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Two in three (65 per cent) 25- to 34-year-olds have admitted they would consider finding another role if they were asked to return to the office full-time.
More than half of 18- to 24-year-olds — or 54 per cent — have said the same, according to new research from the ADP Research Institute.
The data comes from ADP’s People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View report, which comes as employers “seek to encourage staff back into the office”.
Younger Australian workers are less likely than their older counterparts to consider a full-time return to the office — with just 46 per cent of the 45-to-54 age cohort stating that they would be looking elsewhere for a job if expected in the office every day.
That attitude was least prevalent in the 55 and over demographic. Only 27 per cent of this cohort expressed hesitancy at a move back to in-person every day.
From ADP’s perspective, the data suggests that COVID-19 has “heralded a shift in worker habits that is unlikely to be reversed in the long term”.
According to the report, younger employees now have “vastly shifted expectations and hopes for the workplace of the future” — and this includes flexible ways of work.
Travel times and costs associated with travel have done nothing to quell hesitancy towards full-time office work either, with ADP Australia and New Zealand managing director Kylie Baullo stating that “returning to in-person work full time is a daunting proposition for workers, particularly the younger generations”.
With many Australians now expecting remote and flexible work from their employer, Ms Baullo suggested that companies must now consider their future workplace arrangements if they haven’t already.
“Whilst remote work was a necessity during peak COVID waves, businesses must now be more purposeful and conscious of the evolving needs of workers and employers as they navigate future working arrangements — whether that includes a return to office or remote arrangements,” she continued.
“Businesses should consider not only where employees prefer to work, but also how they work most effectively. Engaging and supporting people leaders to align how work is done with where work is done.”
She also noted that the proportion of Australians who would reconsider their current role if required to go into the office full-time “calls out a strong employee voice”.
Suggesting employee/employer collaboration in the working environment will be vital, the managing director argued that face-to-face sessions between leaders and employees would be helpful to ensure the different needs of generations and other individual scenarios are considered and planned for.
While the report acknowledged that the in-person workplace presents social and career benefits, it’s clear that these benefits are not outweighing employee experience, with resistance “especially strong” between the ages of 25 and 44 — with workers “more likely to have had a taste of office work before the COVID-19 pandemic, and are better able to compare in-office and work-from-home arrangements”.
According to Ms Baullo, such insight from the cohort tells employers that “they are looking for a combination of the ability to work remotely whilst having team days and cross-functional collaboration, and development opportunities in the office”.
“To ensure career opportunities are not missed, businesses will need to consider how to entice staff to work in-person, as well as provide a balanced workplace by also meeting the needs and wants of staff through flexible options,” she advised.
“The physical office space is more than ever becoming a consideration. Where people are looking for a workspace that enables and facilitates collaboration and quiet space, a seamless transition between office and remote.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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