Out of sight but not out of mind: Employees believe strong company culture will underpin hybrid world of work

New working dynamics increase importance of an inclusive organisational culture

Culture and experiences are top employee care-abouts, once logistics and technology are addressed

Communicative leadership key to maintaining a sense of stability, recognition and autonomy for employees

London, UK, 29 March, 2021: Businesses planning for new workplace models and a safe return to office may be well underway, but strong company cultures will be the critical component that make new ways of work sustainable in the long-term. According to Cisco’s Workforce of the Future research, experiences ranging from frequent and effective communication through to greater recognition and professional development are all areas within the cultural matrix where employees believe matter most.

UK employees spend on average half of their waking hours working[1], amplifying the importance of not only optimizing office and virtual workspaces, but building strong, inclusive organisational cultures too. While many remote workers feel empowered and trusted by their managers and teams to do the job at hand, there are still a significant minority who are concerned about being left behind. One-in-six do not feel trusted to do their job from home, without extensive oversight, and whilst half of the workforce feel recognised, the other half believe their achievements are being overlooked.

Opportunity for progression is another prominent concern, with 35% of employees worried that not sitting near their manager will impact their career goals. Communicative leadership will be paramount to overcoming the challenge of proximity, as well as maintaining a sense of stability and autonomy. 84% of employees agree that leaders must communicate more, the longer they are dispersed.

Training and development remains front of mind for individuals who now, more than ever, are tasked with mastering technology in their everyday work. Almost four in five (81%) employees want leaders to prioritise training on technologies and in digital skills, with nearly two thirds (63%) concerned that this will not improve in the new normal.

David Meads, Chief Executive, Cisco UK & Ireland said: “People choose an employer for many reasons, but they buy in to a company for its culture and its values. As we continue to work from home and navigate the challenges and opportunities of shifting to remote and hybrid working, we have to be inclusive, taking everyone on the journey with us. We must take extra steps to ensure that everyone feels invested in, and technology will play a vital role in ensuring that dispersed employees and teams feel connected.”

The pandemic has changed the way we work forever, with employees now seeking greater ownership and choice in where and when they work – blending between being office-based and working remotely. As businesses establish their hybrid workplace models, they are faced with the challenge of implementing bespoke long-term solutions that truly transform employee experiences regardless of location, and support productivity.

While 54% feel they have the full technology set-up to work from home, there is still a significant proportion who don’t. Equipping employees with the right tools to connect and collaborate is a key part of this journey. Cloud-based collaboration platforms supported by AI and advanced analytics that enable features such as facial detection, transcriptions, and translations, play a powerful role in bringing dispersed teams together as well as driving greater engagement and innovation virtually.

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About Workforce of the Future

Cisco commissioned Censuswide to survey 10,095 workers who have been working from home for 10 consecutive days or more, in 12 countries, since the start of lockdown. These countries are the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia, the UAE, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Neutral responses such as ‘neither agree nor disagree’ or ‘don’t know’ have been removed from the base statistics. The survey included workers in businesses from 2 to 500+ employees across a number of sectors. The survey was carried out between 11th – 25th August 2020. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

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[1] Based on an average night’s sleep of 8 hours and an 8 hour working day.