2022 Desired Work Environment

More than 81% of respondents to a recent poll indicated that employees would prefer two (2) or fewer days in the office a week, indicating that hybrid schedules are here to stay. We are in an employee/candidate market and their conditions will set the tone for successful retention and hiring.

These findings are consistent with the thousands of conversations KEES has annually, specifically with job seekers and during general networking discussions. The pandemic has proven, that with the right setup and mindset, a large number of roles can be completed in a place other than “the office.”  Employers of choice will embrace a paradigm shift where effective work is not accomplished only on site.

From KEES’ interactions with employers, hiring managers, and job seekers, remotework is a question in almost every conversation. For some job seekers, desirable working environments will be a condition of accepting their next job. While many employers have not made permanent decisions on a policy (maintaining flexibility and adapting to the ongoing pandemic), KEES hears most employers stating that they will likely have 1-2 days of flexible/hybrid time weekly in the future, largely based on job function.

It should be noted that not all roles or employers can offer hybrid/work from home/remote. Client, patient, and member interaction must be in person for some organizations (healthcare, childcare, hospitality, etc).  When feasible, employers could consider allowing some flexible/hybrid time to those roles requiring direct interaction, potentially ½ to one full day per week, for administrative type duties (charting/record keeping, necessary communication/calls, required learning) that can successfully be completed outside of the physical workspace. 

If you are still struggling to define a hybrid work environment and need consultation on developing norms and polices around hybrid schedules, contact KEES! Insights are based on responses to a 2022 online poll and KEES interaction with our clients and others in the nonprofit sector through our work in nonprofit executive search and Human Resources consulting.

Fun fact: KEES became a virtual company (all work from home/anywhere) in 2014 and has created and adapted to make it our ideal work environment.