If you want to attract and retain top talent at your business, return-to-office mandates are not the way, with a new study showing that a huge majority of recruiters saying that not offering the popular employee perk makes companies less competitive in the job market.
You’d be reasonable in assuming that return-to-office mandates are backed up by data. After all, big companies like Amazon have been strict in their adherence to the post-pandemic trend, so it must be based on some kind of reliable information, right?
Well, there isn’t much data to show that return-to-mandates are helping out businesses, with this new survey pointing to the lack of a remote work as a problem when it comes to attracting and retaining employees.
72% of Recruiters Say Businesses Without Hybrid Work Are Less Competitive
In the new survey from International Workplace Group (IWG), 72% of surveyed recruiters said that businesses without hybrid work options for their employees are less competitive when it comes to attracting top talent.
On top of that, 67% of recruiters have seen an increase in the number of applicants who are applying to new jobs because of strict return-to-office mandates, while 46% of employees working at five-days-per week office jobs are currently looking for another employer.
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The report from IWG surveyed more than 500 recruiters from in-house and external agencies, as well as 1,000 employees who work in-office for five days per week.
Why Return-to-Office Mandates Are Bad
Return-to-office mandates aren’t just a thorn in the side of employees that have gotten used to working from home for the last few years. In fact, they can have a notably negative impact on businesses that push them, especially if you’re trying to get people in the office five days per week.
“Flexible working offers further benefits to businesses beyond employee retention. The hybrid model is proven to boost workforce productivity and job satisfaction while also cutting costs significantly.” – Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG
The reality is that there are virtually no productivity statistics that show remote work as a problem. Quite the opposite continues to be true, with the flexible work arrangement leading to increased revenue and better retention for businesses that provide it for employees.
Finding a Remote Job
If your company is one of the many pushing these return-to-office mandates and you’re looking for an alternative, you’ve come to the right place. Tech.co consistently develops guides and articles that can help you find a work-from-home job that fits your flexible schedule.
For starters, check out our monthly roundup of remote jobs at companies around the world, including Google, Microsoft, and Apple. We’ve even put together helpful guides on how to find a remote job on X, that is, if you haven’t deleted the controversial social media app from your phone.
Plus, we’ll even help you land your next remote job with some helpful tips on everything from asking the right questions in your interview to building the perfect resume for the job.
Suffice to say, you have options if your company is forcing a return-to-office mandate on your team, and we’re happy to help you get started.