Correct hybrid work ratio determines employee retention

Fully adopting the hybrid work model is a tricky job. The appropriate ratio for remote work and in-office days can only be determined by actual experience and experimentation. 

An interesting read from Inc.com discussed a survey done by Clockwise, a smart scheduling software company. The findings of the survey provides useful insight as far as remote-onsite proportions are concerned. 

According to Clockwise, their study which surveyed 1,043 knowledge workers, revealed that employees who spend one to two days a week working in the office, and the rest of the time working remotely, seem to be most engaged with their jobs and least likely to quit. 

The survey respondents were asked to rate their workplaces on a scale from “very sustainable” to “very unsustainable.” While most people associate the term sustainable with environmental concerns, it’s a good way to look at workplaces too, says Anna Kornick, head of community at Clockwise and a time management coach. “We need to have new ways of describing the way work feels now,” she says. 

The study’s findings suggest that “sustainability” does not only pertain to environmental implications but include work culture as well. A sustainable workplace harnesses growth and innovation. And 71 percent of employees say that this affects how engaged they are with their jobs.

Workplaces’ sustainability plays a significant role in employee retention. Only 51 percent of respondents who said their workplace was very unsustainable said they were likely to still be there a year from now, compared with 93 percent of those who rated their workplace as very sustainable. 

What is a sustainable workplace, then?

One to two days in the office

The survey revealed that while employees are seeking full-time remote work, 83 percent of employees who spend one to two days in the office see their workplace as sustainable. That’s compared with about 67 percent of those who work in the office full-time, and about 77 percent of those who work in the office three to four days a week. Even those working at home full-time were slightly less likely to be satisfied with their jobs, with only about 81 percent calling their workplaces sustainable.

“We found in conversations with respondents that a sense of belonging is really important to feeling that your workplace is sustainable. When you’re in the office one to two days a week, you have that face-to-face interaction.” Kornick says.

In the same way, employees also appreciate being able to work from home, and they’re more productive working remotely as well, she says. “So I think it gives people a great balance of feeling connected to something larger and still having that flexibility and autonomy.” 

Hierarchy

Based on the further down the ladder you go, the more employees find the workplace unsustainable. That includes 11 percent of middle managers, 19 percent of junior managers, and a significant 22 percent of non-management employees. 

Work-life balance

The next best thing to not being a boss is working for one who cares about work-life balance. More than 74 percent of respondents who believed their workplace was sustainable agreed with the statement, “My manager does a good job encouraging me to balance my work life with my home life.” Fifty-one percent of those who defined their workplace as unsustainable disagreed with that statement.

Engaged employees are both more productive and more likely to stay with you for the long term. So giving the people who work for you the flexibility to be good spouses, good parents, good partners, and good friends–as well as good employees–will benefit both you and them.

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