Flexibility and employee experience go hand in hand and can be key to employee motivation and engagement. If people don’t feel that they have choice or autonomy, that’s when they may start to disengage and contemplate other employment options.
While hybrid work is not without its challenges, it’s fair to say that post-Covid, employees are expecting to retain some of the benefits of greater flexibility. This was reflected in our own WorkReady data, an ongoing survey of our clients that demonstrates the key benefits and challenges that can contribute to choices of where to work. These results reflect our WorkReady data, which surveyed 8,500 clients from 32 organizations across Australia and New Zealand from May 2020 to April 2022.
Reduced time and cost of commuting – 98.1%
Ability to meet personal commitments/work-life balance – 92.2%
Easier access to wellbeing activities - 89.3%
Building social connections and professional networks – 87.5%
Ease of bouncing ideas of others – 86.1%
Face-to-face collaboration is more effective – 76.1%
Workers have become accustomed to a lifestyle where work and life have become more closely integrated, and where many of us are trusted to decide where and how we work from minute to minute and how to best manage our responsibilities. Employers who aren’t offering choice and autonomy are beginning to see their staff reconsider their options, with flexibility now valued by many as more important than remuneration, to the point that it’s become a key lever in attracting top talent.
Feeling socially disconnected from colleagues – 79.9%
Lack of team connection - 77.9%
Difficulty switching off outside of work hours – 72.6%
Unable to concentrate at my desk due to noise and interruptions – 82.7%
No space to rest/recharge/destress - 72.8%
Inability to stay active / exercise during the day – 68.3%
This gives us an understanding of employee sentiment. Successfully balancing these needs with your business plan drivers is the key to competitiveness in the war on talent.
Business direction and objectives from leaders
How employees work now – and how they would ideally like to work
Which aspects of their existing space they could keep, toss, or create to support this
The extent to which their time is, or could be structured
Which unique conditions will create or maintain a high-performance culture
Our strategy discovery sessions are key to this level of understanding. This is where we interview key staff, conduct WorkReady surveys, consider change readiness and space calculations and make detailed recommendations.
When it comes to the desire to return to the office, we’ve found that the most important thing is data gathering – and we can help you with this simple first step. We’ll work with you to develop a detailed understanding of your needs, underpinned by a people-centered philosophy. Learn more about our strategy offering.