According to a new study from EY, nine out of ten workers want flexibility in their hours and work environment.
This is no surprise to companies, as many have already started altering their post-pandemic strategies to offer employees more choice in their work arrangements.
In fact, 54% of respondents said they were prepared to leave their job if flexibility was not offered. This mindset has led to the Great Resignation and a major labor shortage, especially within the technology industry.
โAs companies build more flexible, cross-border workforces, they need full transparency of all employees, including permanent and external workers,โ said Thomas Barlow, head of SAP Fieldglass Centre of Excellence, Australia and New Zealand. โWith complete workforce data, companies are better prepared to identify and deploy the right people with the right skills to support growth forecasts, or pivot quickly in case of unexpected disruptions like the pandemic.โ
Offering agility and upskilling opportunities will be key to improving the employee experience, thus helping companies attract and retain top talent. Without these two critical offerings, organizations will fall far behind in the race for new talent.
The EY survey also showed that 82% of employees in Asia-Pacific felt that remote working would hinder their career opportunities. This means that even if leaders offer flexible work options, they must lay out the groundwork to ensure all workers are treated equally.
