Hybrid work increases employee satisfaction, study finds

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — Companies adopting hybrid work models, allowing employees to split their time between the office and remote settings, have witnessed a surge in job satisfaction, a new study reveals.

Research firm Omdia surveyed 450 HR and IT leaders globally for its new Future of Work study. 

Fifty-seven percent reported improved employee satisfaction after implementing hybrid working models, while requiring a full return to the office actually lowered morale.

Nearly half of employees are expected to adopt permanent hybrid or fully remote work going forward. 

As a result, 76% of companies are re-evaluating their relationships with technology vendors and service providers to find partners that can better support distributed workforces.

Over two-thirds of respondents said hybrid working enables greater accessibility, eliminates location barriers, and helps close gender gaps in recruitment.

“More diverse work styles have impacted employee productivity, satisfaction and customer experience. And businesses need the help of digital partners, processes and technologies in navigating successful future of work initiatives,” said Adam Holtby, Omdia Principal Analyst, Mobile Workspace and author of the Future of Work report.

However, most firms lack the tools needed to manage hybrid work successfully. Top capabilities sought from partners include improving ESG practices (28%), outsourcing key services like IT and HR (27%), and providing a digital platform to manage vendor relationships (26%).

Omdia is a technology research firm with over 400 analysts. Its clients include leading global technology companies across more than 180 countries.