People working from home feel less sense of belonging to work culture

Almost half of workers feel working from home has diminished their feeling of ‘belonging’ to an organisation, according to the Employee Job Satisfaction Report [registration] from recruitment firm Morgan Phillips. According to the poll, UK workers feel they are treated well by their employer (58 percent quite well and 27 percent very well), but half are still considering changing their jobs, with 17 percent looking for a change in 2022.

Forty-six per cent of UK respondents work from home currently – higher than Italy (39 percent), Spain (32 percent) and Germany (28 percent) – but 59 percent felt isolated and 47 percent felt a diminished sense of ‘belonging’ at their organisation. Despite this, 68 percent of UK respondents would prefer more remote working options, behind only Spain at 72 percent.

Tom Gowing, managing director said: “The challenge businesses face is to make someone feel ‘part’ of the business, whilst affording them the office/home mix that works for them and the business itself. “Immediately after lockdown companies that seemed to be winning out in the war for talent were those that offered huge degrees of flexibility. This may be shifting slightly as more people look beyond just the ‘days form home’ and look at the bigger picture of how a business promotes their culture whilst also giving staff what they need in terms of flexibility. This could be a contributing factor as to why our research shows 44 percent of UK respondents were looking to change jobs within the next three years, 17 percent of which are looking to move in this current year.

“We have seen businesses try all sorts of things to encourage people to interact and drive engagement, both in person and remotely. Some have gone down a wellness route with exercise groups, yoga and meditation, for example. These can be enjoyed as a group, whilst also including those working at home as well.”

The report also claims that UK respondents are confident about their ability to secure a new role if needed. Fifty-seven per cent felt they could secure a new role with ease and 74 percent believed they had very specific skills or “sought-after” expertise that would aid their job search in the current market. Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of UK respondents felt confident they would keep their job in the current market, slightly more than their counterparts in Europe (69 percent).