Article: 'Remote Rules' : 81% Indian employees believe their jobs can be done remotely

Employee Engagement

'Remote Rules' : 81% Indian employees believe their jobs can be done remotely

While employers have been more focused on building a resilient workforce strategy, employees are driven by opportunities for fulfilment, creativity, innovation and authenticity, apart from financial rewards, reveals PwC’s India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022.
'Remote Rules' : 81% Indian employees believe their jobs can be done remotely

Workplaces in India have changed significantly over the past couple of years, with considerable mindset shifts for both employers and employees. 

While employers have been more focused on building a resilient workforce strategy, employees on their part are driven by opportunities for fulfilment, creativity, innovation and authenticity, apart from financial rewards. They have also been placing a premium on organisational trust, innovation and hybrid ways of working. 

According to PwC’s India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022, the shift to hybrid work is expected to continue, with 81% of employees in India believing that their jobs can be done remotely and with 31% of those who can work remotely already working in a hybrid way.

The report also found that a significantly higher proportion of Indian employees (71%) are concerned about being overlooked for career advancement as compared to their global peers (21%). This points to the need for deploying more transparent and data-driven processes to define career pathways. 

The survey, which provides important insights into employee drivers, aspirations and specific outcomes employees expect in the next 12 months, along with employee perspectives on transparency and implications of technology,  revealed that 34% of respondents in India believe they are extremely/very likely to switch to a new employer as compared to 19% globally. Further, 32% say they plan to leave the workforce. 

Millennials are the most likely to seek new employment, with 37% indicating that they are likely to switch employers in the next 12 months. While Gen Z employees are less likely to quit, 33% of them are extremely or very likely to ask for a reduction in work hours. 

India is one of the countries with a huge perceived gap in skills, with 54% of employees strongly/moderately agreeing that India faces a shortage of their skill sets and 67% believing that their job requires specialist training. At present, employers are seen as addressing skill shortages through wage increases, recruitment and automation, with fewer using upskilling as a strategic lever. 

Also, more than half of the respondents in the survey are concerned about the lack of opportunities to work with or learn technological skills from their colleagues. This learning gap begins at the top, with more than 50% of CEOs perceiving a lack of opportunities for learning technological skills. 

Sensitive social and political topics are occupying an increasingly important place in workplace conversations, with 75% of employees having had conversations of this nature, highlighting the need for employers to actively create safe spaces for such conversations.

Chaitali Mukherjee, partner and leader, people and organisation, PwC India said the disruptive landscape of social, environmental, economic and geopolitical changes has had profound consequences on organisations and their workforce strategies. 

“Leaders need to consider these disruptions while drawing up their short- and long-term plans for the organisation as well as their people,” she added. 

The survey also highlights that employees expect more transparency and support in incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their work.

“Balancing business considerations with employee aspirations is easier said than done. However, given the fact that the future of work is undergoing a massive overhaul, it is important to prioritise leadership and employee capabilities to drive change and move the needle in business,” Chaitali added.

The India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022 report is based on the findings of PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022. The survey included 2,608 participants from India, and 93% of them were full-time employees.  

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Topics: Employee Engagement, Employee Relations, #Future of Work

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