Nearly half (44%) of Scottish firms expect staff to come into the office more regularly over the next year, according to the latest Quarterly Insights Survey from Hays.

The survey of 500 respondents shows that while 68% of employers in Scotland continue to offer hybrid work options, more firms are changing attitudes toward office attendance.

Hays revealed that around one-fifth (22%) of staff think their employer will ask them to attend the office more frequently over the next 12 months.

Notably, the study revealed that 41% of respondents currently work full-time from the office, even though the majority (67%) would prefer to work in a hybrid or remote capacity.

Of those who do offer hybrid working, one-quarter of employers provide far greater flexibility when it comes to employees choosing days that they’re in the workplace. And 22% said staff can work remotely from anywhere, including abroad, when working in a hybrid model.

Commenting on the findings, Hays Scotland director Keith Mason, said: “The difficulty in finding talent hasn’t gone away and whilst hybrid working isn’t ‘one size fits all’, employers need to recognise that offering flexibility will continue to be important when attracting staff.

“At Hays, we’re seeing that most of our younger generation coming through the ranks now want to be in an office rather than working from home. They still like the option of hybrid working to take advantage of flexibility, however, they prefer an office setting more than experienced staff do.”

Mason said the debate surrounding current work trends varies, and is often dependent on the individual, and the workplace.

He added: “It’s an interesting debate, as people tend to be more productive when in the office but will work harder, or longer, at home. Leaving on time to get public transport to commute home tends to mean deadlines will be pushed, whereas at home, working longer to get through work is often normal.

“There can also be less interruptions at home compared to the office. But in an office environment, leadership teams can provide better support with focus and strategic hands-on direction, whereas at home the employee is broadly working under their own steam.”

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Hays’ survey showed that greater flexibility, improved work-life balance and reduction in time and money spent on commuting are just some of the main benefits of having a hybrid offering.

And for employers in an increasingly competitive labour market, it also broadens prospective talent pools.

Another key benefit of hybrid working is a better work/life balance compared to full-time office working, which was reported by 77% of professionals. However, 44% said they typically work longer hours when working remotely.

Mason commented: “Employees’ priorities changed during the Covid pandemic. A lot of companies were already debating and adopting flexible working prior to the pandemic as a differential to their competitors, but this is now seen as more of the norm.

“I’d recommend employers go with a hybrid working offering that suits their ethos and culture – however be cautious of alienating potential talent with less flexible policies.”

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