Only one-fifth of job seekers want fully remote work

After 20 months of ‘Zooming’ and ‘Microsoft Teaming’, it’s tempting to think that working from home is the preferred perk for many who are looking for a new business to join.

But, the majority of job seekers are turned off from working fully remotely, according to a new survey.

Schej, a hybrid workforce scheduling app, carried out research among UK employees and managers about their experiences with different work models: remote, hybrid and office.

The report, titled Hybrid Working 2021; Manager’s & Employee’s View, reveals that only 20% of respondents said they would seek a fully remote job.

However, just over half (51%) of respondents said they’d prefer a hybrid environment, in which they have the flexibility to choose daily whether to work from home, or the office.

Why are jobseekers switched off by full remote working?

The research comes as the UK furlough scheme has officially ended, and all workers are now expected to return to the office to work. However, how often they return to the office remains at the discretion of employers.

Earlier this year, the UK government made it mandatory for employers to offer flexible working to employees with at least 26 weeks continuous service, under the new statutory flexible working scheme.

One of the biggest benefits to office working is face-to-face interaction provided by having colleagues around, as well as the speed and ease of in-person information exchange. This could explain why 13% of survey respondents said they’d prefer a model where they work solely from the office.

Another potential reason put forward for why job seekers want hybrid work is the idea of proximity bias in the workplace.

Ambitious job seekers may realise that having days in the office is an opportunity to rub shoulders with senior managers and be more likely to receive praise and promotion than their ‘invisible’ fully remote colleagues.

Last week, Bank of England monetary policy committee member Catherine Mann warned this is having a negative impact on women, as more men are returning to office working post-pandemic.

The rise of coworking spaces

The hybrid working report also examined the pros of the hybrid model. Topping the benefits list when it comes to hybrid working, 38.5% of managers said it resulted in better staff retention, followed by 29.5% who said it gave them access to a greater talent pool.

Saving on office space scored relatively low on the benefits list, with just 17% who said this was a benefit.

However, this is a particularly large advantage when it comes to small business owners. According to Headspace Group, the average saving from purchasing a coworking space when compared to a fixed lease is £4,000.