Over 50% of Irish professionals would start looking for a new job if they were told by their employer that they’d have to work more days in the office.
With over two-fifths (43% ) stating costs associated with returning to the office as a key deterrent.
The findings are from a recent poll of 2,000 Irish white-collar workers conducted by specialist international recruitment company Robert Walters.
According to the Robert Walters 2024 salary survey, hybrid-working remains in the top three most desired benefits across every professional field.
Primary issue in the 2024 workplace
A figure of 39% of professionals stated that ‘changes to hybrid-working’ will have the biggest impact on workplaces this year – before changes to rewards & benefits schemes (22% ), advancements in generative AI (21% ) and effective leadership (18% ).
Office deterrents
The main reasons for professionals not wanting to spend more days in office were associated costs (46% ), disruption to their work-life balance (28% ), long commutes (16% ) and too many distractions at work (10% ).
Office attractions
However, when it comes to what is drawing professionals back to the office – over a third (35% ) stated more days in the office helped with their weekly routine. Other advantages were brainstorming with colleagues (27% ), in-person meetings (25% ) and more facetime with senior figures (13% ).
Full RTO not expected – yet
That is not to say that a full return-to-office across professional services is on the cards for the next 12 months at least. The Robert Walters poll also found that 70% of company leaders said they wouldn’t issue a full return-to-office this year - despite a quarter (26% ) wanting to see employees in the office more.
Suzanne Feeney, Country Manager at Robert Walters Ireland, shared her top three ways to get employees back into the office:
Assisting with employee spend – things like subsidising travel, providing breakfast or lunch packages are relatively low-cost incentives that make a huge difference to professionals’ daily costs and budget.
Upscale mentorship/training opportunities – having a mentorship programme or additional training opportunities in the office provides a significant draw for professionals looking to upskill.
Organise brainstorming sessions or interactive Q&As with senior figures – having a more open, collaborative and communicative culture can be a big draw for professionals returning to the office – as it is something many will want to get involved with.
