Most graduates think that their employer wants them to return to the office – even if this affects their productivity and wellbeing – according to Prospects at Jisc.
Six in 10 prefer hybrid working, according to the organisation, which runs a graduate careers website. Only 16% would prefer to work full-time in an office, and the same proportion fully remotely.
Just over seven in 10 said a hybrid arrangement helped them with productivity, while 80% said it was good for overall wellbeing.
Sixty-two per cent of graduates think that their employer would prefer them on site all of the time, however. Most thought there were benefits to being in the office, such as engaging with colleagues and getting support from managers.
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Prospects also found that while entry-level workers expect to be supported when in the office, managers are less likely to be there.
Graduates in entry-level roles were more likely to work in person (58%) and less likely to be in hybrid work (35%). Just 7% worked fully remotely.
The survey found that managers, by contrast, were least likely to physically attend the workplace (35%). Almost half (47%) of managers favoured a hybrid working arrangement, while 18% favoured fully remote work.
Prospects suggested that entry-level graduates might prefer attending an office because they did not have a dedicated workspace at home.
Chris Rea, Prospects graduate careers expert at Jisc, said: “If graduates think they’re wanted back in the office this could mean additional pressure, particularly since they associate better wellbeing with the flexibility of being able to work remotely. However, this perception may not always be the case.
“People early on in their careers can lack the necessary capabilities and confidence to navigate politics and procedures at work. They may not have built relationships with managers to enable them to comfortably ask what’s required, so it’s important that employers are clear about where and when they expect staff to work.
“Ensuring that managers are in the office at the same time as more junior staff can help them build the skills and behaviours they need to thrive.”
Research by the Resolution Foundation in February found that workers in their early 20s are more likely to be not working due to ill health than those in their early 40s.
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