75% of the employees today want to be in

75% of the employees today want to be in office at least once a week as compared to 52% in October 2020: JLL

Key Highlights:

- 91% of the respondents favour flexible working hours

- The social interactions that an office space provides are being sorely missed, to the extent that 41% of the workforce is craving ‘real’ human interactions with colleagues while 31% of them miss a change of scenery

- 79% of the workforce wants to work remotely from home at least once in a week, and this number goes up to 89% when a third-party place of work is added

- 21% of the workforce does not want to work from home in the future, as opposed to 16% in October last year

- 91% of the workforce want to choose their schedules and working hours as per the latest results, up from 69% as per the October 2020 survey results

75% of the employees today want to be in office at least once a week as compared to 52% in October 2020: JLL

The JLL survey indicates that a workplace that cares about health and well-being is now the number one priority for employees

Employees want more balance in their working patterns, with a hybrid work model and flexibility being key.  Even as the office retains its place in a working set-up being reshaped in a post-COVID world, aspirations are increasing from the modern workplace while homeworking is still preferred, according to JLL’s latest Workers Preference Barometer for India.

91% of the respondents favour flexible working hours. The priorities of the workforce have undergone a shift with an empathetic employer and work-life balance being their key asks, even ahead of a comfortable salary.  The pandemic has prioritized working in an environment that puts health and well-being at the forefront.

While the workforce shifted seamlessly to Work From Home (WFH) due to the pandemic for over a year now, the prolonged and enforced homeworking has brought to the fore the need to “connect’ with colleagues, while more traditional levers such as ‘purpose in the job’ and ‘visibility’ are not the top priorities they used to be, finds the survey.

The social interactions that an office space provides are being sorely missed, to the extent that 41% of the workforce is craving ‘real’ human interactions with colleagues while 31% of them miss a change of scenery. Amongst the most missed aspects of the weekly routine, coffee and socializing in social activities, personal time for relaxing and spending time with family stand out.

India prefers homeworking, but balance in working patterns has emerged as a key theme. 79% of the workforce wants to work remotely from home at least once in a week, and this number goes up to 89% when a third-party place of work is added. An ideal working week, post Covid, seems to be one where employees spend three days working remotely and two days in office, with office remaining a key element to the aspirational working regime. According to the survey, 21% of the workforce does not want to work from home in the future, as opposed to 16% in October last year. However, flexibility is becoming more attractive. 91% of the workforce want to choose their schedules and working hours as per the latest results, up from 69% as per the October 2020 survey results.

The hybrid work environment retains its appeal, but more people want to return to the office at least once a week, says the survey findings. Almost 75% of the surveyed employees want to work from office at least once a week compared to 52% in October 2020. Significantly, still 79% employees today want to work from home atleast once a week compared to 84% in October 2020, indicating that homeworking as part of flexible work patterns is a key desire.

The survey also brings to the fore renewed aspirations from the workplace of the future. This will act as a barometer for the employers and occupiers to understand changing needs from the workplace and workplace strategies, which will provide a more balanced work-life pattern to employees as they aspire to return to purpose-led offices in the future.

“The offices of the future will have to be more human-centric, putting health and well-being at the forefront. Almost 60% of those surveyed believe that a workplace that promotes a healthy lifestyle and safety is a key priority. There is a greater understanding and need for work-life balance amongst employees now. We are also seeing the need for human connection gaining prominence amongst employees as they crave social connections and emotional engagements in the workplace. Companies will need to be mindful of the requirement for more flexible work patterns even as they are putting greater focus on the well-being of employees and extending support to help employees navigate an array of health challenges,” said Radha Dhir, CEO and Country Head, India, JLL.

JLL’s research shows that more than half of respondents feel overwhelmed by a huge mental load and are worried about their job security, while majority of young parents have expressed that they have many personal and professional responsibilities to cope with which is intensifying the feeling of being overwhelmed.

‘Purpose-led offices’ are the new future

According to the survey, 91% of employees who are highly satisfied with their office environment strongly miss their offices. However, office satisfaction rate has also dropped as employees now have renewed expectations of their office environment. While there is a dip in productivity levels at home, a significant number still feel more productive at home. But more employees are looking forward to “purpose-led offices” of the future.

“We have witnessed renewed demands of the workforce for the workplaces with employees’ rising aspirations and expectations. Employees are more demanding about what the office should offer them in the future. They are looking for a working ecosystem that facilitates flexible work arrangements, physical and financial safety, and a desire for spaces that create a strong sense of community and culture,” said Dr Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research & REIS (India), JLL..

“As we are emerging from the effects of the pandemic, it has become essential to create a human-centric framework and cater to employees’ aspirations of a healthy and sustainable workplace while augmenting it with innovative technologies in line with the evolving needs of employees,” he further added.

A global research survey of over 3,300 respondents was undertaken to create this barometer which was consolidated over time with two previous surveys over the whole year of the pandemic starting March 2020 and repeated in October 2020 and March 2021.

In India, all respondents were over 18+ and working professionals and working with companies with at least 100 employees or more. Over 90% of the surveyed were employed with private companies with big corporates comprising 70% of these and SMEs forming the rest. Additionally, quotas on age, managerial responsibilities, company size and industry were used as well to get a more homogeneous profile of employees participating in the survey.

41% of the surveyed employees believe that

 41% of the surveyed employees believe that a professional environment
is conducive for work: JLL

(re)imagining workforce in the ‘next normal’

 • 82% of surveyed employees stated that they missed office

• There is a need to apply some prudent measures to support the return of the workforce to offices. Leaders and organizations’ policies have a huge role to play

• Proactive approach is needed to ensure employee health and well-being in the current scenario

• The future of workplace strategy needs to adapt to the new work practices and processes

 Globally, we are in midst of a tectonic shift in terms of the way organizations work. As India Inc continues its work from home, the biggest shift that has taken place in the last four months has been from a focus on employee productivity to employee wellbeing. Therefore, how organizations address the anxiety and stress of its employees has become the focal point of corporate culture all across the globe.

 The work from home experience until now

 The workforce needs a supportive infrastructure and a futuristic approach for its comeback. The initial shock of the lockdown and the subsequent gratification of working remotely has now plateaued across the workforce. Several factors have led to such a change. Nearly zero social engagement with the peer group, office colleagues and buddies are some of the reasons that are compelling a large section of the workforce, currently working from home, to feel stressed and miss their office. 

 JLL recently conducted a Global Work from Home Experience Survey to the understand the take of its employees on the current crisis and introduction to the new business reality and its probable future. The results of the study revealed that Indian workforce continues to be confident about the future. The fundamental and foremost priority for leaders is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees and HR community is ready to be the ambassador of this change. 

 According to the findings of JLL Global Work from Home Experience Survey, 41% of the surveyed employees believed that a professional environment is conducive for work while 31% of them laid emphasis on the importance of human interaction and social connecting at workplace. 82% of surveyed employees stated that they missed office.

 As the corporate sector prepares for the next normal amidst the pandemic, the elevated confidence of the employees suggests immense opportunities as we redefine the future of the office. 59% of employees surveyed have shown optimism about the future state of their business while showcase high confidence in the future of their companies. The survey further revealed that 56% of  employees have highest faith in the resilience of national economy.

 “It is safe to say that an office is the face of an organization, and employees are its greatest asset. As offices promote collaboration among the workforce, there is a need to reinvigorate the stalled process of working together in a much more cohesive and innovative manner. While we need to work on our re-entry strategy, there is a need to address and care about the fundamentals of human experience at workplaces, stated Tanvi Choksi, HR Head India & JLL Business Services Global.

 “However, the most vital aspect of Work From home is that the workforce, while managing household responsibilities, expectations of family members and the office work, may be continuously dealing with isolation and mental stress. It is even more prevalent in people, who live alone in metros, away from their families. The undue stress and anxiety can have an impact on their well-being. Hence, their psychological safety is paramount, and re-entry is necessary, she further added.

 The CHRO’s double whammy - Two key elements  are paramount for leaders – how to keep the productivity intact and maintain the mental stress levels under control while the workforce is away from the workplace Hence, a re-entry strategy needs to encompass within itself all concerns – the stress of working from home, maintaining productivity levels like pre-COVID-19 times, new hiring, talent retention and the social distancing for safe working. It also implies that the future of workplace strategy has to adapt to the changes as per new practices/ norms. 

 The approach towards workforce well-being 

 With most employees in India facing a prospect of an extended work from home scenario, several changes and HR policies are the need of the hour to offer a sense of confidence and safety amongst the workforce such as:

 Regular awards and encouragement to boost employee engagement during COVID – A reframed rewards programme will thus go a long way in building an intrinsic forward-looking peopleoriented company. Several in the peer group have confirmed to initiate sensitization sessions with line managers to infuse some of the best cultural values. Human resources teams across firms will need to implement a rewards programme or a strategy to acknowledge the contribution of an employee even when he/she is working from home or working in shifts. For instance, people working in the logistics and retail sectors are at high risk of contracting the COVID virus. Those working on client sites, maintaining client facilities are often spending long hours to ensure a safe workplace for everyone else. Tough times are often a test of people culture of an organization. 

 Reskilling can equip the workforce to be future ready – A re-skilling initiative at multiple levels, including those at managerial roles may come as a support to the staff. Moreover, learning and development will equip the workforce to be future-ready. For the staff to perform optimally, managers must handhold their team members to guide through critical client deliverables. Regular manager-employee connect sessions may help in this regard.

 Digital adoption & transformation – Adoption of technology and automation have quickly evolved to become a part of the entire workplace ecosystem. Employee engagement programmes, thus, need to be institutionalized. The adoption of new technologies will both facilitate remote working and also ensure workers well-being and efficiency on their return to office buildings. Occupier demand is expected to gravitate toward technology-heavy smart office buildings, reflecting their ability to support companies’ environmental, sustainability, health and wellness initiatives. 

 Realigning workforce strategies & new approach – Leaders need to institutionalize new ways of working to their teams to help them navigate through this pandemic. While line managers, team leads are expected to be the change enablers, leaders will have to become that role model on top of the ecosystem. Leaders need to come forward and narrate their own stories of transformation, fight against the challenges at home etc. A top-down communication will motivate employees to up their game.

BMW Group India pledges its commitment towards fighting

BMW Group India pledges its commitment towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

-          Participation in creation of isolation ward at Government General Hospital, Chengalpattu near BMW Group Plant Chennai.

 

-          Critical care equipment and services for medical facilities.

 

-          Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for frontline medical personnel and law enforcement agencies.

 

-          Nutrition for economically marginalised families will be funded as part of the initiative.

 

-          Employees further strengthen the efforts through voluntarily contribution.

 

 

BMW Group India has pledged INR 3 crore in the ongoing battle against COVID-19 pandemic. Associations with government and non-government organisations have been initiated for on-ground implementation in Delhi NCR and Chennai. Employees of BMW Group India, BMW Group Plant Chennai and BMW India Financial Services voluntarily contributed towards the cause.

 

Mr. Rudratej Singh, President and Chief Executive Officer, BMW Group India said, “The coronavirus pandemic presents a mammoth challenge to public health, industry, economy and business. Responsible action and sincere efforts are immensely crucial for minimising impact on human life, providing immediate relief to the underprivileged and reinforcing those engaged at the frontline of this crisis. The most important need of the hour is to flatten the curve and ensure social distancing. It is a top priority and responsibility that we are taking very seriously. At the BMW Group, we have a strong culture and value system which has always stood the test of time. The resolve and commitment of our employees and dealer partners across India to fight this unprecedented threat to mankind is strong and undeterred. We will remain resilient and responsive.”

In Chengalpattu, near Plant Chennai, BMW Group India will participate in creation of an isolation ward for patients at the Government General Hospital.

 

Critical care equipment and services will be provided for medical facilities in Delhi NCR and Chennai.

 

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) will be provided for frontline medical personnel and law enforcement agencies in Delhi NCR and Chennai.

 

Nutrition for the economically marginalised families around Plant Chennai and Delhi NCR will be funded as part of the initiative.

 

‘Work from home’ at BMW Group India.

For well-being of employees in midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, work from home has been implemented across BMW Group offices in India. The National Sales Company and BMW India Financial Services are working from home since 23 March 2020 until 3 May 2020. Local production at BMW Group Plant Chennai has accordingly been stopped till 3 May 2020. Essential services such as security, facility management and health centre continue to operate. Business continuity is being ensured across all functions while adhering to all government directives and necessary safety measures. Across the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad dealerships in India, staff are working from home to offer services to customers. After sales and breakdown services staff are operating as per the local government directives and are functional with limitations. All showrooms are presently closed and will reopen as per government advisory.