The Future Forum, a consortium created by Slack, has released the findings of its most recent Global Pulse study, further supporting the need for more workplace flexibility.
The quarterly survey of over 10,000 knowledge workers showed that the number of respondents who want to be in the office full-time has dropped to a two-year low of 20%.
To stave off attrition, it is essential for leaders to understand what workers need from their workplace — and the missing puzzle piece in sustainable growth continues to be flexibility.
According to the findings, the number of respondents working under a hybrid model grew from 45% to 49%, while those working remotely full-time fell from 21% to 18%.
Simultaneously, 55% of respondents said they preferred to work less than three days a week in the office, while full-time in-office workers were found to be the least satisfied with their current arrangement.
Those working in the office full-time also reported poor workplace experience and limited work-life balance. In fact, those who could not create their own schedule experienced three times worse work-related anxiety and stress.
“Today’s workplace environment is centered around flexibility, and employees without it remain at a strong risk of attrition,” said Brian Elliott, Executive Leader at Future Forum. “Companies looking to build productive, successful teams need to think about how they provide flexibility not only in where but also when people work.”
