Massive Microsoft Survey Of 31,000 People To Vibe Check The Workplace Shows A Mismatch Between Managers And Employees

Microsoft conducted a survey of 31,000 people in 31 countries to get a vibe check of the workforce. In their company blog, entitled ‘Great expectations: A road map for making hybrid work work,’ written by Jared Spataro, he said, “As organizations around the world make the definitive shift from remote to hybrid work, one thing is clear: the people who went home to work in 2020 are not the same people returning to the office in 2022.”

The mindset of people dramatically changed. Workers want fulfilling jobs that offer both meaning and purpose, and good pay. They also demand respect, and appreciation for their efforts.

Microsoft understands this new trend, saying in the blog post, “There’s no erasing the experience of the last two years and employee expectations are higher than ever.” People desire “flexibility and face time, and are making career changes that prioritize personal goals and well-being.” Based on findings from their 2022 Work Trend Index, “there’s no going back to the way it once was,” before the virus outbreak.

Here are some of the highlights of the survey

The ‘Worth It’ Question

The survey found 53% of people are now more likely to prioritize their health and well-being over work. Nearly 20% of respondents quit their jobs last year. Over 50% of Gen Z and millennials are likely to consider a new job in the next year, joining the Great Resignation movement.

If employees don’t feel empowered, forced to go into an office just to send emails and have Zoom calls which could have been done at home, they may elect to leave. They’d rather have a short term gap in their resume than do something that’s not worthwhile. With around 11 million or more jobs available, the odds are in the favor of a person seeking out a new opportunity.

Managers need to assess this new change in attitude. You can’t be too strict or rigid when there is the availability of plentiful jobs for your staff to interview with. If they feel overlooked or lack a path forward within the organization, it’s easy for them to move on.

Meanwhile, Managers Are Stuck

Managers are trapped between leadership and employee expectations. Supervisors are now tasked to deal with the new higher level expectations of employees. People have tasted freedom and autonomy over the last two years working from frome home.

The emerging trend among large organizations is a move towards a hybrid work model in which a person would go into an office two or three days a week, and at home for the rest of the time. While employees want choices, 50% of leaders say they have plans for a full in-person return to the office this year.

This puts managers in a tenuous position. The study shows 54% of managers feel leadership is out of touch with employee expectations. Around 74% percent of supervisors feel that they lack the influence or resources to independently implement changes for their teams. Middle managers are stuck between a rock and a hard place, having to mollify both executives and rank and file workers.

Why Should I Schlep Into The Office?

In a hot job market, characterized by sometimes consecutive months when four million people quit their jobs, business leadership recognizes that they need to cater to the wishes of their employees. If they don’t, senior management risks losing the best and brightest talent to competitors.

With a scorching hot job market, it is incredibly hard to find and recruit on-target, skilled applicants. With inflation running wildly out of control, the odds are high that a replacement would cost much more than what the departing employee was earning. The scenario sets the stage for an empowered employees base. They can leverage the threat of resigning to get what they want.

There is a disconnect with the hybrid model. Almost 40% of hybrid employees say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office. Only 28% of leaders have created policies, procedures and plans for this new work arrangement. This illustrates a lack of a cohesive message being shared with the workforce, which may lead to frustration on the part of management, executives and workers.

An added challenge is providing a level playing field so that everyone feels that they are seen and heard. The survey shows that 43% of remote workers do not feel included in meetings, and to make matters worse, only 27% of leaders say their company has developed hybrid meeting etiquette to ensure everyone is included and engaged.

The data concludes that it’s time to rethink the role of the office. Managers and leadership need to adopt a degree of intentionality around giving everyone a voice at the table. The goal should be that the new cultural norms will ensure the office adds value to the employee experience, and helps them feel connected with coworkers, engaged in their work and motivated to innovate and be the best versions of themselves.

How To Resolve Hybrid Work Issues

Numerous studies have shown that if a worker has a close bond with a group of colleagues, they are more apt to stay at the company. This tight knit bond keeps people from walking out the door, as they’d feel disloyal to their work-family if they left for another opportunity elsewhere.

The study points out that while a majority of hybrid workers have been able to maintain their team bonds (58%), only half of remote workers say they have a thriving relationship with their direct team and even fewer (42%) have a strong relationship with those outside their team. If managers allow this to continue, it’s likely that they’ll see an exodus of people as there are little to no bonds connecting them with the organization.

Managers need to build relationships, and offer support for remote and newly hired employees to ensure that they stick. It’s not an easy task. Hybrid work will require a lot of thought, planning and execution.

Technologies are one of the ways to help. Software tools, platforms, videos, apps and other systems can bridge the digital and physical divide. The key is also communication. Leadership needs to take the pulse of the employees, and actively listen to them. Based on their feedback, executives can make more intelligent policies and programs.

Armed with the appropriate data points, wants and needs of employees, middle management can then ensure that the employees are engaged in their work, feel appreciated and energized which will help cut down on attrition, help improve recruiting efforts and keep the existing staff from leaving.