ROSELAND, N.J., Aug. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19
pandemic turned the workplace upside down, forcing 35% of the U.S.
workforce to become temporarily remote1, nearly
triple2 (13%) the percentage of workers who reported
working remotely prior to the pandemic. More than a year later,
companies face important decisions on when and how to address work
locations as they continue to navigate the challenges of a
pandemic. As companies evaluate their next steps, ADP Research
Institute's latest study offers employers insights into where and
how employees felt they worked best, along with the opportunities
and challenges that come with on-site work and remote work in,
"On-site, Remote or Hybrid: Employee Sentiment On The Workplace."
The study reveals that employees working on-site enjoy crucial
advantages over their remote counterparts, particularly in terms of
perceived amount of social interaction, work boundaries and career
opportunities, yet, the experience of remote working reveals its
own set of advantages according to employees. However, it was
hybrid workers that prevailed, specifically citing stronger
connections and a more positive outlook compared to exclusively
on-site workers and remote workers.
ADP Research Institute surveyed more than 9,000 full-time U.S.
workers who work on a team and have not switched employers during
the COVID-19 pandemic. The report compares the experience of U.S.
employees who either worked remotely or on-site at workplace
locations during the pandemic and details the comparison of
experiences with unique insight into the benefits and challenges of
each work arrangement, and how those experiences vary by
industry.
"While the pandemic quickly forced many changes in the world of
work, employers now have an opportunity to reflect on lessons
learned over the past year, and utilize them to identify the right
approach that will meet the specific needs of their business and
their employees especially as they continue to navigate the ongoing
impact of the pandemic," said Nela
Richardson, chief economist, ADP. "For our latest study, we
set out to understand employees' perspectives of on-site, remote
and hybrid work so employers can decide how to move forward. Though
there are perceived opportunities and challenges for both remote
work and on-site work, the strongest findings reveal the answer
lies somewhere in the middle, with a hybrid arrangement."
On-site, Remote or Hybrid: Employee Sentiment On The
Workplace
The following are key takeaways from the report, including
actionable insights that can be derived from the study:
- Returning to on-site work may mean a more social work life
with better work boundaries
-
- Significantly more on-site workers (70%) say they have a strong
feeling of connection with their teammates compared to remote
workers (64%). On-site workers also report benefiting from the
quality of communication that takes place in person. Women and
workers in professional and business services, health care and
education stand to gain the most in spontaneous conversations when
transitioning from remote to on-site work.
- On-site workers say they spend less of their time on
work-related communication and meetings (on average, accounting for
15% of the typical workday) than remote workers (on average, 25% of
the typical workday). This difference exists across sectors, for
Professional Services and Information workers as well as for those
working in Manufacturing and Trade.
- On-site workers report a shorter workday, on average one hour
less, with a cleaner break between work and home. This may come as
a welcomed benefit, especially among remote working parents who
reported longer days (two in five) compared to on-site working
parents (one in four or one in five).
- U.S. workers indicate they are just as attracted to cities and
suburbs as before the pandemic, concluding that perceptions of
urban and suburban areas as ideal places to live have not changed
significantly since the onset of the pandemic.
Factors organizations can consider as they determine work
arrangements include:
-
- The promise of social experience, more spontaneous
conversations and a deeper connection with teammates and other
colleagues.
- Returning to a "traditional" workday offers cleaner breaks
between work and home
- Companies located in urban or suburban areas should still be a
draw for talent, even among remote workers.
- Working on-site sets employees up for job success and
professional growth – whether real or perceived
-
- 57% of employees (non-managers) think their managers prefer
on-site employees over remote workers. Similarly, managers
themselves (59%) report they actually do prefer on-site
employees.
- While this manager preference is visible across sectors
including those where remote working is less possible, the greatest
disconnect appears in sectors that can work remotely, such as in
Information with employees (non-managers) citing location doesn't
matter (35%), whereas managers firmly believe it does (50%).
Factors organizations can consider as they determine work
arrangements include:
-
- Ability for employees to be seen and feel they are being
noticed by managers when it comes to opportunities for advancement
and promotions.
- Employees working remotely report a stronger team dynamic
and more opportunity for innovation
-
- While returning to on-site may bring stronger personal
connections, remote workers reported their teams possess a
collective energy that transcends physical separation. Remote
employees are more likely to say their team is "collaborative" (62%
remote workers compared to 47% of on-site workers) and "supportive"
(66% remote workers versus 59% of on-site workers), less likely to
describe their team as "gossipy" (9% of remote workers versus 20%
of on-site workers) and "cliquish" (7% remote workers versus 10% of
on-site workers), which make team dynamics less collaborative and
supportive.
- Additionally, those who worked remotely are more likely to
report innovation is encouraged compared to on-site workers, a
finding that may be counterintuitive to the traditional perception
that innovation is linked to face-to-face interaction. While the
Information sector is the exception to this gap, with 78% of
on-site workers reporting that innovation is encouraged compared to
72% of workers working remotely, in the range of other sectors, a
culture of innovation is present more for remote workers than
on-site workers.
Factors organizations can consider as they determine work
arrangements include:
-
- A concentrated effort to foster a more collective team dynamic
that transcends preferential connections may promote stronger
personal connections.
- For workers in sectors that report innovation is encouraged
while remote, returning to the office may mean less ability to
think creatively than they had working at home during the
pandemic.
- "Hybrid" working may help ease the transition from the
pandemic work environment
-
- Hybrid workers report stronger connections with their teammates
and colleagues (79%) – even more than on-site workers (70%). The
connections are the strongest among parents of children under
18-years-old who are working in a hybrid arrangement (83%).
- Hybrid employees have the most positive outlook on their
managers compared to on-site and remote workers, with manager
attention and perception of career opportunities reported the
strongest among hybrid employees compared to on-site and remote
workers [72% of hybrid workers likely to report they receive
constructive feedback compared on-site workers (57%) or remote
workers (64%)].
Factors organizations can consider as they determine work
arrangements include:
- More flexibility in work location and not seeing colleagues
daily may drive workers to maximize their time together when they
do see colleagues to have those spontaneous conversations and
stronger connections.
- A hybrid environment can offer the opportunity for employees
and organizations to experience the key upsides of on-site and
remote work arrangements.
"As organizations carefully plan their next steps with the
safety of their employees in mind, there is an opportunity for
companies to weave these perks and preferences into their approach
to create the most ideal scenario for employees and the
organization," said Richardson.
For a more detailed look and to download ADP Research
Institute's report, "On-site, Remote or Hybrid: Employee Sentiment
On The Workplace," visit ADPRI.org.
About the ADP Research Institute
The
mission of the ADP Research Institute is to generate data-driven
discoveries about the world of work, and to derive reliable
economic indicators from these insights. We offer these findings to
the world at large as our unique contribution to making the world
of work better and more productive, and to bring greater awareness
to the economy at large.
About ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)
Designing better ways to work
through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional
experiences that enable people to reach their full
potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll.
Informed by data and designed for people. Learn more
at ADP.com.
ADP, the ADP logo, Always Designing for People and ADP Research
Institute are trademarks of ADP, Inc.
Copyright © 2021 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved.
1 BLS (2020), "Supplemental data measuring the
effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor
market",
https://www.bls.gov/cps/effects-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic.htm#data
2 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2020), "Ability
to work from home: evidence from two surveys and implications for
the labor market in the COVID-19 pandemic", Monthly Labor Review,
June 2020,
https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2020/article/ability-to-work-from-home.htm#_ednref6
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SOURCE ADP, Inc.