71% of employees say hybrid working suits their personality – (c) iStock
Most employees crave consistency between remote and office work, according to a new study.
The Hybrid Performance Review reveals that 63 percent of employees are resisting the return to the office and offers guidance to employers to accommodate preferred work styles.
The study by voice and video conferencing firm Poly surveyed 5,000 employees and employers in the US to uncover how workspaces, technology, and personality traits affect performance, and how employers are responding.
The research shows that worker personality traits matter in the return to office transition.
- Both introverted and extroverted employees favour hybrid or remote work over working full time in an office;
- Both introverted and extroverted employees say hybrid working has a positive impact on how they work, with introverts claiming the greatest benefits; and
- Employees who consider themselves more introverted (48%) are almost twice as likely as extroverts (25%) to say hybrid or remote work is better suited to them compared to working in the office.
Productivity boost
A greater number of introverted workers feel their productivity has increased since the pandemic (64%), compared to extroverted workers (51%). This can be attributed to a better work-life balance (38%), and remote work increasing their confidence (35%).
For introverted workers seeking a new role, 77% stated their employer wants them to be in the office more than they want to be. Employees who consider themselves extroverted are more likely to say hybrid or remote work is better suited to them than working full time in the office (41% vs 30%).
Creating a seamless experience for all employees
The research showed that 72% of workers agree that their employers can be doing more to create a uniform experience between those in the office and those working remotely.
Technology, such as out-of-date or clunky video conferencing technology in the office (17%), and faulty headsets/poor audio (16%), causes frustrations.
The lack of adequate equipment or retrofitting office space leads to 28% of workers and 35% of business leaders saying their organisation has created an equitable experience for remote and in-office workers.
The inequality among remote and in-office workers is evidenced by fewer than two in five (36%) employers saying their company has provided adequate technology to connect when working remotely. Only 35% have created new collaboration spaces with video conferencing equipment to bring equality to meetings.
Business leaders’ perspective
Business leaders also confess they can do more to support hybrid work. Those who regarded their technology provision as excellent include:
- 45% for supporting hybrid workers with technology;
- 45% for wellbeing services;
- 44% for inclusion initiatives; and
- 42% for collaboration.
The research also found that the majority (65%) of employers are pushing for a return to the office despite the benefits workers cite in remote and hybrid working.
- 71% of employees say working from home suits their personality type better;
- 71% of employees say working from home has positively impacted their performance; and
- 41% of employees say their work equipment is better at home than in the office (35%).
Despite these benefits, over half (57%) of workers agree they have felt pressure from their manager or company to return to the office.
