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Employers reimagine the office as employees dream of home

New research shows that while financial compensation is still the biggest factor for candidates considering a job move, hybrid and flexible working arrangements now come a close second

People who have a job with a hybrid pattern that suits them are reluctant to change jobs, even to a better job, if it means losing out on the advantages of remote working
People who have a job with a hybrid pattern that suits them are reluctant to change jobs, even to a better job, if it means losing out on the advantages of remote working

At the height of the Covid restrictions many commentators were sounding the death knell for the traditional office. Turns out they were wrong; the office isn’t going anywhere. But it is adapting to meet changing trends and new organisational needs.

For a start, since March of this year, employees have had the right to request flexible working, which includes remote working for some or all of the week. Though an employer is not obliged to give it, the legislation does at least copperfasten the fact that working from home is a normal part of working life, like flexi time or job sharing.

Indeed, a recent survey by Phoenix Search found that while financial compensation is still the most influential factor for candidates considering a job move, hybrid and flexible working arrangements now come a very close second. This indicates the enduring impact of the post-pandemic shift towards remote working, it says.

Among employers, however, the mood has changed somewhat, and not just in relation to high profile return to office mandates trumpeted in the United States by the likes of JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon or Amazon’s Andy Jassy. Phoenix Search’s survey shows that 57 per cent of its clients now require at least three days in the office here.

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Paul McClatchie of Engage People, a financial recruitment specialist, understands why. He believes employees need to be more cognisant of the importance of office-based working, particularly if they are in the market for a career move.

“Sometimes a candidate can only see their own view and doesn’t have an interest in going into the office. But if they are being paid a salary of, say, €80,000 a year, that’s not just to deliver but also to influence other people,” says McClatchie.

“I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I think it is critical for good people on a strong career trajectory to go in and invest time in building face-to-face relationships.”

In the meantime, the tension between employees who wish to maximise remote working and employers who wish to minimise it is having an impact on offices themselves.

According to real estate giant JLL, as workplaces see a rise in attendance, companies are increasingly employing dedicated community or workplace-experience managers to “supercharge employee experience and productivity”.

A year ago, JLL’s global Pulse survey found these roles existed in just a quarter of firms. The latest survey shows this has since risen to a third of all companies, with a further 9 per cent considering hiring one in the future.

According to JLL Ireland, it means organisations on the hunt for office space go beyond looking at things such as location or even fit-out, to consider how spaces “will ultimately be activated”. That includes taking inspiration from the hospitality sector to identify the key social opportunities and events that will take place there.

Ultimately, it’s about orchestrating positive workplace experiences that draw people into the office, it says, which suggests that all those much-vaunted water cooler moments aren’t enough.

JLL’s Experience Matters research finds that people want “memorable moments, personalisation and human connection”. In office terms that translates into a well-thought-through schedule of events and services that combine everything from practical facilities management expertise to the hospitality elements of a hotel concierge, it says, “organising everything from wellbeing initiatives and collaboration opportunities to community events, happy hours or themed hospitality for employees and guests”.

It’s all designed to help boost employee engagement, build company culture and optimise space utilisation.

Ed Rossiter, founder and co-chief executive, Phoenix Search: 'There’s less risk appetite for change if people have a good working arrangement at the moment'
Ed Rossiter, founder and co-chief executive, Phoenix Search: 'There’s less risk appetite for change if people have a good working arrangement at the moment'

Ed Rossiter of Phoenix Search is seeing all this play out at first hand. “We’ve definitely seen a tug from the employer’s perspective to try and get more people back in the office,” he says.

His company’s survey found that while a lot of businesses are still operating on a hybrid basis, more are now expecting three to four days in the office, whereas previously two to three days was the norm.

One consequence of the tension is that it is dampening mobility; people who have a job with a hybrid pattern that suits them are reluctant to change jobs, even to a better job, if it means losing it.

“There’s less risk appetite for change if they have a good working arrangement at the moment,” says Rossiter.

Sandra O'Connell

Sandra O'Connell

Sandra O'Connell is a contributor to The Irish Times