GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE
57
“Attracting and retaining top talent is no longer solely a numbers game”
Agility and Empathy Employers must decide which working models best suit their business needs but, as with many pragmatic decisions these days, agility is key to harnessing the power of the change in the air. Good reasons to return to the office are becoming as unique as the employees behind them, there is no longer a one-size-fits-all solution. Some neurodivergent employees may prefer to work independently and limit populous meetings while others might thrive in a buzzy shared space, workers with caring responsibilities might not be able to abide by a rigid structure or may prefer set time in-office to devote to work. Older employees might enjoy a return to a familiar working pattern while young parents might welcome the home/work separation of in-office time or the flexibility of remote working. Understanding the diverse and evolving needs of the contemporary workforce is the most important step towards making a powerful change in the way we approach in-office working; consider where people are in their professional and personal lives and meet them where they’re at. A blanket return to work order can be detrimental to morale and exposes organisations to the risk of absences or resignations by increasing stress levels and financial pressures on those
with external responsibilities and other demands on their time. Fostering a sense of community and having an open dialogue about why it is worth being at work - being present and making a contribution not just being in the building - that makes sense to each employee might be the simplest and most effective way to unite every employee. Adobe’s Future Workforce Study found career progression - training and growth opportunities - was a key motivator for Gen Z with 70 per cent keen to expand their impact within the company and progress up the corporate ladder to the C-suite. Fifty per cent said a lack of a clear path to promotion was one of the main reasons they would leave a job. By prioritising employee needs - whether that’s a reliable infrastructure to support home-working, mobile tech for hybrid working or well-signposted training and career progression opportunities - organisations can take positive steps that will enhance the employee experience and motivate people to make a proactive choice to come back. Because they want to be there.
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