While some financial sector bosses have welcomed remote working with open arms, others have struggled to trust their employees to work autonomously with some even ramping up on surveillance to track exactly what their workforce is doing.
This may, however, be problematic for organisations looking to attract and retain talent as, according to a recent report from UK-based tech-for-good developer, Culture Shift, most (86%) of Britain’s financial workforce say having an employer that trusts them is important for their overall happiness at work. A further 80% also admit autonomy is essential and working at a company with a strong ethical background is key, signalling some employers may need to rethink their strategies as they plan for the future.
The same report also uncovered that remote working opportunities are imperative for the majority (82%) of finance employees across the UK, with more than half (56%) saying they would like to remain working from home, 53% dreading going back to the workplace and 56% are worried they won’t be able to adjust to going back. That said, one-third (33%) have felt imposter syndrome (self-doubt) more so while working from home.
Gemma McCall, CEO, Culture Shift, said: “Remote working has positively impacted employees’ wellbeing and is something employers should absolutely be considering as they plan for the future – especially now the success of this approach has been clearly proven. While there are of course some key factors organisations need to work on, employers should be ensuring they have systems and tools in place to empower their teams to remain productive, creative and supported, even while they’re working from home.
“As businesses continue navigating the pandemic and conversations around the future of workplace culture take precedence, employees are hoping everything from flexibility to trust, autonomy, a competitive salary and strong ethics will be at the top of the agenda.”
On the variables impacting employee happiness at work, the research found that:
- 87% of finance employees confirm good communication from their employer is important to them
- 89% say a competitive salary is integral
- 83% say flexibility is an important factor to their overall happiness at work
- 85% say work-life balance and the ability to plan work around family/childcare is important
- 81% say progression opportunities are key
- 78% confirm working at a company with a good CSR scheme is essential
- 73% say free perks, such as paid for breakfast, yoga classes and gym memberships are important
- 84% of employees say that working at a company with a good reputation for treating employees fairly is integral to their happiness at work
- 74% say working somewhere with a diverse workforce is important
- Two-thirds (66%) would like to return to the workplace with flexitime, while 77% would like to do a mix of working from the workplace and home.
Source: The Fintech Times
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