Randstad Workmonitor Q1 2018

Contrary to what is generally thought, the traditional way of working, i.e., at the office during opening hours, still rules among the respondents of the latest Randstad Workmonitor. Globally, 68% agree with this sentiment, with India (85%) at the highest end and The Netherlands (47%) at the lowest end. Having said this, there is a clear shift toward an agile way of working, i.e., from multiple locations and outside standard opening hours, going on. In India and China the shift is highest (69% and 66% respectively) and in Czech Republic (28%) lowest. 41% of the global respondents report to be already working in a real agile environment with India once again in the lead (64%) and Luxembourg and Greece (both 27%) at the lowest end of the range.

work-life balance

82% of the global respondents like agile working as it allows them to maintain a good work-life balance and 81% say it improves their productivity, creativity and job satisfaction. On the other hand, 44% indicate that it causes a lot of pressure on their personal life, as they never seem to be ‘disconnected’ from work. Strikingly, 47% of the male respondents have that feeling whereas 40% of the female respondents say to do so.

work location
65% of the global respondents prefer to work from home or another location from time to time, and 56% state that their employer provides them with the technological equipment to do so. 64% of the global respondents say they would prefer to work from home or another location, but they unfortunately don’t have the possibility to do so in their job. Finally, 59% globally prefer to work at the office and in this respect India leads with 81% and the Netherlands scores lowest with 47%.

personal contact
In order to stay informed and aligned with colleagues, 69% of the global respondents say they regularly have in-person or face-to-face meetings, versus 36% stating they have virtual team meetings via video conferencing. India (74%) and China (70%) score highest on the virtual meeting scale, and Austria, Hungary (both 20%) and Luxembourg (15%) score lowest.

work autonomy
When it comes to having the freedom to organize and prioritize their own work, 66% of the global respondents say they have it, whereas 48% say that their work is being prioritized by their manager and 56% state that their manager tells them what to do. Autonomy in one’s work is shown to increase by age: