NEW YORK, April 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
leading people management platform Hibob unveils the results
of its latest workplace study, showing a majority of U.S. workers'
job satisfaction is back to pre-pandemic levels. With ongoing
remote work, the allowance of flexible work schedules, the ability
to be autonomously productive, and time saved without a commute are
contributing and shaping the next normal where a hybrid working
model leads the way. The study also showed that with strong job
satisfaction while remote, the rollout of the vaccine will not
prompt employees to run back to the office five days a week. Some
even say an obligation to return to a physical workspace would push
them to look for a new job.
"There's been so much emphasis on the vaccine and a 'return to
normalcy' that is supposed to restore happiness and business as
usual. Many companies are failing to see the tremendous benefit
that working from home has provided its people - flexibility,
work/life balance, adjusted hours, and more time with family.
Employees have established a strong rhythm with this structure, and
it's going to be really hard to shock people back into the
workplace 5 days a week just because they are vaccinated,"
says Hibob CEO Ronni Zehavi. "Not
only has the virtual workplace changed, but the physical workplace
will be taking on a new form as we ease back into socializing with
others. We should not take a step backwards but instead, companies
must create flexible, hybrid workplaces to keep their employees
happy and engaged."
Job Satisfaction Is Tied to Flexible Work Models
Hibob's study found that job satisfaction is back up to
pre-pandemic levels as people have adjusted to the benefits of
working from home.
- When surveyed about overall job satisfaction, 62% of individual
contributors, 66% of middle managers, and 79% of senior managers
answered they were presently highly satisfied with their jobs.
Similarly pre-pandemic, 68% of individual contributors, 68% of
middle managers and 80% of senior managers reported being highly
satisfied with their jobs.
- Only 10% of employees surveyed want to return to the office
full time, showing that flexibility to work from anywhere is
key.
- 73% of managers said two or three days in the office and the
rest working from home would be the preferred hybrid work model,
while 54% of individual contributors preferred either a flexible
2-3 days a week or an "at-will" hybrid model.
Additionally, data reveals parents and working females preferred
working from home at higher rates, as it allows for more time with
family and flexibility with childcare.
- Women are enjoying working from home more than men; 65% of
respondents who preferred a permanent five-day work from home model
were female.
- The survey found that 35% of senior managers enjoyed
"flexibility with family time" as the best benefit to working from
home, compared to 42% of individual contributors who felt that
eliminating the commute was the biggest benefit.
- Of parents with children under the age of 18, 84% found that
benefits of a hybrid/remote work module outweighed the cons.
- A forced return to work is a controversial idea, especially for
working parents; employees with children are twice as likely to
quit and look for a new opportunity if forced to return to an
office full-time as those without children.
With a shift towards hybrid work, the office purpose has also
changed -- it's evolving from an everyday work space to a place
designated for socialization, collaboration, and company culture.
Companies implementing hybrid models may use in-office time more
for meetings, get-togethers, and onboarding, and less for
individual work and clocking in and out. However, how it's viewed
now differs for employees based on their roles.
- Nearly one-third of individual contributors (30%) ranked
socialization as the most important purpose of the office.
- Managers felt that collaboration is the most important purpose
of the physical office with 37% of senior managers and 36% of
middle managers feeling this way.
Why Vaccines Might Not Be The Workplace Panacea
Data proves that flexibility is key to employee success. Even
with vaccines helping mitigate safety concerns, they are not a
reason for pushing fully in-person work 5 days a week given the
proven success of hybrid.
- Those in senior positions skewed more towards advocating for
the vaccine and returning to the office. In fact, half of senior
managers prefer to require all team members to get the vaccine
before coming back to the office, whereas only 26% of individual
contributors and middle managers feel this way.
- More than half of individual contributors (58%) stated that
they expect their company not to take any stance on people getting
vaccinated.
- In general, more men felt strongly that companies should
require all employees to get vaccinated.
Vaccination expectations and protocol are going to be difficult
to streamline and implement in a way that appeals to all employees
Everyone has a different view on what should and shouldn't be
allowed, and it's clear that a mandate won't placate employee
concerns and offer the best solution for work/life balance and job
satisfaction.
"Hibob's study proves again what we've already known -
flexibility leads to productivity and employee happiness. While it
may have taken a few months to adjust, the past year has shown that
a combination of in-person and remote work has a broad appeal to
employees of all job levels, genders, and parental standings.
Companies need to realize that the next normal is here, and make
sure their policies put people first and help them perform at their
best," adds Zehavi.
The national survey was conducted online by Pollfish on behalf
of Hibob on February 25, 2020. It
includes responses from 1,000 full-time employees ages 25 and up in
the United States.
More information about the findings can be found at
http://hibob.com/guides/hybrid-work-drives-employee-happiness
About Hibob
Hibob was founded to modernize HR tech.
Hibob's intuitive and data-driven platform, bob, was built for the
way people work today: globally, remotely, and collaboratively.
Since its launch in late 2015, Hibob has achieved consecutive
triple-digit year-over-year revenue growth, and become the HRIS of
choice for more than 1,000 modern, midsize and multinational
companies who understand that a powerful, agile HR tech suite is
mission critical and a key driver of organizational success.
Fast-growing companies across the globe such as Monzo, Happy Socks,
Gong, Fiverr, and VaynerMedia rely upon bob to help HR and managers
connect, engage, develop and retain top talent. Learn more at
www.hibob.com
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SOURCE Hibob