More than three-quarters (79%) of the professionals surveyed say they will work fewer hours when they return to the office than they currently do while working from home. Virtually all (97%) say when they work from home, they continue to work during the time that would have been reserved for commuting.
Half of the respondents say their employers have already announced mandatory return to the office plans, and the vast majority (88%) say that they will coordinate with teammates on which days they’ll go into the office to enhance collaborations opportunities.
“It doesn’t make sense for most professionals to make it into the office and then sit in a cube on video calls all day,” said Korn Ferry Senior Client Partner Kristi Drew. “We’ve seen many clients either formerly or informally create ‘collaboration days’ where they bring teams together and schedule meetings during set periods of the week.”
And when professionals do go into the office, attire will be more laid back, as 82% say they will dress more casually now than they did pre-pandemic. Professionals also think that the five-day workweek structure should be challenged, with 76% saying they would prefer a shift to non-traditional hours, such as four-day, 10-hour workweeks.
“The pandemic has shown employers that teams can be productive and effective on their own terms – work will get done when employees are given the latitude to work in an environment that works best for them,” said Drew.
About the Survey: The Korn Ferry survey of professionals was conducted in late March 2022
Find the detailed survey results here.
