Post-pandemic,organizations need to address their hybrid work processes and plans, or their recruitment and retention rates will be at risk, says new research by Poly, which creates premium audio and video products.

The new Poly study, Recruit, Retain and Grow, analyses work policies, culture, and wellness through the lens of over 2,500 global business decision makers. 

Recruitment and retention at risk

Over half (60%) of all organizations in Asia Pacific believe that if they don’t address their hybrid work processes and plans, they will start to lose staff and will be unable to attract new talent. What’s more, organizations are already feeling the effects of this, with 58% globally seeing a greater turnover in staff since the start of the pandemic. In APAC, the effect is especially pronounced in India (78%) and Singapore (61%), says the study.

Employers need to do more to prevent employee burnout

While 67% of organizations in APAC believe they have a moral duty to protect employees from working too much, only 51% of organizations in APAC are taking steps to prevent people from feeling like they’re ‘always on’. Just 35% are encouraging employees not to look at work emails outside of working hours and to take regular breaks, and only 16% have processes in place to make sure employees aren’t working long hours.

• 55% of organizations in Japan expect employees to manage their workloads and time.
• Only 10% in Singapore and Japan have processes in place to make sure employees aren’t working long hours.
• Nearly 1 in 5 organizations in China say it is the nature of their job to work long hours.

Culture and workforce wellness shortfall causing productivity lags

Organizations appear to be adapting well to the shift to hybrid work, with 72% of surveyed companies reporting an increase in productivity. The sentiment is consistent in APAC (76%), specifically in China (89%), India (86%), and Singapore (79%). However, 62% of organizations in APAC believe that if employees aren’t in the office, they won’t build the relationships they need to progress their careers. This is especially prevalent in Singapore (71%) and India (65%). Other key concerns in APAC included:

• Employers worry there is an unhealthy culture of overworking (50%).
• Employers are concerned that remote working has made fostering and retaining work culture harder than ever (74%).

Equality, experience and evolution to recruit, retain and grow

According to the Poly study, 79% of organizations in Asia Pacific say the pandemic forced them to get smarter about how they use space, people, and technology. Furthermore, technology and experiences are viewed by the majority of companies in Asia Pacific as the face of the company, and not the office space alone (64%). Expanding the quotient of spaces available rather than the definition as to whether the space is virtual, offsite, remote, or hybrid, will help employers develop a robust hybrid work strategy.

Equalize virtual experiences through meeting equality for your workforce

Forward-looking companies are investing in software and devices equally with cloud applications and collaboration software at 92% each. In APAC, organizations are leaning towards collaboration software at 93%. Singapore employers are also placing a heavy emphasis on cloud applications (93%), second only to China (97%).

Equalize office experiences through redesign

81% of organizations in APAC have plans to redesign their office layout to accommodate the new hybrid working norm, with the top focus points region wide including creating more open plan areas (46%), creating more collaboration spaces (44%), and to create more ‘quiet zones’ (38%). Ultimately, employees will be the ones mainly utilizing these spaces.    

“At Poly, we believe that being able to provide hybrid working option is not the endgame, but a starting point for the competitive organizations of today. Poly’s research validates our point of view. Employees are voting with their feet in favour of companies that support workspaces with an effective organizational culture for people, and a robust technology enablement approach. Not just technology – people and spaces are also critical for any business strategy. This could be the difference between success and failure,” says Pierre-Jean Chalon, Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific, Poly.