New research published by Landsec has revealed a lack of clarity around what ‘hybrid’ working means, with fewer than one in five UK workers agreeing on a definition. This hybrid ‘hotchpotch’ is having a negative impact on bosses’ relationships with their teams.

The research, commissioned in partnership with Censuswide, polled over 800 UK employees across legal, technology, energy and finance firms to understand how employees see the value of the office. Despite hybrid working being the most common working pattern of British office workers today, with the number of hybrid workers almost doubling in just three months earlier this year, over a quarter of respondents (29%) said they were ‘not very satisfied’ or ‘not satisfied at all’ with their employer’s current hybrid working approach. This increases to over half when focused on graduate and entry level employees (52%). As the economy looks for growth, the ‘hotchpotch’ reality of hybrid working is having a negative impact on UK workers.

Nearly eight in ten workers (79%) identify a strong hybrid working approach as an either somewhat or extremely important factor when choosing an employer. In today’s widespread war for talent, businesses have an opportunity to more clearly define what hybrid means as a competitive advantage. The polling revealed that when an office works well it can benefit employee development and connection between colleagues:

• 51% of workers feel more comfortable asking for support in the office, vs 36% working remotely.
• 50% feel more confident they have greater career development opportunities in the office, vs 38% working remotely.
• 55% noted stronger connection with colleagues, vs 34% working remotely.

Research also highlighted the vital role the office has to play in supporting employee wellbeing, with 70% of employees finding it easier to protect their mental health when working some of their time in the office and some of their time at home, compared to all of their time at home.

Oli Knight, Head of Offices at Landsec, said:

“There is no doubt the pandemic accelerated the rise of hybrid working. In this new world, businesses of all shapes and size are having to adapt at pace with few sources of inspiration as to what success looks like – and today’s research reveals that hybrid working is poorly defined as a result. This has led to a myriad of different approaches, not all of which are working. This naturally raises the question: is this flexible approach to hybrid wrong? At Landsec, we don’t believe so; but we do believe businesses must let their culture define what hybrid means for them. As landlords, we work in close partnerships with our customers to deliver tailored workplace solutions that are as unique as the businesses themselves. This is no doubt a challenge – but not one businesses have to face alone.”

Harriet Minter, a hybrid work consultant and author of WFH, How to Build a Career You Love when You’re Not in the Office, said:

“Expectations around what work looks like have drastically changed over the last few years, leaving both employers and employees uncertain about what hybrid really means. Being bold about what hybrid means for your business and offering a workplace that is set up to support that approach, whether through integrated technology solutions or a tailored selection of different spaces within the workplace, is a sure-fire way to keep your business ahead in the war for talent. Without this, employers will find themselves losing out as current employees become disengaged and potential candidates lean towards employers with a clearer definition of hybrid and an office which brings them closer to company culture and adds clear value to both their work experience and their work-life balance.”

Read Landsec’s report ‘The Future Office: Rising expectations in a hybrid world’.