A recent Colliers survey, based on an analysis of responses from more than 500 Czech employees across a range of industries, has revealed that over 40% of employees consider telecommuting to be a barrier to their career progression.
The main advantage of working from the office, as confirmed by more than 78% of respondents, is direct contact with colleagues and supervisors. Personal interaction is key to effective communication and building team spirit in the work environment. The importance of a workplace’s social environment is further underscored by the fact that almost half of the survey respondents see a lack of access to career progression opportunities as a big disadvantage of working from home. The findings are backed up by a recent GoodHire survey in which virtually all 3,500 respondents agreed that office-based workers enjoy more benefits and career opportunities than their telecommuting colleagues.
Interaction with colleagues also plays a key role in employees' decisions to reduce working from home and return to the corporate office. 83% of respondents to the Colliers survey believe contact with colleagues to be critical. Less than half cited work environment or technological facilities as the main reasons for returning to the corporate office. "This finding suggests that quality working conditions and technical equipment are currently an expected standard rather than an exceptional added value that employees demand from their employers," explains Jana Vlková, Director of Workplace Advisory and Office Agency at Colliers.
The survey also showed that each generation perceives the risks and benefits of working from the office or home differently. For example, younger Generation Z, represented by workers aged 26 and under, is less concerned about limited contact with colleagues and supervisors. This is a 12% difference compared to other age groups. However, they are, by the same percentage difference, more concerned about worsened career prospects. Differences are also evident in views on the introduction of a four-day workweek. Generation Z is a full 16 percentage points more interested in this option than Generation X. The need for a differentiated approach by employers to support different employee age groups is evident, as Jana Vlková commented.
According to the Colliers survey, just under half of respondents currently report overall satisfaction with their jobs. Relationships with colleagues (73%) and company culture (55%) are the most important motivators for staying at work. Financial compensation ranked third in the survey with backing from 54% of respondents. Although this still represents more than half of survey participants, in times of high inflation it is a low percentage. It shows that money is not everything.
