While many employers continue to push for a return to the days of old where all employees are in the office all the time, new research reveals this isn't likely to happen.
According to recent polls conducted by Citrix Systems on LinkedIn and Twitter, nearly 90 percent of more than 13,000 respondents say they plan to work on flexible models in the year ahead, with the majority indicating they'll remain fully remote.
"Employees have come to realize that work will never be the same, and rather than waiting for a return to "normal," they're shaping a new, more flexible future that empowers them to work when, where and how they work best," said Tim Minahan, EVP of Business Strategy, Citrix.
When asked how they plan to work in 2022, respondents to the LinkedIn poll said:
■ Remote full time (45 percent)
■ Hybrid (44 percent)
■ In the office full time (8 percent)
Their decisions are based on what they have learned through the grand remote-work experiment as to what works best for them when it comes to getting things done. And as comments posted within the poll reveal, they run the gamut:
■ "I find working from home hugely productive (in the hours the kids aren't in the house anyway). But interacting in real time with colleagues is amazing too. Hybrid all the way for me when the rules allow me to do so."
■ "I have saved the company a ton of office costs, a ton on automotive expenses, reduced global warming, increased project success, and increased my family time. 100% WFH is the way to go."
"As our research makes clear, flexible work is not a temporary thing," Minahan said. "Smart employers will take heed and adapt their work models to meet changing employee needs and position themselves to succeed in the new world of work."