Back to the office - but not as often as before the pandemic

Since the outbreak of the pandemic a year ago, the topic of home office has been on everyone's lips. In February 2021, 52 percent of the employed population in Switzerland worked wholly or partly from home. during the lockdown a year ago, it was 50 percent. For 36 percent, working from home is not possible in principle. This is the result of a representative survey conducted by the auditing and consulting firm Deloitte between February 12 and 23 among around 2,000 people of working age living in Switzerland.

Back to the office: Yes, but no longer every day

According to the Deloitte survey, a large majority (88%) of office workers no longer want to spend every working day in the office in the future (see chart 1). Almost two-thirds (62 %) of respondents want to work from home on certain days of the week even after the pandemic. Twenty-six percent even advocate staying in the home office entirely. As many as 12 percent want to return to the office entirely.

"The last twelve months have shown that remote working works very well for many people. The fact that so few want to return to the office completely after the pandemic clearly confirms this," says Reto Savoia, CEO of Deloitte Switzerland. "A clear majority wants a suitable mix of remote working and office presence for the work of the future and wants to take advantage of both work models. Companies cannot and should not close their minds to this need. The trend towards remote working is also bringing about major economic and social changes and will, for example, have an impact on public transport, the real estate market or the catering and retail trade. At the same time, flexible and attractive remote working models also open up new opportunities for companies and their workforce. Be it in an expansion of the recruitment radius or the establishment of new family models."

Differences between the generations

When it comes to individual preferences, there are also differences between the generations: Among those under 30, only 9 percent want to return to the office completely; among those over 50, 16 percent no longer want to work in a home office. On the other side of the spectrum, the picture is similar: 31 percent of young people want to work completely at home even after the pandemic, compared with only 22 percent of those over 50.

"The younger generations want more flexibility at work," explains Veronica Melian, Human Capital Leader at Deloitte Switzerland. "Attracting talented young recruits remains a major challenge for many companies. It is important that employers understand the preferences and work styles of their younger employees and incorporate them into their companies in a targeted and productive way. Companies need to target and communicate flexible workplace models to attract much-needed young talent from around the world who are geographically flexible and consciously seek a modern and forward-thinking work environment. This is a key strategic challenge for many companies in light of the worsening skills shortage."

More productive in the home office?

Nearly half of respondents (47%) feel they are more productive in the home office than they are with their colleagues in the office. Only 16 percent believe they are less productive working from home, while for 37 percent productivity has remained the same. Comparing these figures with the Deloitte survey conducted during last year's lockdown., it shows improved productivity (see chart 2).

"The fact that employees' perceived productivity increased compared to the previous year could be due in part to the fact that schools remained open and many parents no longer had to worry about childcare themselves," explains Veronica Melian. "In addition, employees and companies alike were more technically prepared than during the first lockdown and more proficient in using digital tools."

The personal exchange is missing

However, the home office also has its pitfalls. In addition to space problems (20%) and a lack of infrastructure (22%), the lack of personal exchange is the biggest challenge for many of those surveyed (44%). "Conscious personal exchange continues to play an important role for many, also for the corporate culture," says Reto Savoia. "People come to the office to exchange ideas, to create ideas together - essential aspects of innovation require personal interaction and can best be realized on site. This is where companies have great opportunities to combine the need for personal contact with customers and colleagues, as well as the targeted use of digitization, into an attractive overall package that best meets the needs of employees."

"Companies need to set themselves up for post-lockdown, finding a good mix of remote working and office presence," Savoia continues. "On the one hand, I envision employees working at home in a deliberate and focused way. On the other hand, if it's about the collaborative and creative aspects of work, a modern office makes more sense. Companies need to create new spaces and 'collaboration spaces' accordingly that allow employees to be inspired, encourage the exchange of ideas and help develop new strategies."

Source: Deloitte