It’s been three years since the first COVID-19 lockdown, and working from home has become a welcome, and for many people, an expected benefit. How we view our work life has changed, and what employers and employees expect from each other has shifted significantly. When our daily commutes to the offices switched to the kitchen table, many people stopped and asked themselves, “Am I really happy with my job?”. 

This one question created an enormous rift in the employment landscape known as ‘The Great Resignation,’ with record numbers of professionals switching jobs and new opportunities available.
 

But where does that leave us now?

If companies want to stay ahead of the curve and retain or attract new employees, how they position their company, employee offering and their value proposition needs to change. 

Last year, we conducted a series of polls to find out what professionals were really thinking about when it comes to their careers and what they’re looking for. The majority of our results reflect sentiments expressed in similar reports by CIPD, with one or two surprising insights.

If you've changed jobs in the last 12 months, what made you move?

According to FE News, 2.2 million people in the UK started a new job between July and September of 2021, of which 980,000 switched jobs. In 2022, industry body, CIPD, also reported that 6.5 million UK workers expect to change their job in the next 12 months (from date published).

Having seen record numbers of new roles across the natural and built environment over the second half of 2021 and 2022, our team has seen a sharp increase in roles across the UK at all levels. New roles weren’t limited to London, opportunities opened up in other areas including Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh, to name but a few.

The most popular reason respondents gave for changing roles was a ‘change in culture’. While ‘change in culture’ wasn’t expanded upon and could include a number of reasons, some reports have found that many professionals were expected to work additional hours and that a negative environment had taken over, or the work was no longer meaningful.

In second place was ‘lack of progression’, at 30 per cent. Career pathways and progression plans are important for everyone, not just those in the office full time. The typical career plan may change now as we continue to adopt a hybrid working model, but it doesn’t mean that a path for progression no longer exists, it merely needs to change.

What do you look for in a prospective employer?

‘Good salary and benefits’ was arguably the most predictable reason that someone considered working for a prospective employer, at 77 per cent, followed by progression opportunities at 15 per cent. 

Flexitime used to be strictly about flexible hours, but now includes working from home, so if you’re looking to improve your employee offerings and/or attract new talent, this is going to be your first port of call. How we work is transforming, and if you’re still not keen to adopt a hybrid approach, you could be losing out on talent that’s being snapped up by your competitors.
 

What benefits are the most important from a prospective employer?

In tandem with poll respondents’ reasons for leaving a role due to a lack of flexible working, flexitime was voted the most important benefit from a prospective employer at 52 per cent.

Over the past 12-18 months, we have seen a significant drop in fully remote roles, but the trend of hybrid working continues and this flexibility, as proven by the research, is proving attractive to potential candidates.

Creating and maintaining an effective and meaningful work culture while many work remotely, can be a challenge for any business. There are many ways to ensure that company culture exists beyond the office walls, and they all require work from both employers and employees. Advice on how to maintain company culture is fairly abundant from news sources and industry bodies, but the main aspects that are frequently repeated are having a clearly defined set of company values which can be understood and acted upon, and employee wellbeing. 

As for entry-level professionals, from the positions we’ve hired both internally and for our clients, we’ve found that graduates are the most enthusiastic about working in an office. Having spent two years in lockdown whilst at university, the majority of graduates are keen to integrate themselves into the work environment and amongst their fellow colleagues. The ability to work from home is still a welcome to benefit, but could be used far less by those entering the workforce than more experienced professionals. 

Mentoring isn’t just for those at Director or board-level. Professionals want to feel supported in their role, even if they prefer to work from home or the office. The potential pitfall here for employers is “out of sight, out of mind”. Remember, those who prefer to work from home need just as much support in their career progression as those who opt-in for heading back to the office.

What would bring you back to the office?

Asking people to put up with the daily commute has not been as easy as many thought it would be. Unlike Elon Musk, many have decided to incentivise their teams instead of forcing it on them. 

In July 2022, Envoy interviewed 800 employers to uncover how they were looking to bring their teams back to the office. There were a surprising number of incentives used, but the most popular included salary increases, free food and even office pet days. 

Our poll found that work travel subsidies and social events were the key motivators, both voted at 42 per cent. After all, any company’s greatest asset is their people, so if relationships between individuals, teams and even with senior leadership are non-existent, you could expect to lose team members sooner rather than later.

Lastly, don’t forget to ask yourself these questions too. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, how does your experience over the past three years influence your role and work environment? You may find that you have some thoughts and expectations that you didn’t realise!