Are they better off as remote workers? Find out in latest study
Recent research has revealed that only one in six people feel strongly connected at work, with on-site employees the least connected of all. The study, headed by global firm Accenture, further reinforced the resistance of workers who are not so eager to return to their offices.
“CEOs hellbent on getting workers back in the office say that being physically together boosts connectivity. [It] turns out that’s not the case,” The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported.
The Accenture study is currently standing at the crossfire between executives and their employees, noting that while top bosses promote going back to the office as an endeavor that “boosts creativity and innovation,” the reality for employees paints an entirely different picture.
“Commuting is still expensive and can be fraught with challenges, especially for working parents struggling to find reliable and affordable child care,” the SMH reported.
“One might think a quick fix is simply to bring everyone back to work on-site and human connection will happen,” the Accenture study said. “It’s not that simple,” it added.
“Part of the reason so many workers, especially those who are in the office full-time, are so disconnected is because they feel ignored by senior management,” Accenture’s chief leadership and HR officer Ellyn Shook said.
“People want choice. I really believe that dialing up listening and acting on what you hear can really address that,” Shook added.
SMH also reported that employees’ feelings of disconnection could “hurt productivity and retention and hold real consequences for businesses’ bottom line.”
“Many executives greatly overestimate how connected their employees feel,” Shook said. “If a business leader thinks this isn’t impacting their organisation, they’re mistaken,” she added.
Additionally, the Accenture study found that companies in which people feel “highly connected stand to gain an extra 7.4 per cent in revenue growth each year.” The said findings are reportedly the result of surveying 1,100 C-level executives and 5,000 workers across skill levels around the world in mid-2021.
