Uncovering Return to Office Trends & Statistics

Approximately 71% of GenZ (aged 18-24) would consider looking for a new job if their employer insisted on returning to the office full-time. Only 61% of 35-to-44-year-olds and 56% of 45-to-54-year-olds agree.

In ADP’s People at Work 2022, these age-group responses describe stated willingness to consider another job, not observed resignations or current attitudes. Fieldwork: November 1–24, 2021; overall sample: 32,924 workers in 17 countries.

As the workforce has shifted + thrived during the pandemic there are many reconsiderations made to enforce hybrid and mixed work models to create a “Balanced” return to office for all companies. As we read the cited research, we consider return to office impacts and how it can support working culture.

As we dig deep, the concept of returning to the office will see a change in working habits, working environment, and work culture.

Do employees wish to have remote work as their permanent employment?

Why Are Return To Office Trends Important To Know?

It's critical to read findings of RTO Trends as input to choices about hybrid workplace regulations and policies, not proof that return to office is inevitable.

As offices accelerated the past year has given us what future workplaces are going to look like and reimagined more options to prioritize for employees to connect with the vision and mission of the company that is looking to aim for value.

Critical Findings and Insightful Questions

Employee Attitudes Towards Returning to Work
Employers' Perspectives on Returning to Work

Companies need to manage the correct workflow before, during, and after the pandemic, mandating all hybrid work policies in an actionable plan for all employees to learn to adapt to “new” RTO habits and other key concepts.

Why & What Are Work Trends Important To Companies?

Reading the figures: Before applying a statistic to your RTO decision, check report year, fieldwork dates, population or denominator, the question asked, and whether it measures a preference, forecast or observed behavior.

Here are planning questions for Employee Attitudes Towards Returning to Work:

Would employees prefer to work from home at least two days per week?
How can employees balance focused work remotely with interacting with their colleagues?
Would employees who work remotely have a better work-life balance?
Have remote employees relocated, and are they able to access the office immediately?

Here are stats for Employers' Perspectives on Returning to Work:

Planning question: will everyone return to work full-time?
Executives expected that at least half of office employees would work in the office by July 2021, according to 75% of those surveyed in the US.
Source: PwC’s US Remote Work Survey (January 12, 2021), preserved by CHRO. Fieldwork: November 24–December 5, 2020; 133 US executives and 1,200 US office workers. The employee sample excluded essential workers.
A company's culture should be preserved, according to 68% of surveyed executives, by having a typical employee work in the office at least three days per week.
Planning question: will hybrid work patterns be permitted in your company?
Planning question: how will your company respond to individuals who refuse to return to work?

Companies can consider “incentives” to support the return to the office and a hybrid work model to meet in person. Options to discuss with employees include food and beverages and social events for internal company meetings.

Stats and Trends Captured from Washington Post, Forbes, & Kudoboard

Hybrid and Remote Work Development

As companies grow the concept of “HYBRID” and “REMOTE” are common terms in 2023 since the work development after the pandemic looks at:

Hybrid Work
Remote working as a planning consideration
Space Management - Office & Workspace Redesigning
Thriving company culture
Mental Health and Well-Being of Employees

This is about how the company connects with their employees to bring their vision and mission into return to the office planning, with coordinated hybrid and remote work models.

With remote and hybrid models providing flexibility but also posing new difficulties, the pandemic has expedited the rapid transformation of work. Employers and employees must negotiate these obstacles by adopting creative work arrangements, investing in technology, employee well-being, and sustaining a strong business culture.

The aim is to assist companies in developing a resilient workforce prepared for future problems and challenges.

Current Focus

In its May 1, 2023 account, Zoom described both fully remote and hybrid arrangements. Product and engineering team members near HQ coordinated office work for in-person collaboration and testing hybrid work products.

Here are a few historical news resources for your insights, separate from the May account:

Does ZOOM have a smooth transition in place for their employees to easily return to the office? How well will their feedback be from their own employees?

There are unanswered questions about ZOOM's transition and employee feedback.