Returning Workers Don’t Feel Connected at Work
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CEOs are adamant about getting employees back to work and claim that being physically together improves connectivity. This isn't the case, as it turns out.
The disconnection at work
According to a report released yesterday by consulting firm Accenture, only one in six workers feel strongly linked at work, with onsite staff feeling the least connected of all.
Fully remote workers report feeling "not connected" at 22%, whereas office workers report feeling "not connected" at nearly double the rate.
The findings contradict some of the primary rationale stated by executives like Ken Griffin of Citadel to encourage their staff to return to work.
While onsite meetings may promote creativity and invention, commuting is still costly and challenging, especially for working parents who cannot locate reliable and inexpensive child care.
According to the survey, one could believe that bringing everyone back to work onsite will restore human connection, but it is not that easy.
Many WFH workers resist returning to the office
With the tightest labour market in years, many individuals who have successfully worked remotely for more than two years are resisting a return to the workplace in its entirety. Apple employees have revolted, claiming that they are equally as productive and happy at home.
According to Ellyn Shook, Accenture's chief leadership and human resources officer, one of the reasons so many employees, particularly those who work full-time, are disengaged is that they feel disregarded by top management.
Shook said that people want choice and that dialling up listening and acting on what one hears can truly address that.
Companies are revising their return-to-office plans
After two turbulent years of the pandemic's twists and turns and a broad examination of work culture, some employers are revising their return-to-work plans entirely.
Credit Suisse Group CEO Thomas Gottstein believes banks will not return to full-time office work, while Airbnb said last month that its workers would be free to work from anywhere indefinitely.
Employee disconnection can hinder productivity and retention, as well as have actual financial ramifications for firms.
The study, which polled 1,100 C-level executives including 5,000 workers of various skill levels around the world in the middle of last year, discovered that organisations with high levels of employee connection have an extra 7.4% revenue increase per year.
According to Shook, many bosses grossly overestimate how connected their workers feel. She went on to say that any business leader who believes this isn't affecting their company is incorrect.
Source: FMT