Hybrid is the clear winner in work-from-home Vs return-to-office battle

Bengaluru: In the work-from-home vs return-to-office battle, employees are giving hybrid work a clear thumbs-up. Return-to-office orders are being received with mixed sentiments by India Inc employees who have mostly accepted the idea of resuming in-office work but overwhelmingly continue to value flexibility, found a survey conducted exclusively for ET by human resources company CIEL HR.

While 76% of more than 3,800 employees across industry sectors said they are looking for employers offering either hybrid or work-from-home options, 73% said they would explore new job opportunities if their current employers did not allow such flexibility. In contrast, only 35% welcomed the decision of employers to increase the number of days employees are mandatorily required to work from the office.

For some time now, companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Meta and TCS have been encouraging a return to office despite employee pushback. Earlier this month, even Zoom, which became synonymous with remote work during the pandemic, started asking employees who live within a 50-mile radius of its offices to work onsite twice a week.


Experts, however, said hybrid work could be a win-win. "Companies need to strike a balance between evolving workplace dynamics and employee contentment, to have a productive workforce and retain talent in this rapidly changing world," said Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO, CIEL HR.

Hybrid work is being overwhelmingly preferred by employees after the pandemic, said Neelesh Gupta, director, Deloitte India. "The focus on the unit of measure of work has moved from being output-driven (9 am to 6 pm) to outcome-driven (deliverables). So long as the work is getting done (the outcome), employees want the flexibility to best manage their time in the way it fits into their personal schedules," he said.

As many as 88% of employers have adopted flexible working arrangements in one form or another, as per the Deloitte India Benefits Trends 2023 survey of more than 200 organisations.

ITC, for instance, has resumed working from the office but allows white-collar employees to work up to two days a week from home.

DBS Bank India garnered insights from research, in-depth experiments and employee surveys conducted by a Future of Work Taskforce and found a preference for hybrid work arrangements. "Aligned with that insight, we introduced a permanent hybrid work model and flexible work arrangements," said Kishore Poduri, country head, HR, DBS Bank India.

While the bank's frontline staff continues to work from branches, other offices follow a 60-40 ratio based on role suitability. The model's effectiveness, gauged through internal surveys, showed 87% of respondents adapting well to hybrid work, 84% expressing satisfaction with manager-employee relationships, 83% satisfied with technology enablement and 83% happy with well-being initiatives offered in a hybrid environment.

"The hybrid work model provides flexibility, empowering employees to manage their work-life balance and personal and professional commitments more effectively," said Poduri. "Hybrid working also enables us to usher in a more diverse workforce and support our sustainability goals by reducing traffic congestion and carbon footprint, along with reducing premises and reversing urbanisation - both aspects held in high regard by current and prospective employees."