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While 91% of companies in Hong Kong are urging staff to increase their in-office presence, 80% of workers prefer to continue to work in hybrid or remote mode.
The pandemic restrictions may be over, but the ongoing debate surrounding hybrid/remote work models may not, according to the latest survey by Morgan McKinley.
As part of its Global Workplace Guide, the survey revealed that employers and employees in Hong Kong showed divergent expectations towards hybrid or remote work – while 91% of companies in Hong Kong are urging staff to increase their in-office presence, 80% of workers expressed a strong preference for continuing in a hybrid or remote work model.
The survey found that professionals working in hybrid models expressed the highest contentment with their work patterns, with 40% willing to forego pay raises for desired flexibility.
On the other hand, 56% of respondents who work onsite five days a week are the ones most actively looking for a new job in the next six months compared to hybrid employees (41%) and fully remote employees (44%).
When asked about their favoured weekly working pattern, 55% of professionals in Hong Kong preferred three to four days in the office, with a further 21% selecting one to two days. Only 20% are happy to be in the office for the full five working days.
Despite employee preferences, 56% of companies globally, and a whopping 91% in Hong Kong, are urging staff to increase their in-office presence.
There are regional differences in companies mandating for employees to return to the office with Hong Kong (91%), Australia (65%), Japan (62%), Singapore (61%), and China (59%) exhibiting higher rates of return-to-office mandates, compared to 40% in the UK, 40% in Canada and 42% in Ireland.
Robert Sheffield, Managing Director - Hong Kong SAR, Morgan McKinley, believed simply mandating a five-day-a-week office presence would likely encounter resistance and productivity dips. “2024 will be a pivotal year to see if organisations see flexibility as not just a perk but a fundamental aspect of workplace cultures creating a more inclusive, productive, and resilient workforce,” he said.
The Morgan McKinley Global Workplace Study gathered insights about various hiring and workplace trends by surveying over 3,400 professionals and 650 employers/hiring managers globally, with 27% of hiring managers highlighting the importance of flexible working arrangements as a crucial factor in talent attraction and retention.
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