'For top talent with multiple job offers where everything else is equal, the role offering flexibility is going to be more tempting' says academic
A recent survey of office workers around the globe revealed a third noted their employers implementing a form of compulsory office attendance.
The study, by JLL, included 20,000 workers and demonstrates that fully remote working is not deemed acceptable by many employers.
Finding the sweetest spot to suit most within an organisation will take collaboration and communication, says an academic, but what’s certain is that flexibility is king when it comes to talent attraction and retention.
“I had a lot of postgraduate students from India recently and many of them had worked in recruitment,” says Helena Cooper Thomas, professor at AUT’s Faculty of Business. “They said if you don't offer hybrid work, you're just not going to attract talent because all the talent wants to work hybrid.
“Although that was India, I think it is a good hypothesis to suggest that for top talent with multiple job offers where everything else is equal, the role offering flexibility is probably going to be more tempting.”
Flexibility impacts talent retention too
This not only counts for talent attraction but retention, says Cooper Thomas, who specialises in organisational behaviour.
“If you offer employees flexibility so that they find it easy to balance other responsibilities, they're not going to necessarily be looking for another job because they know not all organisations provide that.”
This counts for talent across the board, not just Gen Z who’ve been used to remote learning and are tech savvy, she says.
“It's likely to be the case for talent throughout the workforce, and in fact I think the people who will genuinely want it because they know how important flexibility is, will be those with other responsibilities, or who have a really long commute.”
RTO without reason can be demotivating
Organisations expecting employees to attend offices should have valid reasons for doing so, she stresses, and provide adequate spaces for the collaborative way people might want to work if they’ve commuted.
“I think it's important for employees to understand the rationale in the organisation as to why they have to be in,” says Cooper Thomas. “For example, if an employer needs people in the office for data security purposes or to collaborate, they should communicate those reasons. If people think it’s just a case of ‘If you don't see me, you don't believe I'm working’ that's pretty demotivating.”
Senior management should lead by example, she stresses.
“If they are saying people should be at the workplace to collaborate, they need to help that happen and not hide away in their own offices – that would be counterproductive.”
RTO helps productivity of new workers
One key benefit of having a strong return to office policy is in helping those new to an organisation get up to speed and become productive faster than if they were in a 100% remote setting, she says.
“When you've got people who are new, or changing roles, it's really helpful for them to have people around who are very accessible.”
Cooper Thomas adds that to avoid overloading others who might consider this a reason not to return to office, it would be wise to truly value mentoring.
“It could work well to have a formal system where people are evaluated and recognised on the extent to which they're helping new colleagues get up to speed.”
Research on remote working and loneliness
From her own research and that of other scholars on the impact on performance and wellbeing of working remotely during lockdown, Cooper Thomas notes there is significant evidence that people who work solely at home can experience loneliness and isolation.
“For this reason, totally remote working is not necessarily good for people's health,” she says.
To encourage the desire for people to return to the office, employers are adapting workplaces, includes a pet food company that has enabled employees to bring in their dogs, says Coooper Thomas.
“The best way to gauge what people want is to ask them to give feedback and assess the data to try and find positive changes.”
RTO: creating more attractive physical spaces
Making the physical space more attractive is one way of enticing people back to the office, she notes, pointing to research on biophilic work design, in which consideration is given to bringing nature into the workplace.
“An increased amount of nature has been found to reduce stress levels,” says Cooper Thomas. “The lowest level might be having representations of nature, perhaps artificial plants, pictures, or the building might use natural materials, like timber. Then there might be views of nature through the windows or bringing nature inside with plants, a water feature, or an aquarium.
“I don't think everyone should install a plant wall and feel they’ve ticked a box while letting it die slowly. That's not the solution, but bringing a bit of nature into the workplace to make it more pleasant could be a good idea.”
