Hybrid Working 4: One size doesn’t fit all

Adopt a flexible approach to hybrid working

The best results we’ve seen in implementing hybrid working come when employers recognise that one size does not fit all.

Most organisations have people who undertake a variety of roles, requiring different working approaches. Clearly, those who spend most of their time meeting with others, dealing face-to-face with customers, collaborating on developing physical products, or processing complex financial information will have very different needs regarding when, where, and how they work. Yet many employers still mandate a single policy, such as three days per week in the office, regardless of role.

Manchester United was recently in the news as the latest organisation to insist on a full-time return to the office. They have taken a more uncompromising approach than many by offering staff the choice between this or resignation. This could be risky if it leads to mass resignations or claims of constructive dismissal from those unable to work from the office due to protected characteristics. See this CPID blog for a broader discussion of these risks.

Even if the move is successful, it could damage employee relations and trust. For these reasons, we advocate a more flexible approach. While this can be a bit harder to achieve, it benefits staff productivity and engagement in the long run.

Attitudes about where people work best vary, even across identical job roles, driven by factors such as age, career stage, home environment/location, caring responsibilities, and level of introversion or extraversion. Organisations that want to foster an inclusive environment with a diverse employee population should consider the nuances of people’s preferences around hybrid working and how people work best.

As we discussed in blog 2 (Understand the stories behind your data) and blog 3 (Engage and empower your people), it is crucial to collect and understand data and engage the workforce in the change, recognising that one approach may not suit everyone.

1. What does the data say?

A variety of data supports the theory that the level of desired in-office, hybrid, or remote work differs for individuals, as do the motivating factors driving it.

Younger generations appear to be motivated towards in-person interaction for a variety of reasons. These include the desire to connect with senior leadership (78% of Gen Z and Millennials vs 72% of Gen X and older), and the appeal of seeing their work friends (79% vs 68% of Gen X and older)[1].

Additionally, younger generations may be limited by their home working space as they are more likely to live in shared accommodation or still at the family home.

There also appears to be a gender disparity in the desired level of working from home. On average, female workers want to spend 47% of their working days at home, compared to 43% for men. A LinkedIn study found that women were 26% more inclined than men to apply for remote job opportunities.

Interestingly, a 2023 LSE study also found that women were 11 times more likely to consider themselves ‘more or equally productive working from home’ than men. Caring and childcare responsibilities may drive the gender disparity in hybrid working opinions.[2]

Studies have also found differences in other areas. Employees with disabilities are 11% more likely to prefer a hybrid work model than employees without disabilities, and LGBQ+ employees were 13% more likely to prefer hybrid work than their heterosexual peers.

Our hybrid working research demonstrated a roughly equal split on working location preference between those who wanted to work full-time in the office, those who preferred to work full-time at home, and those preferring a mix. Mandating just one of these options for everyone could, therefore, cause issues for up to two-thirds of your staff.

2. Attraction and retention

A degree of hybrid working is likely to help with attraction and retention. One recent job growth report found that companies with flexible or hybrid work arrangements hire at two times the rate of companies requiring a full-time office presence.​

There are also differences in the likelihood of employees leaving if hybrid working is not available:

• Younger employees (18–34 years old) were 59% more likely to leave than older ones (55–64 years old).
• Black employees were 14% more likely than their White peers.
• LGBQ+ employees were 24% more likely to leave than heterosexual ones.
• Women were approximately 10% more likely than men, and employees who identify as nonbinary were 18% more likely than men and women.
• Employees with disabilities were 14% more likely to leave than employees without them.[3]