An IoD survey of around 600 business leaders has shown that over
60% of organisations plan to adopt hybrid working even after
restrictions ease.
The research finds that 63% of business leaders intend to shift
towards one to four days of remote working per week. One in five
are not planning to introduce any form of remote working, while
just around one in ten are now looking to work from home
entirely.
The Institute also found that business leaders were split on
whether working from home was more or less productive. Around
four in ten said remote working was more productive, while a
slightly smaller 37% felt it was less productive for their work.
The mixed response suggests that the hybrid working model is
likely to provide the optimum balance for business leaders as the
economy reopens,although many employers are yet to determine how
this will work in practice.
Joe Fitzsimons, Senior Policy Advisor commented:
“As the economy reopens, business leaders are grappling with the
best working models going forward.
“The flexibility of remote working has improved work-life balance
for employees and cut-down commuting expenses. In many cases it
has also boosted inclusivity and hiring from different parts of
the country.
“Despite the advantages, remote working has not been without its
challenges. For business leaders, running a tight ship has not
been easy without workforces in the same physical space. This is
not helped by unreliable internet connections. Employee morale
has also been affected with the loss of office camaraderie, and
adjusting to new roles has been difficult for new staff.
“For organisations that require a lot of customer interaction,
remote working is less suitable. However, many firms are also
looking to cut-back on office sizes, amp up home working, and
make more use of coworking spaces. With varied preferences and
different business models, directors are working closely with
employees to find the most productive working arrangement.
“After a year of mixed experiences with remote working, it seems
many business leaders are taking a hybrid stance into the
future.”
Full Survey Results – 583 respondents*, conducted between
11th - 29th of March
*Excluding businesses that have always worked from
home
Which of the following most closely describes your organisation's
expected average use of the 'workplace' in the long-term?
'Workplace' can refer to offices, factories and workspaces other
than home-working.
|
No remote working
|
19%
|
|
1 day per week remote working
|
11%
|
|
2 days per week remote working
|
24%
|
|
3 days per week remote working
|
20%
|
|
4 days per week remote working
|
8%
|
|
Fully remote working
|
11%
|
|
Don’t know
|
6%
|
On balance, do you find remote working more or less productive
for your own work?
|
Significantly more productive
|
11%
|
|
Slightly more productive
|
29%
|
|
No change
|
20%
|
|
Slightly less productive
|
27%
|
|
Significantly less productive
|
10%
|
|
Remote working is not suitable for my work
|
4%
|
