruitment as well. Companies are failing to understand the reasons behind employees’ reluctance to return to work, as well as the opportunities and value that the actual workplace offers. According to a recent study by the world’s leading authority on workplace design, Unispace.
Returning for Good, a Unispace Global Workplace Insights report, found that, of the 72% of companies globally that claim they have mandated office returns, 42% now report a higher level of employee attrition than anticipated and that nearly a third (29%) are finding it difficult to recruit at all.
Employees are less reluctant to return to the office (51%) than they were in 2021 (64%), according to the study, which looked closely at the behaviors and motives of the workforce today. However, there is still more to be done to involve the workforce given the current reluctance of one in two workers.
When compared to remote recruiting, employers express much higher levels of confidence in in-office talent attraction initiatives, particularly for hiring (89% versus 73%) and onboarding new employees (84% against 70%).
The vast majority of employers (84%) also stated that those who only work from home would have the best career chances.
Seventy five percent of corporate executives polled said they had increased their real estate holdings in the previous two years, with businesses in Asia Pacific reporting the highest rates of growth. This growth takes into account trends that draw in talent and generate income, such the creation of hospitality spaces by 44% of businesses.
Currently, employers are failing to understand what employees need and value most.
The study also showed that employers are unaware of the difficulties workers face in their current work environment. The majority of employees (58%) admitted that distractions make it difficult for them to complete their primary tasks at work. In contrast, 83% of employers state that they think the workplace is set up so that workers may be productive.
Employers frequently underrate common workplace dislikes. Employees prioritize personal space and productivity, identifying their inability to access privacy at home (31%), their capacity to be more effective in a peaceful atmosphere away from the office (27%), and their perception of being more productive at home (23%) as their top pet peeves. Employers said that the commute was the greatest challenge to reintegrating employees into the workforce.
Steve Quick, CEO of Unispace Global, said:
“Employee work habits are still changing as a result of our collective adaptation to the continually shifting workplace of today. Employers will have better success redefining the value and purpose of that workspace if they take the time to learn what their staff members need and value most from their workspace. This will promote organizational strength, brand recognition, employee satisfaction, and talent retention.”
Source: HRTech Series
