Some employees worry working remotely full-time could harm career progression

With research showing that people want a blend of home and office working, over 53% stated that they felt working remotely on a full-time basis would have a detrimental impact on their career progression.

The research, on which Kellogg partnered with jobs site Indeed, surveyed more than 1,000 workers between 30 March and 5 April 2022 and highlights the mood of Irish employees as companies begin to navigate new ways of working.

A resounding message emerged from the research that employees are now looking for greater work-life balance, with 93% of people saying they would like to work for an employer who supports and encourages this. With this comes a key finding that almost 40% of respondents said they would be unlikely to take a job with a company that did not have a flexible or hybrid working policy in place. The figure increases to 42% for women aged 35 to 44 years.

When it comes to choosing an employer, 50% would forfeit flexible working in favour of a higher salary. The top five benefits people look for from a potential employer are flexible working, a good pension scheme, bonuses, health insurance, and professional development.

Almost 77% also state it is important to them that their employer is a leader in gender equality in the workplace, and 87% want to work for a company that supports its local community.

The majority of respondents (58%) said a short commute and good public transport would entice them to spend more time in the office. Over half of respondents said they would be willing to spend between 30 and 59 minutes commuting to the office every day, with only 5% saying they’d be willing to travel for 1-2 hours.

Knowing your team will be in the office on the same day, modern on-site facilities and better equipment, free snacks, and faceto-face time with senior management make up the top five advantages to getting back to office life.