Remote working worsens relationships with work colleagues

Wpis dostępny jest także w języku: polski

Nearly 20% of employees admitted that their relationships with company colleagues had deteriorated due to remote working. Only 5% said these relationships had improved, and 75% saw no change or could not identify it. The desire to connect with others attracts us to the office and is an argument in recruitment. Already 61% of employees would be willing to switch to a similar job to their current one if the new employer offered a hybrid working model, i.e. partly from the office and partly from home, according to the survey by Grafton Recruitment and CBRE.

– Working in an office, many people dreamed of a home office, and now having worked remotely for nearly a year, we miss the office. Not surprisingly, most workers are convinced that the most optimal working model is a hybrid. By being in the office part of the week, we break away from home and have the chance to spend time with our work friends. On the other hand, working from home, we save time on the commute, which we can spend with our loved ones – says Mikolaj Sznajder, director of the office space department at CBRE.

Only 25% of those surveyed want to work completely remotely, every tenth respondent is in favour of working only in the office, and almost 65% would like to work from the office but with the possibility of remote work for 2-3 days a week. One of the key arguments cited by employees for working entirely from the office is a shorter commute, employer funding of the commute and provision of parking space. However, flexible working hours are equally important.

Hybrid model an argument when changing jobs

“We offer a hybrid working model” – there are many indications that this type of incentive in a job advertisement will become something commonplace. In a survey by Grafton Recruitment and CBRE, 61% of employees indicate that they would be willing to change jobs if a new employer offered a model of working partly from home and partly from the office.

– Current job candidates assume that since there is a pandemic, remote working is a given. They want to work like this all the time or they want to decide for themselves how many days they work remotely. For the candidate, remote working is a sign of flexibility and employer concern. This trend will strengthen, although probably the expectation of remote work for more than 3 days a week will be rare – says Joanna Wanatowicz, Business Director, Grafton Recruitment.

Methodology: The survey was conducted on a sample of N=299 people. These were candidates who participated in Grafton Recruitment in 2020. Of those interviewed, 53% were female and 47% were male. 65% of those interviewed were professionals and 14% were managers. The survey was conducted from 2-7 December 2020.