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BY\u00a0FAISAL HOQUE<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The pandemic era phenomenon known as \u201cThe Great Resignation\u201d has seen millions of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs. In January 2022 alone, some 4.3 million workers quit, adding to the staggering 48 million who abandoned their jobs in 2021, according to data from the Labor Bureau.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n As reported in a Jobslist survey<\/a>, several common elements stand out. Roughly 19% of study respondents didn\u2019t like how their bosses treated them; 17% left due to inadequate benefits; and 13% said they lacked work\/life balance.<\/p>\n Millions are rethinking their careers, long-term goals, work environments, and how to achieve a healthier work\/life balance. Despite the Great Resignation\u2019s unsettling nature, it highlights the enormous need and opportunity for companies to transform most every aspect of their operations. Organizations leveraging that opportunity will be better positioned to address employee satisfaction proactively and also adjust and respond to the constantly shifting marketplace. Otherwise, they\u2019ll struggle to survive.<\/p>\n When work shifted to remote settings for many employers in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies assumed the situation would be temporary. However, as months stretched into years, much of the working population found that they enjoyed working remotely, at least part of the time.<\/p>\n In a 2021 remote work survey<\/a>, background check provider GoodHire found that 68% of employees preferred working from home, with nearly half declaring they\u2019d either quit or search for new jobs offering remote work if their employers ordered them to return to the office. Many employees expressed they\u2019d take a pay cut or forfeit benefits in exchange for remote work options.<\/p>\n Their enthusiasm is well justified, because even \u201chybrid\u201d remote work\u2014where in-office and remote work blend together as a flexible routine\u2014has helped many employees establish a healthier work-life balance.<\/p>\n However, a discouraging number of employers are hesitant to adapt to this new normal. According to a study<\/a> on talent engagement from an ExecuSearch, 25% are employers planning on employees returning to full-time, in-house work. In a 2022 survey by Microsoft, 50% of employers wanted staff in-house five days a week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The reasons for this insistence are varied. One common argument is that company culture cannot be adequately maintained if workers are scattered. However, a stud<\/a>y by the research firm Gartner found that a hybrid work model significantly boosted employee engagement and sense of inclusion.<\/p>\n Remote work can also lead to a sense of isolation among certain employees. A Gensler Research Institute survey<\/a> found respondents missed most about being in an office was meeting and socializing with colleagues. Further, 7 out of every 10<\/a> employees felt more isolated after switching to remote work.<\/p>\n Obviously, something has to give. And business transformation where digitalization plays a central role can be key in leveraging the advantages of remote work arrangements while addressing its drawbacks. As for those downsides, business transformation should also include management helping remote workers to address and mitigate the issues of isolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A few suggestions include trying these steps:<\/p>\n Remote work, for all its advantages, has its caveats. That balanced perspective can go a long way in making the most of remote work\u2019s potential\u2014not to mention digitalization\u2019s possibilities for all employees, remote and otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRECASTING THE OFFICE<\/h2>\n
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