Sorry, You Can’t Make Your Employees Go Back to the Office
With Covid’s reign finally fizzling out (at least in the U.S.), many employers are excitedly opening their offices back up.
Tone deaf office memos excitedly unveil “back to business” plans as though we weren’t all working even harder this past year. And some employers are re-implementing full-time office policies in an attempt to go back to the way things were in the Before Times.
But this pivot back to a full-time office setting comes at a strange time — because employees hold all the cards.
It’s a Job Seeker’s Market
There’s a shortage of workers, in part because priorities shifted during the pandemic.
Moms who had to stay home due to a lack of childcare are realizing it’s more affordable and more meaningful work to stay home for good.
Restaurant and hospitality workers got jobs in different industries when they weren’t considered “essential.”
People who got laid off or furloughed found jobs in industries that could manage the quick progress needed to survive a pandemic.
According to CBS News, nearly 3 million American women dropped out of the labor force in 2020. And a survey commissioned by Microsoft shows that over 40% of 31,000+ global employees surveyed say they’re considering leaving their jobs this year.
Workers Are Moving on… Literally
People have realized that remote work means they can live where they want instead of becoming locked into whatever overpriced city their office is based in.
I personally have friends who moved during the pandemic with the hope that once the dust settled, their employers would let them stay on fully remote. (So far, so good.)
A March 2021 PwC survey shows that nearly a quarter of U.S. workers are planning on moving beyond commuting distance from their offices and 12% have already moved.
Your Best People Want Flexible Work
We’ve lost a lot this year, but we’ve also gained something huge: flexible work.
No one wants to lose one of the only positive outcomes of the pandemic, especially not your best people, who will have their pick when it comes to workplaces. The most skilled, most motivated employees aren’t going to settle for anything less than a flexible work environment.
I posted a quick poll here on LinkedIn to check the pulse of my industry (mainly sales and marketing professionals).
48% of people either wanted to stay fully remote or said they’ve always been remote.
An almost equal number of people did want the opportunity to work in the office on occasion, but opted for hybrid over a fully in-person environment.
Only 5% wanted to be in-person full-time. And how many of those people were employers wanting to keep an eye on their underlings?
This result is confirmed by larger studies, like a survey from Envoy that found nearly half of employees would prefer to work some days remotely and some from the office. Among people of color, 59% would prefer a hybrid arrangement.
Remote Work is Here to Stay
Employers who are adapting are thriving. About half of the employers surveyed by PwC said they’re adding permanent options for full-time or hybrid remote work. It’s time to rethink your policies — or lose your best people.
