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Worker Preferences Barometer: Global Research
Worker Preferences Barometer: Global Research
Worker Preferences Barometer: Global Research
Global Research
Worker Preferences
Barometer
Intr oduction
In the 15 months that have passed since the first major lockdowns were
implemented across the world, the pandemic has created a seismic shift in working
and living patterns. Workers adapted to homeworking in compliance with health
and safety guidelines and revealed an appetite for greater flexibility and new hybrid
ways of working.
The latest readings from our global office worker barometer indicate that forced
adoption of remote working has created opportunities, but it is also exposing
new social risks. Workers say they are experiencing an increased amount of virtual
fatigue, or burn-out, and are increasingly wanting to get back to the office most of
the time. This suggests that offices will be more important now than ever before
as the center of the work ecosystem and that outstanding office environments
will remain a critical way to engage employees. More than a year after the start of
Covid-19, our objective was to understand how employees are feeling today about
this new way of working.
What are the key expectations of the workforce for the future?
69%
of people highly satisfied with their
office environment strongly miss their
office, whereas it is only 5% among
those who are not fully satisfied with
their usual office environment.
63%
of the workforce want to keep the
possibility to alternate between
different places of work in the future.
3 days a week
in the office is the new employee
preference, with 2 days a week
remote: 1.5 days at home and half a
day in a third-party place.
37%
of the workforce feel more productive
at home than in the office today,
compared with 48% in April 2020.
47%
say they are satisfied with their office
today. This is a major drop compared
with 63% satisfaction recorded a year
ago. The office needs in-depth
redesign to match employees’
new expectations.
79%
of the time saved on commuting has
been used to improve quality of life
through allowing more leisure time
or enabling people to deal with their
family responsibilities.
88%
of the workforce would like more
flexible working hours in the future.
61%
of the workforce are craving
‘real’ human interactions
with colleagues.
52%
miss a change of scenery.
48%
of the workforce feel overwhelmed
today by a huge mental load.
58%
consider health and well-being
programs as the key element
that will make their employer
unique in the long run.
57%
of Gen Z feel under pressure; half of
them are worried about their jobs.
57%
of young parents feel overwhelmed
by a huge mental load.
A global barometer to understand how office workers feel about their homeworking and how it impacts
their priorities at work, performance and well-being
3,317 10 300
office workers countries respondents per country*
UK
Canada
Germany
USA
China Japan
France
India
Singapore
Australia
The latest readings from our workforce preferences barometer are based on responses
from 3,300 office workers across the world, providing a valuable comparison with the
previous surveys we conducted in April and October 2020.
March 2021
Worker Preferences Survey *Except in the USA with 600 respondents.
Nostalgia for the office is directly % Missing the office strongly + fairly
driven by the quality of the office according to…
environment. 69%
53%
Low (0 to 6) Q: To what extent do
you miss working from
the office today?
Source: JLL, 2021
Worker Preferences Barometer | 8
The office of the future will have
to be more human, resilient and
respectful of health.
New healthy habits are here to stay. When asked Crucial working habits, March 2021
about their expectations post-pandemic, the Heightened levels of cleaning
picture presented by employees is exactly the same 50%
as the one shown last October. 1 in 2 employees
Working remotely
considers heightened hygiene protocols as crucial,
45%
but also new working practices such as recourse
to remote work and digital interactions whenever Less dense work environments
possible. 1 in 3 expects long-lasting impacts on the 37%
design of work environments: less density, physical Digital interactions when possible
separations, etc. 1 in 4 does not want to share their 36%
desk anymore, revealing the long-term impact of No large in-person meetings
the crisis on the employee mindset. 34%
Physical space separation within the workspace
33%
No desk-sharing
25%
Limited business travel
24%
A year after the start of Covid-19, some signals of homeworking fatigue stand out:
33%
of the workforce do not want to work from home in
the future, as opposed to 28% in October last year.
Never Less than once 1 day a week 2 days 3 days 4 days 5 days
a week
March 2021
October 2020
Weekly average 2021: 1.5 days a week
Weekly average 2020: 1.9 days a week
Q: How many days a week would you like to work from home post Covid-19?
Source: JLL, 2021 Worker Preferences Barometer | 10
Hybrid working remains top of mind for employees, but that interest is
starting to decline.
63% 79%
of the workforce want to work in a hybrid style in the of the workforce aspire to be back in the
future, having the ability to switch between different office at least once a week. It was 74%
places of work: home, office and third-party places. last October.
It was 67% last October. At the other end of the
spectrum, 37% of employees want to work in a
single place.
In third-party places
(café, hotel lounge, coworking facility, etc.)
36%
vs. 40% in October 2020
Q: How many days a week would you like to work in these different places post Covid-19?
Source: JLL, 2021
The feeling of being productive at home is lower Productivity and workplace satisfaction
than a year ago. Strikingly, employees are also
I feel more productive at home
more critical of their usual office. Their level of than in the office
expectation for the places they will work from in 48%
the future is rising drastically.
37%
47%
are satisfied by their usual place
of work, compared with 63% a Q: To what extent do you miss working from the office?
How close is your usual office environment to your ideal one?
year ago.
(we are focusing here on your usual workplace in your office).
Source: JLL, 2021
37% Ithan
feel more productive
in the office
42% Iasfeelin the
as productive
office
22% Iproductive
feel less
than
in the office
Q: To what extent do you feel productive when working from home today?
Source: JLL, 2021
Very emotional attitude to work: more Less fulfilled by their job, feeling less engaged
engaged, fulfilled, empowered… but also more and less empowered.
under pressure, overwhelmed, disenchanted
Missing the office greatly for the social life
and afraid of the future.
it offers and work-life boundaries it creates:
More attached to their office. 53% are highly 65% are missing the office (vs. 47% on average),
satisfied with their office (vs. 47% on average*). 67% are missing the human interactions (vs.
61%) and 51% the clear boundaries between
What do they expect? personal and professional life (vs. 46%).
* All comparisons mentioned on this page refer to the average score for all employees.
We undertook a comparison exercise between more / less productive homeworkers and the average employee.
It’s confirmed: ‘work-life balance’ is the new 73% of the workforce aspire to new places that
employee motto, designated as the number promote a healthy lifestyle, safety and well-being.
one priority of the workforce today, ahead of a
comfortable salary. Working in an environment that The need to connect is also gaining in importance,
puts health and well-being at the forefront is more while more traditional levers such as ‘purpose in the
important than ever. ‘Humanity’ is clearly the most job’ and ‘visibility’ are not the top priorities they
sought-after trait of the ideal workplace of the future. used to be.
#5 Feeling connected to my
#5 #5 colleagues (24%)
Q: In light of the current crisis, what are your priorities regarding your work at the moment?
Source: JLL, 2021
88%
of the workforce would like more flexible
working hours in the future, compared with
71% a year ago.
As a result, living priorities are evolving, with broadband speed and outdoor space more important than
ever. Private workspace at home is now a greater priority.
32%
Q: What about your living priorities? Have they changed because of the pandemic? How important are the following aspects in
terms of where you live? (% Top 5 criteria)
Source: JLL, 2021
The time saved on commuting has Half of the time has been allocated to leisure or
been seized by workers to boost well-being activities. One-third is being used to better
handle family and home responsibilities, while only
their quality of life. 21% is being used to work more. The gain in personal
time is stronger for people living alone, while working
parents with young children are more constrained by
professional and family commitments.
2% Other
61% 1 in 2
of the workforce crave ‘real’ human employees misses the social activities
interactions in the office. within their usual weekly routine.
A change of scenery
52%
Exercising
3 32%
Commuting and the time it provides to disconnect
Healthy
and switch from my professional to private life
habits
31%
Cooking healthy meals
17%
Other
Q: And what about your usual weekly routine? 2%
What are you missing the most at the moment? I am missing time for …
Source: JLL, 2021
A social life and a proper work environment remain Most missed aspects of office life, March 2021
the most missed elements of the office routine.
Human interactions
The picture is the same as a year ago, confirming
61%
that when homeworking is imposed rather than
chosen, it can lead to social isolation, less meaningful Collective face-to-face work
interactions, and difficulty setting boundaries 46%
between professional and personal lives. As a Clear boundaries between personal/professional life
result, employees remain committed to their job, 46%
but emotional engagement is at risk. The sense of A professional environment supporting access
belonging and the feeling of a need to be supported to everything I need for work
are tending to decrease. 44%
A daily office routine
39%
Mood barometer
October 2020
73% March 2021
67% 67%
71%
63% 62% 48% 46%
45% 45%
Q: How would you describe your current state of mind? (Rate 6 to 10 out of 10)
Source: JLL, 2021
Worker Preferences Barometer | 18
The psychological wave of the pandemic is here. 1 in 2 employees today is
struggling to achieve boundaries and manage the mental load. Companies
should provide tools that can help employees improve their social and mental
health as well as their physical health.
Mood barometer, March 2021
49% Overwhelmed
I feel a huge mental load
and too many personal
responsibilities to 71% Engaged
cope with I’m committed to my
work and have a sense
48% Under pressure of purpose
I feel exhausted by a
massive workload 63% Fulfilled
I feel a sense of
45% Disenchanted belonging to a
I’m not expecting much community
from my company
anymore 62% Empowered
I’m supported and
45% Concerned encouraged to
about the future take initiatives
I’m worried about my job
Q: How would you describe your current state of mind at the moment? On a scale from 0 to 10 (highest rating)
Source: JLL, 2021
My employer should understand that the lack of human interactions can cause a
lack of motivation, and that current work delivered isn’t reflective of the employee’s
maximum capacity.
Markedly, household profile has a direct impact • Parents with young children need more
on the remote-work experience, revealing the personal time.
full spectrum of the employers’ responsibilities
to support homeworking in the future. Working mothers, in particular, are struggling to
• Employees living alone greatly miss a find enough time to spend with their family.
richer social life.
Most missed aspects of the usual weekly routine according to household profile, March 2021
Social life
58%
A change of scenery
Q: And what about your usual weekly routine? What are you missing the most at the moment? I am missing time for …
Source: JLL, 2021
Gen Z
The youngest cohort (below 25 y.o.) remains 57% feel overwhelmed by a huge mental load
engaged but 57% feel under pressure vs. 48% because of too many personal responsibilities
on average. This generation overall feels less to cope with; 57% also feel under pressure and
equipped and experienced to tackle the challenges exhausted by a massive workload.
of the crisis. Hence, they are the most worried
about their job (53% vs. 45% on average). Working parents with teenagers
achieve the best of both worlds: a good
Caregivers commitment together with fair morale.
Those taking care of an elderly relative at home feel
more overwhelmed (57%) and worried (55%) than People living alone
the average. are doing well in terms of mental health, but their
emotional engagement is at risk. They clearly
Working parents with young children miss the social aspect of office life and therefore
reveal a contrasting profile: they are the most feel less engaged (65% vs. 71% on average),
engaged with their job (78% vs. 71% on average), fulfilled (54% vs. 63%) and empowered (52% vs.
but also the closest to burning out. They combine 62%). They have lost the appetite and motivation
difficulties on both personal and professional sides. to go the extra mile.
Burned out
Working parents
with young children
Overwhelmed, under
pressure, worried and
disenchanted
Living alone
Less engaged, Working parents
fulfilled and 50+ y.o. with teenagers
empowered Less fulfilled
Doing well /
Fair morale
Q: How would you describe your current state of mind at the moment? On a scale from 0 to 10 (highest rating)
Source: JLL, 2021
In reaching the end of our research, we now have The imperative is clear: the office of the future will
one clear conviction: the office will become the have to be human-centered, putting health and
primary place of work again…on the condition that it well-being at the forefront. This will benefit both
upgrades to meet the new priorities of the workforce. employers and employees, through boosting
The months to come will see a ‘flight to quality’, with organizational performance while offering highly
top employers acknowledging the new workforce attractive workplaces to key talent.
expectations through an in-depth rethinking of their
Our research provides a few additional clues…
approach to work, the workforce and the workplace,
while others will continue to ‘wait and see’, not really • The emphasis on health will be a top retention
sure where to start from. argument among women, who also expect
places that are able to promote a healthy
lifestyle, safety and well-being (this is a priority
for 77% of women vs. 69% of men). On the
other hand, men will expect, more than others,
renewed managerial practices and ‘authentic’
places anchored in a strong company culture
and brand identity (this is a priority for 53% of
men vs. 47% of women).
53%
are also in search of an authentic workplace
(top priority for 59% of them).
consider that an outstanding work
experience will make their employer
unique in the long run.
Unique selling proposition – what will make the employer unique in the long term, March 2021
An outstanding
work experience 53%
A sustainable
51%
workplace
A progressive
management culture 40%
Diversity and
inclusion initiatives 36%
Involvement in
CSR initiatives 15%
Other 4%
Q: And how about the future? What will make your employer unique in the long term?
Outside of comfortable pay, it is crucial for me to be able to benefit from…
Source: JLL, 2021
James Taylor
Director, Asia Pacific Research
james.taylor@ap.jll.com