UK firms lacking hybrid work miss out on top graduates: IWG survey
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — International Workplace Group (IWG) reveals that UK companies failing to offer hybrid work options risk alienating a significant portion of the graduate talent pool.
The research, conducted among over 1,000 recent graduates and final-year students, clearly paints a picture of the changing landscape of workplace preferences.
Graduates prioritize flexibility
The study found that 49% of graduates would not even consider applying for jobs requiring full-time office attendance. An additional 18% would need to contemplate such positions seriously, leaving non-hybrid employers with access to potentially only a third of the available graduate talent.
“Businesses that do not offer hybrid working risk missing out on the best young talent,” said Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG.
“For many, flexibility is not a perk, but a necessity, and they will not consider jobs that require a long commute five days a week.”
Hybrid work more appealing than many traditional benefits
While a competitive salary remains the top priority for 74% of graduates, more than half (54%) rank hybrid working as equally important. Interestingly, hybrid work now outshines other benefits that were previously appealing, such as a desirable office location (56%) and workplace culture (53%). Health insurance and pension schemes, long considered essential perks, fell behind, with only 25% and 21% of graduates, respectively, listing them as priorities.
Still, young professionals see value in office time, with 63% recognizing the importance of collaborating and learning from colleagues face-to-face. Almost all graduates surveyed (96%) indicated they would appreciate a balance between central office hours and remote workspaces closer to home.
The financial appeal of hybrid work
Graduates equate hybrid working to a 13% salary increase, primarily due to savings on commuting costs. This perception is supported by economic analysis suggesting that a 24-year-old Gen Z worker in a popular commuter town could save up to £323,458 ($423,000) over their working lifetime by splitting time between a city center office and local workspaces.
As major corporations like Amazon, PwC, and Santander mandate more in-office days, employers may need to reassess workplace flexibility to remain competitive in an evolving job market.
