A recent Microsoft survey has revealed that business leaders believe that the future of work needs to be innovative beyond flexible work policies.
The survey of 500 employees and 108 business leaders in Ireland provided insight into the remote working experiences of people, who offered predictions about the future of work.
For starters, 45% of business leaders said they believe that remote working is here to stay and a staggering 97% said adjusting how their company operates is top priority right now.
Additionally, employees said they prefer spending about one-third of their time outside of a physical workspace, but maintained that coming into the workspace some of the time was essential for keeping strong connections with their colleagues.
However, employees still said that there are numerous perks of working from home, including a casual dress code, more free time for hobbies and having their pets by their side.
Nearly three-fourths of business leaders said their productivity levels have either remained the same, or increased during this time. But even more so, 68% said that adopting flexible workplace arrangements is essential for retaining staff.
“Innovation is fuelled when people feel empowered to connect with colleagues, take smart risks and speak up when they have new ideas,” said Aisling Curtis, commercial director at Microsoft. “So, the challenge for businesses will be ensuring people feel connected to their teammates and to clearly see how the work they do as a team contributes to realising the vision of the company.”
