As businesses around the world adjust to evolving work cultures, the 2024 Global MARCO New Consumer Report, in collaboration with Cint, reveals there’s still a strong preference towards hybrid work models around the world.
The study — which surveyed over 7,000 consumers across 11 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Brazil, and France — reveals 43.54% prefer hybrid work environments. This is followed by 39.34% who said they prefer full-time in-person work, and 17.12% for full-time remote work.
Despite the preference for hybrid work, the study also uncovered that a considerable 64% of respondents would still accept positions at companies that do not offer hybrid working options.
When asked, if current work culture or labor laws in the respondent’s country allow them to achieve a good work-life balance. 70.22% said yes, while 29.78% said no.
According to a report on the study published by Employee Benefits, 50% of French workers stated they would refuse roles without the option for hybrid work, revealing a strong demand for flexible working conditions in France. In comparison, the majority (or 77%) of British employees feel their current work culture and labor laws already provide them with a satisfactory work-life balance.
South Africa (77%), France (76%), and Mexico (73%) also reported high levels of employee satisfaction with work-life balance. However, only 56% of Portuguese respondents felt that their work culture or labor laws supported a good work-life balance.
Notably, Portugal had the highest preference for hybrid work arrangements. According to a report published by The Portugal News, 53% of Portuguese respondents preferred hybrid work, with 3% preferring in-office work and 17% for fully remote work.
Compared to last year, more U.S.-based CEOs, who once resisted the concept of hybrid work, are now accepting that the work model is here to stay. A study published by KPMG found that just 34% of CEOs expect a full return to the office in the next three years.
The persistence of hybrid models presents an opportunity for organizations to rethink traditional office norms and adopt more inclusive and flexible working conditions in 2024.
While the data reveals that work-life preferences partly depend on the specific global region where workers are based, leaders who implement hybrid work can drive broader organizational changes, including investments in technology and infrastructure to support remote and hybrid teams.
