In February, 43% of Brits were working at home. Pundits were predicting the ‘death of the office’, when businesses, such as Nationwide, said many of their employees could work from home indefinitely. This was the dream for many workers from all sectors – 50% of white-collar workers don’t want to go back to the office post-pandemic and 75% want flexible working. Could it be possible that work from home becomes the norm?
The answer is probably no.
Why? Productivity has skyrocketed, most are less stressed, companies are paying a smaller amount for offices and all the expenses that come with them. Time spent commuting has dropped to seconds. Surely the benefits of keeping everyone working at home are limitless?
In reality, bosses predominantly want their employees back in the office. Goldman Sachs’ CEO called remote working ‘an aberration’ which would soon be corrected. Google has sent an email to all their staff saying they will have to work from the office at least 3 days a week. The demand for office space has significantly increased. The trend appears to be pointing towards the office making a comeback.
BUT… it is impossible to say that this past year hasn’t had a massive influence on people’s mindsets for all the aforementioned reasons. Workers now say they would take an 8% lower pay-package if they can work flexibly in a job.
And what does this mean for your hiring processes?
The upshot of all this turmoil is you can no longer rely on a salary as the only pulling mechanism which attracts candidates to the roles you are recruiting for. Candidates are looking for remote working and flexible arrangements more than ever. People want to fit work around their personal life, social life, and physical and mental health. Flexible job offers have become the key to successful recruitment in 2021.
