The global pandemic had an ever-lasting impact on the job sector. Offices were closed, and working from home was the talk of the town. Sadly, those days of snoozing alarms and waking up to Zoom meetings are over because organizations are turning their boards to “OPEN” now.
But why is it happening? Why do companies want employees back in the office? Is it because of the lethargy employees show in a WFH culture, or is the reason something else? Recently, a lot of recognized industries have nudged.
It has subsequently created a push for employees, urging them to return back to offices. However, there are various other changes, too. So it’s time for you to be all ears if your office has summoned you back!
Downsizing Strategy Of Companies To Bring Back The Workforce
One of the major things we need to understand here is that this change won’t come easy. It’s not about one person; an entire workforce has become habituated to working in a particular environment, and now companies want them to return.
However, organizations have been trying several strategies to get their employees to return to their offices. One of them is the infamous downsizing strategy. Let’s learn more about it.
Downsizing refers to the permanent reduction of the labor force in a company by eliminating unproductive divisions or workers. Although it is a very common practice in organizations, it has proven to be a result of failing businesses and financial downturns. This can be one of the reasons why organizations want their employees back in the office.
Case Studies Of Companies Implementing Return-To-Office Orders
TCS: Tata Consultancy Services has mandated their employees to work from the office, and some of these branches are promoting a hybrid culture. Employees failing to attend office at least thrice in a week might have to deal with repercussions. The multinational company takes this decision with enhanced collaboration and increased productivity in mind.
Infosys: Infosys is second on the list, and it has also opened its doors to employees. It would be difficult to point to a single date because different offices in different cities and locations made work-from-office compulsory on different dates. However, employees at Infosys have to work from the office for at least ten days a month.
Google: Google also checks its employees’ attendance because the company is not completely WFO. The multinational industry has implemented a co-working space policy where employees have to be present in the office for three days a week. Their attendance is monitored, and any non-compliance will be strictly dealt with.
Work-From-Office Promotes Collaboration and Teamwork
In the Economic Forum Annual Meeting arranged globally in January 2023, JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon had a good talk about work from the office and collaboration. He said working from home is not for young kids or management or spontaneity. He added that some jobs like coding and researching are remotely possible, but not all of them.
Both management and spontaneity are more efficient and active in the office- there has been enough proof of that. However, WFO also provides some other benefits, like teamwork and heightened collaboration. Here are some statistics that support the reason:
- 16% of the workforce are of the opinion that their leaders always drift away from the roadblocks of their accomplishments.
- 20% of the corporate workforce say that their leader actively participates in their growth and provides unique opportunities that help in their personal development.
- Only 14% of senior managers agree that their team members have a good rapport and can comfortably disagree on opinions.
- Employees working from the office are 25% more productive than those working remotely.
WFO offers a sense of belonging and community. Employees can find themselves fitting into a particular work environment where they can share ideas and work in collaboration. This not only fosters individual growth but also pushes people to work in diversified environments.
So, Why Do Companies Want Employees Back In The Office?
Coming back to the question, why do companies want to bring their workers back to the office? With the increase of remote jobs during the pandemic, employers were eventually worrying about teamwork and productivity. As an employer, do you trust your employees and their productivity while working from home?
As things have begun settling now, we have enough proof that hybrid and remote operations actually pay off. Stanford Institute for Economic Research conducted a study that reveals that remote workers are productive, and it depends from person to person. However, remote employees only have 10-20% more productivity than WFOs.
The hybrid work model happens to bring some modest changes when it comes to productivity. Employees settling for a hybrid setting get enough time for themselves since two or three days of a week experience less commute. They are highly productive when they come to the office after a 2-3 day break.
The reason why most employers are shutting down work-from-home alternatives is because of less productivity. Deadlines are pushed, jobs are not completed on time, and ultimately, employers are not satisfied with the performance of their workforce. This is the primary reason why most business owners are willing to begin work from the office.
Are Employees Willing To Go Back To Offices?
This is an interesting part because I have talked about the employer’s side. But this is when we get to know the employees’ point of view. Prior to the pandemic, an employee had to spend at least 27.6 minutes in the U.S., which was quite frustrating for workers.
Nobody wants to be stuck in traffic and crammed into public transport just to do the job that can be easily done at home. This is a major reason why employees mostly prefer to work from home. Not only are they saving time on transportation, but they also have an added advantage for their mental well-being.
Another side of the story is working from home puts your pocket under some relief. Apart from commuting fare, a person has to spend some money on food and luxuries, too. However, when someone is working remotely, they can easily save that money, too.
In several economically developing countries where every bit counts, employees are determined for stringent savings. If there could be one simple answer to the above question, it would be safe to say that employees are not too happy about commuting daily to offices!
Does Working From Office Have An Impact On The Work Culture?
In an office environment, culture is considered a soft variable. CEOs largely comprehend that corporate culture is crucial for great performance. A robust culture denotes that the workforce is more engaging as well as productive. Sarah Jensen Clayton, who is a global leader, says we have been witnessing an evolution from culture.
Case Studies To Support The Information…
A Korn Ferry Survey conducted in 2022 pointed out that 15,000 executives around the world value their respective industries. Another study found that businesses with a strong culture generate 10% greater revenue than others.
When Amazon employees were called by their CEO, Jassy, he said it was quite easy to learn about our culture and adapt to it. Although not all employees at Amazon believe it, most of them think that working from the office certainly improves the culture.
Career Development and Other Associated Benefits…
Another rallying factor for directors is their faith in employees. A larger portion of their overall workforce consists of younger staff who are looking forward to growing their skills. Personal career growth is possible when employees are getting on-the-job training with their seniors.
In the shorter term, working from home can be a real challenge for motivated employees because they will be habituated to an easy environment. But that’s not how corporate cultures work. In order to learn personal development skills, an employee must work in multiple environments and gain experience.
Statistics Related To Career Development…
Arvind Krishna, the CEO of IBM, recently spoke to Bloomberg and shared how 80% of their overall workforce is operating remotely. However, some remote arrangements are perfectly suited for particular contributor roles like customer service reps and software programmers.
Moving from one role to another in a WFH setting is less likely to be productive because employees are not monitored by anyone. Hence, it would become difficult for the organization to keep a tab on their personal career development. Young employees mostly need in-person interactions to propel their careers.
Concluding Words
Whether or not companies are truely making an effort to bring back their employees, it is important to have a wider perspective here. Certain job designations are suited for working from home perfectly, and no extra thought has to be given to that.
The remaining others are subject to discussion on the employer’s side. But one thing is for sure: WFO has its own share of benefits. That being said, this discussion comes to a halt. Let me know what you think of the entire debate because it is quite trendy these days. Keep following us for more informative content.
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