About that hybrid workplace…. A new Harris Poll survey gives insights into what it might look like. It turns out women and people of color are generally happier working from home and are likelier than their white male colleagues to want to continue teleworking.
- 52% of women say they enjoy working remotely and would like to do so in the long term, compared with 41% of men. Just 15% of women say working in person allows for more camaraderie among colleagues, compared with 25% of men.
- 52% of Black workers and 50% of women say working from home is better than working in the office when it comes to advancing in their careers, compared with 42% of men.
- 63% of Black workers and 58% of women say they feel more ambitious when working from home versus the office. Just 46% of men feel the same way.
And when asked about their anxieties over returning to offices, 47% of women of color say they worry about having to dress for work, compared with 31% of men.
A key quote: “It’s output over office politics,” says John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll. “It’s the theater of the office that is often alienating women workers, workers of color, women of color.”
Why do we care?
This struck me from the piece – quote “Executives are nearly three times as likely to want to work in person as employees, and sociologists fear that hybrid workplaces will be two-tiered, with leadership and white male employees interacting at the office, while teleworking women and people of color are left behind. “Companies could undo significant gains in diversity, equity and inclusion, and culture-building with return-to-work mandates,” Gerzema says.
I maintain that this is a good investment for business – positive upside on revenue, reach and hiring. Theater of the office. Let that one sink in for a while. Where are you spending your time?