Poly today released a new report examining how organizations are responding to employees’ demand for ideal spaces to work from. The new Poly study, Recruit, Retain and Grow, analyzes work policies, culture, and wellness through the lens of over 2,500 global business decision-makers. Post-pandemic attitudes and expectations highlighted in the research show that workers are visiting the office three days per week, with Wednesday being the most popular day.
According to the survey, 23% UAE-based organisations require their employees to work from the office at least three days a week. The report also revealed that 88% of UAE companies believe that employees should be given an opportunity to request flexible working hours from day one. Thirty-five percent of these companies are also seriously considering reimbursing hybrid workers who work from home while 33% are considering offering flexibility to allow its workers to commute outside of rush hours.
“At Poly, we believe that being able to enable a hybrid working environment is not the endgame, but a starting point for the competitive organizations today. Our latest research validates Poly’s point of view,” says John Goodwin, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Poly. “We found that employees are supportive of companies that take a holistic approach to defining their culture, offer flexibility in where and how they work, and are provided with the right tools to succeed.”
Key findings from Poly’s new research include:
• Recruitment and retention are at risk: Over half (56%) of all organizations, and 69% of UAE-based organisations, believe that if they don’t address their hybrid work processes and plans, they’ll start to lose staff and will be unable to attract new talent. This was particularly pronounced in the APAC region (60%), compared to 55% in EMEA and 53% in the Americas. Globally, organizations have already felt the effects of this, with 58% seeing a greater turnover in staff since the start of the pandemic.
Exiting employees disclosed that the top reasons for leaving are tied to their employer’s approach to hybrid work:
- Employees discovered better suited jobs (19% globally vs 26% in UAE)
- Employees did not get the desired flexibility of hybrid working (16% globally)
- Employees were unhappy about the way employers handled COVID (9% globally)
• Strategy and equality are misaligned: More than half (54%) of UAE organizations are fully prepared for hybrid working (as opposed to 48% globally), while 34% are only prepared in the short-term. A further 68% think that hybrid work is a blip. Meanwhile, 24% each of the Americas and APAC employers, and 17% of EMEA employers are demanding that their employees return to the office full-time.
Other prominent perspectives of employers globally are:
- Employees should be given right to request flexible working from day one (80%)
- Employees are being given rules on the number of days they are required to be in the office (84%)
- Employees are in offices sporadically, so downsizing spaces is the next step (22%)
• Culture and workforce wellness shortfall is causing productivity lags: 85% of surveyed companies in the UAE saw an increase in productivity as a result of the shift to hybrid work, with a global average increase of 27%. However, 62%, 61% and 56% of organisations in APAC, EMEA and Americas believe that if employees aren’t in the office, they won’t build the relationships they need to progress their career.
Other key concerns on a global level included:
- Employers worry there is an unhealthy culture of overworking (49%)
- Employers aren’t taking steps to prevent people feeling like they need to be always-on (51%)
- Employers are concerned that remote working has made fostering and retaining work culture harder than ever (74%)
• Equality and Evolution – Key to Recruit, Retain and Grow in the Hybrid Era of Work
According to Poly’s research, technology and experiences are viewed by majority of companies as the face of the company, and not the office space alone (64%). Expanding the quotient of spaces available rather than the definition as to whether the space is virtual, offsite, remote or hybrid, will help employers develop a robust hybrid work strategy.
• Equalize virtual experiences through meeting equality for your workforce
Forward-looking companies are investing in software and devices equally with cloud applications and collaboration software at 92% each, and headsets, cameras, and speakerphones at 89%, 86% and 83%, respectively.
• Equalize office experiences through redesign
83% of UAE-based companies are redesigning their office with more open plan areas, collaboration spaces, quiet zones, and areas to socialize. Ultimately, employees are employers’ business, and employees will be the ones mainly utilizing these spaces.
