AS WORK FROM HOME ENDS – TECH COMPANY WARNS OF TALENT EXODUS

British tech innovators PixelMax have warned that Britain’s biggest employers face an exodus of talent this year if they do not empower their employees and adapt to a rapidly changing workplace landscape. They believe that the virtual workplace is the solution to stemming the “Big Resignation” flow as a recent survey indicated that only 4% of employees want to return to the office full time and 82% of employees want a hybrid model with 59% ranking a work from home flexibility as the No.1 choice in employee benefits.

The Big Resignation was the hot topic of last year, with record numbers of staff either leaving, walking out of their jobs voluntarily, or opting to work part time as they re-evaluate their work-life balance. It follows a tumultuous two years of the pandemic, lockdown restrictions and many people’s lives being curtailed, which has forced employees to re-evaluate their work-life priorities, well-being and aspirations. The implementation of plan B restrictions including WFH policies for employees, yet again reinforces the notion that we need to learn to live with Covid and employers need to re-think how they future proof their businesses and retain their talent.

The tech industry has always been ahead of the curve in terms of workplace culture, but with a massive skills shortage in the tech sector, the workplace landscape has dramatically changed. A recent report commissioned by London- and Manchester-based leading tech recruitment firm Burns Sheehan found that only 4% of employees polled wanted to return to the office full time and only 14% wanted to work three to four days in the office. What did emerge was that a staggering 49% wanted to work in the office one to two days a week, 33% wanted to work fully remotely, 82% of employees validating the desire for a hybrid and virtual workplace.

When polled on the Burns Sheehan employee benefits survey, 59% of employees wanted work from home (WFH) flexibility as their No.1 employee benefit over annual bonuses and share options. This was followed by 25% of those polled wanting a learning and development budget, 22% a clearly defined career path, 19% favouring an annual bonus, 17% wanting childcare flexibility and least important, 12% wanting share options.

During the pandemic, employees were just expected to adapt to a new regime of working fully remotely, with employers not aware of the consequences and underlying issues that would affect their employees. Many were suffering from Zoom and Teams fatigue, isolation, burnout, disengagement with their office workplace and a lack of social interaction with colleagues. This in itself brought to the surface many issues of wider mental health aspects and well-being, with many employers not understanding how this was impacting on their workforce. Many employees complained of not being able to detach themselves from their work and home life and feeling that they were not able to switch off, while others missed the office culture. The culmination of these issues resulted in the Big Resignation.

Rob Hilton CEO and Co-Founder of PixelMax, said:

“Remote working enabled many companies to resume a degree of normality during the lockdown periods, equally, there was a price to pay with regards to employees’ well-being and mental health. The Big Resignation is all about employees voting with their feet and making the shift change, choosing who they want to work for, how they want to work and when they want to work. In order for business and industry to retain the best talent, they need to rethink the workplace environment. It needs to reflect a modern hybrid of the office and remote working from any location but interconnected within a platform that is engaging to all employees and makes them feel connected to their work colleagues, whether that be in the physical sense in the office or from their remote location.”

This in turn has also had a major impact on UK businesses and how they have to adapt and rethink a new workplace culture; one that will allow them to retain their best talent and also act as a recruiting beacon for new and emerging talent. Employers need to radically rethink how to manage staff both in an office environment and remotely. Throughout the pandemic, employers were slow to adapt the workplace environment and to understand the wider issues their employees were facing in remote working environments. If employers don’t act quickly, they will get left behind because hybrid working is expected by employees. If remote or hybrid work isn’t available within your company or organisation, potential recruits are turned off. Businesses that don’t invest in making hybrid working an enjoyable experience will struggle to attract and retain the best talent as the Burns Sheehan report clearly indicates.

Businesses are no longer restricted by geography when it comes to recruitment. Employees no longer need to live at a commutable distance from work or be based in the city centres. For some businesses, access to a wider talent pool changes everything in their business model. It now means companies no longer need to be based in city centres either, which historically has always been the norm. Now companies can have the option of being based in bustling suburbs as connectivity is improved with faster broadband and cellular connectivity with 4G and 5G. Companies now have the ability to attract a much wider talent pool.

Burns Sheehan Co-Founder, Jon Sheehan, said:

“The tech hiring market has been the busiest Burns Sheehan have ever seen. I’ve never seen anything like this in the market before; most candidates will have four to five job opportunities and firm job offers on the go within 24 hours. This isn’t even about bigger salaries; that’s just a side perk. Employees are much more focussed on their work-life balance and wider aspirations in the working environment.

“This is very much an employees’ market, driven by employees calling the shots. Many are opting for a virtual workplace model, where they have the option to work from home and the office of their choosing, but also still to remain connected to the office environment even whilst working remotely. If employers don’t embrace this new model of working, then the ones who have adapted quickly to change will have the commercial advantage of hiring and retaining the best talent.”

Although this can be a daunting thought for some employers, they need to think of it positively. Employers need to understand that employees at their company are there because they’re happy – it’s not just about paying the best salaries; they’re aligned with company values and purpose. However, in the current climate, employers must focus on company values and work on how this can be reflected in the way staff are treated and what makes them happy, productive and fulfilled in the workplace. Homeworkers should benefit from well-being initiatives too; this isn’t something that can only exist in the office.

Manchester-headquartered tech disruptors PixelMax immediately saw this disconnect between employers and employees and their workplace environment at the start of the pandemic and tackled the issue head-on. They were one of the first British tech companies to pivot their 3D immersive technology in the early days of the pandemic to create unique virtual workplace platforms and environments for companies.