Survey shows top strategies being used by HR to entice people back, reduce turnover
HR executives are struggling to bring back staff to the office, according to a new report, as CEOs continue pushing an on-site return that HR leaders said risks losing talent.
A survey among 185 HR executives from The Conference Board found that 73% are finding it difficult to encourage employees to return to workplaces.
According to the report, 56% of workers are still working remotely at least part of the time. Another 76% said professional and office workers remain under a hybrid or remote schedule.
The findings indicate that the pushback from employees regarding on-site return remains strong.
CEOs who have been pushing for office returns have been growing frustrated with this resistance, with one Sydney-based CEO even calling those who refuse to come back as "selfish."
Office return challenges retention
But forcing employees to return only puts retention at risk, according to the report, which revealed that 71% of organisations mandating on-site work reported difficulty retaining talent.
Voluntary turnover among fully on-site workers also increased 26% in the last six months, twice the rate among fully remote employees at 13%.
The situation may likely stem from flexibility becoming a "necessity" for many employees following the pandemic. In fact, research as early as 2021 revealed that 51.5% of employees left their employers because they refuse to return to workplaces.
What can HR do?
To balance organisational and workforce demands on where to work, the report found that 68% of HR leaders are considering or implementing talent strategies to increase on-site work. These strategies include:
- Team building and celebratory events (62%)
- Flexible days or hours (59%)
- Relaxed casual dress code (56%)
Robin Erickson, PhD, Vice President of Human Capital, The Conference Board, said hybrid work is "likely the solution" to this dilemma.
"These survey results make clear, offering hybrid work is a critical tool in the toolkit for attracting and retaining workers, especially amid a strong labour market that continues to defy expectations," Erickson said in a statement.
Previous research has also encouraged employers to ensure that their office return strategies would make coming back "commute-worthy."
"Companies are offering more perks and increasing compensation to entice workers back to the office. But they need to make coming to the office more purposeful and 'commute-worthy," said Jeanne Meister, Executive VP, Executive Networks.
