According to the “Work-life fit” report commissioned by Talent Place, only 1 in 4 companies offer 100% remote work. Less than 1 in 5, meanwhile, work in a hybrid model. Meanwhile, remote, project-based and, above all, team-compliant work is becoming more and more desirable among employees. Therefore, the labour market needs new solutions. One that will allow employees to flexibly combine their private and professional lives.
New expectations of employees, new solutions
Time for developing passions, deepening family ties and regeneration is key to maintaining employee well-being. Satisfaction among team members, in turn, translates into their productivity and loyalty to the company. According to a survey commissioned by Talent Place, 44% of employees do not want to work from an office all the time, and one in four prefer this form of work (25%). For team members, it is increasingly important to have flexibility at work and to be able to adapt it to their personal lives. Interestingly, this does not only apply to the youngest generation in the labour market. Work-life fit also benefits parents, travel enthusiasts or people 50+, who gain more opportunities in this work model.
And yet, according to the Work-life fit report, only 25% of employers offer their employees 100% remote work. The hybrid model is available at 19% of companies, while stationary work is enabled by as many as 99% of employers. The same is true for flexibility in hours of performing duties. As many as 60% of employees have top-down working hours, while only 9% can decide for themselves what hours they work.
Companies are increasingly meeting the needs of their employees, offering, for example, various forms of employment (full-time, contract work or B2B). The development of employee benefit packages is also evident. “Fruit Mondays” no longer reign supreme; instead, allowances that take into account the real needs of teams have emerged. What is among the modern benefits? Among others, access to psychological care, a company workstation, a 4-day work week or unlimited paid vacations.
Work-life fit report – are attitudes toward work, employees and employers changing?
Recent years have contributed to the transformation we see in the labour market today. Employees and employers, in a way, “had to” experience remote work and try a new approach to organizing their time. And while many companies have decided to return to a stationary work model, a significant number of organizations have decided to make remote or hybrid work permanent. This allows for greater flexibility or a show of confidence by managers in their teams.
We conducted the first survey on the new organizational culture in Poland, which illustrates how much the needs – both of employees and employers – have changed. At Talent Place, work in a work-life fit model: remote, flexible and tailored to the current needs of teams has always been present. Recruiters working with us decide for themselves where, when and how many hours they want to carry out their work duties. And what does it look like in other Polish companies? The survey shows that almost half (46%) of employees still prefer to work fixed hours, e.g. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For 23%, the ideal solution would be flexible starting hours, but within a fixed defined range. About 25% are in favor of starting and ending work flexibly.
The concept of work-life fit is familiar to 33% of respondents. According to the survey, 17% would like to introduce such an organizational culture in their company, and 9% say they already work this way. What benefits do employees and employers see in the work-life fit model? For employers, these are mainly more rested employees (62%), increased team productivity (47%) and fewer conflicts at work (47). Employees, on the other hand, mainly point to work-life harmony (51%), more productive work due to the lack of pressure from superiors (48%) and trust in the employee (42%).
Read the report HERE.
How to create the workplace of the future today?
There is no clear answer to this question. It all depends on the specifics of the organization, its culture and its goals. However, there are some basics that are worth taking care of. First of all, managers should listen to the individual needs of each employee. Since teams are diverse, expectations will also be different. Some prefer to fully dedicate themselves to work, while for others spending time with family or indulging their passions will be crucial. Employers, therefore, face a difficult but important task – they must listen to the needs of their employees and implement solutions that will provide real value to teams. It is also important to respond nimbly to the changes that will undoubtedly take place.
During the debate The Workplace of the Future organized by Talent Place, experts from companies such as Bolt, inSTREAMLY, Google for Startups and the High Heels Foundation shared their insights and best practices they use in their organizations (recording of the event available HERE). Among them, the aforementioned benefits such as a 4-day work week or unlimited paid vacations. At Talent Place, we also opted for a work-life fit benefit. It is a company apartment in Alicante (Spain), where employees can go for workation or vacation with family or friends. The apartment is a response to the needs of employees who value flexible working hours, remote work and a new approach to their duties.
There is no doubt that the world of employer and employee needs has changed. Flexibility, attention to physical and mental health, benefits tailored to individual needs – these are what employees now expect. Employers, on the other hand, are increasingly receptive to employees’ needs while trying to reconcile them with maintaining productivity and business needs. Work has a huge impact on the personal life and it is impossible to separate one zone from the other. Especially in the era of remote and hybrid work. That’s why it’s so important to align work and personal life – not necessarily by seeking a balance.
