Over 50% of workforce likely to return to offices thrice a week BY 2022: NASSCOM report

Workforce under the age of 25 and above 40 years is interested to return to offices, and 70% of organizations are looking at hybrid models

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), in association with Indeed, today launched its report titled ‘NASSCOM Return to Workplace Survey’. The report is developed basis a return to workplace surveys conducted by NASSCOM focused on both tech employees and tech employers on their plans on return to offices. The report aims at understanding the expectations, key considerations, and preparedness on both fronts (employers & employees) for return to the workplace and further analyzes different future operating models emerging in a hybrid setup.

According to the report, both employees and employers are equally interested in making a comeback to the workplace in a hybrid setup, whereas 50% of the workforce is likely to return to offices for up to 3 days a week starting next year. Primarily the junior and senior management i.e., workforce under the age of 25 & above 40 years are eager to return to the workplace as compared to the middle management. The report also states that female employees are also excited about returning to offices and adapting to newer working models.

Further, the survey states that though over 81% of organizations expressed that employee health & safety remains the key consideration for them while reopening the offices. However, 72% of organizations are looking at operating at a maximum of 50% employee capacity starting next year itself. In the post-pandemic era, companies are looking forward to implementing newer work operating models. Today, the hybrid work model is the preferred choice by over 70% of organizations as per the report data findings. While IT services and GCCs are likely to be early adopters of a long-term hybrid work model.

Sharing her thoughts, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, said, “Over the last one and a half years, the way tech organizations have run business operations has undergone a massive transformation. The industry is now prepared to gradually re-open and looking at perfecting a hybrid operating model which brings in the best of both onsite and remote operating models. We encourage tech companies to process the reopening in a phased and safe manner while keeping the employee health and safety as the topmost priority.”

Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales, India - Indeed.com, said, " Since the pandemic hit businesses across the globe, pushing employees indoors, many believed that the future of work is ‘remote’. However, organisations and employees gradually realized that remote work is an outcome of the pandemic and not an evolved approach to workplace planning. In fact, Indeed’s last hiring tracker indicated that employees are looking for more ‘flexible’ workplaces that will enable work-home balance. ‘NASSCOM Return to Workplace Survey’ reflects a similar sentiment as more than half of employers and employees favor returning to office in a hybrid model, making it clear that the future of work is hybrid."

The workforce has shown tremendous resilience throughout the remote working but now they are keen to return to offices expecting a better infrastructure and hardware, alignment with organizational culture, social connect and bonding with peers, and lesser distractions. The report further highlights while the benefits of the remote model were noted in terms of higher workforce productivity and greater flexibility for employees, risks related to data and cybersecurity mounted along with an impact on organizational culture. Keeping this in consideration, data security, stakeholder preferences, and employee vaccination status is likely to be the key determinants of which employees will return to workplace first. NASSCOM in this report further gives recommendations for organizations on transitioning to a hybrid ready operating model and returning to offices through a 10-point checklist.