Business leaders have agreed that “the future of work is hybrid” according to new research published by Zoom.
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More than four-in-five (86 per cent) of leaders agreed with the statement while only four per cent disagreed.
The study also found that more than 90 per cent of leaders said they preferred a hybrid or remote working environment versus in-person only.
Zoom wanted to examine leaders’ sentiments on hybrid work and its overall impact on employee happiness, company culture, and business objectives.
The report states: “According to a recent poll, employees value choice — just over two-thirds (69%) of workers say it’s important for them to be able to choose whether they work in-person, remotely, or hybrid.
“People want to tailor their working style and schedule to their needs — and they’re willing to make a change if their organization doesn’t accommodate that preference.
“Flexibility in where, when, and how people work informs talent recruitment and retainment, with almost half (45%) of respondents in a Momentive poll saying it’s likely they would look for a new job if they are not able to work in their ideal location.
“This has tasked leaders with identifying and establishing new policies to address employee needs — with many establishing a mix of in-person and remote work as a new norm.”
Business leaders told Zoom that enabling productivity was the most important factor in preferring hybrid work, followed by increasing team collaboration and maintaining strong company culture.
Leaders believe the impact of hybrid and remote working has a more positive impact on employee experience, with 71 per cent believing that it has a positive impact on employee happiness.
Zoom also found that business leaders prefer events such as company-wide town halls and large group meetings to be better suited for a virtual format rather than in-person.
However, leaders commented that they prefer an in-person format for events such as team socials, job candidate interviews and customer meetings.
Zoom’s survey mirrors the results of a Slack study in which UK office workers gave their opinions on hybrid working.
Over 1,000 UK office workers took part in the survey, which revealed that 73% believe hybrid working is here to stay, with 53% thinking businesses should operate on a digital-first approach.
The survey found that over three in five workers would likely start looking for a new job if hybrid or remote working was not offered to them.
