Marketers Embracing Hybrid Work Despite Office Return Pressure

Pressure to return to the office C&S Survey

Our research from Our Website shows that not everyone is on board with the trend of high profile brands increasing the number of days spent in the workplace. Some people are not welcoming this push to be office-bound.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of the over 3,000 marketers who participated in the 2024 Career & Salary Survey expressed that they are experiencing pressure to go back to the office. This feeling is more prominent among female marketers, with 27.6% feeling the pressure compared to 17.5% of male marketers.

In addition, around a quarter of Gen Z (25.6%) and Gen Y (25.9%) marketers are also feeling this pressure to return to the office. Interestingly, this pressure is less noticeable among their more experienced Gen X (16.8%) colleagues.

Despite over half of marketers (52.3%) valuing flexible/hybrid working, there is still pressure to go back to the office. In fact, 15.1% are even thinking about switching jobs to find a more flexible work arrangement.

The discussion on how to set up a hybrid workplace is ongoing.

In March, Boots informed its 3,900 head office employees that starting in September, they will be required to work from the office five days a week. This decision follows similar actions taken by other companies such as Nationwide, which mandated teams to be in the office at least two days a week, and Amazon, which announced that staff who refuse to come into the office for a minimum of three days a week will not be eligible for promotions.

Another development in March was the news that tech company Dell is now requiring employees who wish to be considered for promotions to be classified as hybrid workers and attend the office at least three days a week.

There is a noticeable trend towards employees being required to return to the workplace, even in government departments. The Land Registry, for example, is reportedly mandating staff to come back to the office due to a rise in demand.

Feedback on the recruitment website Glassdoor reveals that employees at these organizations are not entirely happy about this shift. Some employees express dissatisfaction with the lack of clear productivity metrics to support the decision to return to the office.

Some people believe that alterations to hybrid working arrangements are negatively impacting working parents. They suggest that requests for in-office attendance should be tailored to the needs of individual teams, rather than enforcing a standard number of days for everyone. Additionally, there are employees who criticize company leadership for always pushing for more office presence, even though productivity levels have been higher since before the pandemic.

According to the Career & Salary Survey data, certain organizations are experiencing a conflict between the expectations of the business and the preferences of their employees.

We are excited to share with you an in-depth analysis that breaks down the data by company size and seniority. This analysis will explore how marketers can effectively tackle the challenges associated with returning to the office.

On our Website, you can find a collection of exclusive news and features that are all based on the insights gathered from the 2024 Career & Salary Survey. These articles cover a range of topics, including the effects of the skills gap and ageism in the field of marketing. Click here to access all the content we have published so far.

Editor's P/S:

The article highlights a growing trend among high-profile brands to increase the number of days spent in the workplace. While some welcome this move, others are resistant, particularly female marketers and younger generations. The pressure to return to the office is not universally welcomed, with many employees valuing the flexibility and productivity of hybrid working. Some argue that the shift back to the office negatively impacts working parents and that productivity metrics do not support the need for increased office presence. This conflict between business expectations and employee preferences poses challenges for organizations and marketers alike.

It's important to note that the article is based on a survey conducted by Our Website, and the results may not be representative of the entire population of marketers. Additionally, the article focuses on the perspectives of employees who are dissatisfied with the return to the office, and does not provide a balanced view of the issue. More research is needed to determine the true extent of employee dissatisfaction and to understand the reasons behind it.