Close to two-thirds (63%) of employees across the world say their companies will make remote work a permanent fixture following the global pandemic, according to results of the 2021 Global Employee Survey from Globalization Partners.
This year’s survey was conducted in June covering 1,250 employees in 15 countries — the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Singapore, Australia, and Japan.
Results shows that 83% of respondents said they are always (34%) or frequently happy (46%) in their role at work. In addition, nearly half (48%) of employees feel happier about work since working remotely.
Also, half of respondents said that a good work-life balance was a key factor in contributing to their employee experience, with 41% saying being part of a team was important.
In the Asia-Pacific region (Singapore, Australia, and Japan), respondents placed high importance in career development and progression, in addition to work-life balance and belonging to a team.
While globally career development and progression are sixth on the list, employees in APAC ranked it second in importance, tied with being part of a team.
Over half (56%) of respondents reported their perception of their company leaders stayed the same or worsened since the outset of the pandemic.
However, for the 44% that reported an improved perception of company leaders, they also plan to stay working at their current company for more than three years.
The report also highlights that remote working doesn’t necessarily mean “work from anywhere,” with most global employees (68%) staying in the same location while working for the same company during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, 22% of respondents have relocated locally or plan to do so, and 17% have relocated internationally or plan to do so. As a result, employers should prepare to support employee mobility to retain their best talent.
“While there had been somewhat of a lenient approach when employees had to work in different jurisdictions due to travel restrictions, such flexibilities are not permanent,” said Bob Cahill, CFO of Globalization Partners.
In APAC, the main challenges faced by global employees included managing time zones, finding good communication methods, breaking down language barriers, and enhancing and speeding up processes.
