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More than four years since the onset of widespread work-from-home measures during the pandemic, employees' sentiments toward remote-work schedules appear to be changing — and in a good way for the many employers looking to get workers back to the office more regularly.
New data from Resume Builder indicates 40% of full-time employees prefer working fully in-person, while 32% favor a hybrid-work model.
That means more than 7 in 10 workers of the 1,250 full-time employees surveyed don't prefer full-time remote work.
The shifting feelings for employees come as CEO sentiments on the return are also evolving, with an increasing percentage of top executives anticipating a full-scale return to the office in the coming years.
The dynamic is likely to give employers additional leverage when it comes to flexible work arrangements and could accelerate moves away from hybrid arrangements.
“While the desire for some in-office presence remains prevalent, the extent of this preference remains subject to flux,” said Resume Builder Chief Career Adviser Stacie Haller in a statement with the survey's results. “It’s clear that a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer tenable in today’s diverse workforce landscape."
Haller said the specific configurations of in-office, fully remote and hybrid work remain a matter of negotiation and adaptation.
Among the group of workers who cited a preference for hybrid work, 41% said they wanted to work in-person three days per week. Only 19% said they wanted one day per week or less in the office.
The shifting sentiments mark a notable turnaround from a survey Resume Builder survey from last year, which indicated employees who worked fully in-office were struggling the most with stress and were the least happy in their current jobs. Remote workers and hybrid workers, meanwhile, reported better mental health, work-life balance and happiness with their jobs.
The more-recent Resume Builder survey identified social interactions, faster communication, easier collaboration, and a clear separation between work and home life as reasons that people prefer in-person work.
People who want to work remotely cited a flexible schedule, lack of commute and improved work-life balance as top reasons for their choice.
Recruiters, attorneys and others have regularly told The Playbook that it's critical for companies to seek feedback from employees and consider the "why" when assessing their flexible work strategies.
Taking those steps can help preserve morale and avoid the frustrations some companies have encountered with strict full-return mandates.
We also recently highlighted some perks that can win over workers during the return.
