The vast majority of employees expect working from home to remain a permanent part of the business community even after the Coronavirus pandemic. This is evident from a Citrix survey among European office workers.
Research firm OnePoll is commissioned by Citrix Investigation Conducted with 3750 European office workers in UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands. It appears that more than half of companies expect to find it difficult to attract and retain professional talent if they do not provide flexibility and remote work opportunities. Of the respondents, 41 percent said they would only accept a position where working remotely is an option. Even 44% say the government should encourage flexible work.
The positive effect of the corona epidemic
The corona epidemic appears to be a positive effect on employees, not a negative one. According to Citrix, only 21 percent of employees believe that the Corona pandemic has had a negative impact on their careers, while 30 percent believe it has had a positive impact in terms of time management, flexibility and work performance.
Many respondents (38 percent) also say that the Corona pandemic has been positive for their private lives. Several reasons were mentioned for this, such as not having to move anymore, which gives more time to spend with family, pursue hobbies or play sports.
After a pandemic, nearly a third of respondents prefer a hybrid solution. An employee can work partly in the office and partly at home. Only 16 percent of employees said they would rather work in the office every day again.
Firms’ fear that employees will work less when they are away from the office turns out to be unfounded. Nearly 80 percent say they work at least as long as they work in the office, and 44 percent say they work longer days.
Also negative effects
However, there are also downsides to working from home. For example, 31% say the past year has had a negative impact on their mental health. 87% believe that a company culture that promotes the mental and physical well-being of employees is important.
“Despite all the challenges the pandemic presents, Dutch employees continue to see improvement in their personal lives and careers as a result of working from home,” said Peter Van List, Benelux Regional Director at Citrix. “If people can find enough bright spots even under In these difficult circumstances, we can continue to change the business world after the pandemic. In this way, we create a new generation of happier employees who stay in organizations for longer because they can work in the way that suits them better.
In 2020, organizations are focused on survival, not growth. In 2021, they must look beyond daily work and save time and resources to look to the future. They should be able to position their organization well in the post-coronavirus era and embrace mixed business models where employees feel supported by the employer. A good company culture is essential to attract and retain professional talent. It is better for organizations to place company culture at the top of their list of priorities in order for them to become and remain a guide to the future. ”
Hint: Most companies are not prepared for future IT requirements.
