Microsoft has just released an insightful report into their experiences of how the workforce is changing towards a hybrid workforce. It follows a study of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries and an analysis of trillions of productivity and labor signals across Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn.
The move to a hybrid workforce
Microsoft argues that, with over 40 percent of the global workforce considering leaving their employer this year, a thoughtful approach towards moving to a hybrid workforce will be critical for attracting and retaining diverse talent.
Clearly, Microsoft has a vested interest in understanding the future of work. They were notably one of the first tech companies to invest heavily in contractors that today make up a significant portion of their workforce, supporting 160,000+ employees around the world.
One of the more insightful conclusions on the hybrid workforce is that one in five respondents to their survey say their employer doesn’t care about their work-life balance, while fifty-four percent feel overworked and thirty-nine percent feel exhausted. The strong indicators are that working in isolation plugged into a computer is initially good for work productivity, but the effectiveness of workers soon drops without some level of social interaction and human engagement. It destroys the close networks that exist in businesses between colleagues and leaves new entrants into the workplace (i.e. Gen Z) feeling emotionally lost and somewhat inhibited from getting involved in general business conversations.
The impact of moving to a hybrid workforce model for younger workers
“Networking as someone early in their career has gotten so much more daunting since the move to fully remote work — especially since switching to a totally different team during the pandemic. Without hallway conversations, chance encounters, and small talk over coffee, it’s hard to feel connected even to my immediate team, much less build meaningful connections across the company.” Source: Hannah McConnaughey, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft
Please note: The insights provided on the evolution of a hybrid workforce in this section are commonly republished from third-party sources. Articles are the exclusive opinions of the authors. Simplify accepts no liability for their accuracy or for any consequential impacts of any actions resulting from the use of this information.
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