For many employees, the thought of returning to a physical workplace has been the light at the end of a two-year long tunnel. For others, feelings are a little more complex. A lot has changed since the start of the pandemic and employee expectations in the workplace are very different to what they once were.
When it comes to returning to a physical location, employee perks that were once considered a ‘nice to have’ have been pushed aside by a list of non-negotiables, replacing the ping pong tables and fruit bowls of the past. According to Seek, full-time employees are now driven by work-life balance almost as much as they are by salary and compensation. And when it comes to the organisations job seekers are drawn to, they value supportive and respectful companies above all else.
But how do these desires translate in the office? Here’s what employees really expect from their workplace in 2022.
Flexibility when it comes to in-person days and hours
In many industries, the days of working five days in a set location are long gone – and a majority of employees agree that it’s a good thing. According to Seek’s Laws of Attraction research, 28% of full-time employees said that the ability to work from home is a must-have, while another 49% said they’d be delighted if it was offered.
Good Mood Dudes create evidence-based health and wellbeing programs for employers to implement in workplaces. Founder Nick Chartes says that beyond the option to work remotely, employees should be given the option of deciding which days of the week they’re at home and which they’re in the workplace. “In most businesses right now, it’s all about autonomy and flexibility: the autonomy to select how many days in which people are going into the office, as well as the flexibility to adjust that on a week by week basis,” Chartes says.
And it’s not just flexibility around days, but hours on site too. “I think core hours are an antiquated concept,” says psychologist and Seek ambassador Sabina Read. “Before the pandemic, flexibility used to be primarily for the benefit of people who had children, but I’ve long held the belief that you don’t need to have kids to warrant flexibility. There are so many other parts of a human’s life that are a valid reason for wanting flexible hours like exercise, caregiving, or pets.”
A workplace that’s easy to get to and work in
If employees are going to leave the comfort of their own home, it makes sense they’re hoping to spend time in a space that’s just as, if not more, enjoyable to be in. Through the pandemic, many people got used to running errands and working out through the workday, and those desires are going to continue.
“Natural light, fresh air, and end-of-trip facilities – so people can ride into work or go to the gym at lunchtime – are now pretty much mandatory for a lot of companies,” says Chartes. “Being close to public transport, supermarkets, gyms, parks, and green space is also great.” Seek’s data tells the same story with 54% of full-time employees saying they’d be delighted if their workplace was easy to walk or cycle to.
When it comes to the internal set-up of the work environment, Read says privacy is just as important as aesthetics. “What many people really need in an office is privacy, whether it’s in meeting rooms or another space where they can get away to focus or take video calls.” As hybrid work becomes the norm, physical spaces need to enable employees to connect with remote workers without disturbing their team.
Practical perks that go beyond free coffee and snacks
In the past, a free coffee may have been enough to entice employees to work each morning. But now? Not so much. Instead, employees are looking for benefits that will improve their work/life balance. “It’s not likely that someone’s going to choose a job or company based on the quality of muesli in the kitchen,” Chartes says. “There’s been a transition over the last four or five years, going from basic ‘perks’ to things like increased parental leave, uncapped leave, time in lieu, and school holiday programmes for kids.”
In fact, according to Read, offering low-value perks can have the opposite to the desired effect on employees. “Now, we need to think beyond free coffee and breakfast, fruit bowls, or even yoga classes,” she says. “It can undermine an employee’s value, or at least their perception of how valued they are, when the things being offered aren’t meaningful to them.”
Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images
Trust from their employer
Benefits like flexible working hours and remote work require a certain level of trust between an employee and their manager. However, Read warns that this doesn’t mean these perks should only be offered to long-term employees.
“Employers need to find other ways to cultivate trust without assuming that trust is born from longevity and many hours, or years, of face-to-face contact,” she says. “They need to trust that people want to work, to learn, to grow, and to see the fruits of their labour. And that needs to be the default until proven otherwise.”
Explore Seek’s Laws of Attraction portal and find out what jobseekers are looking for.
